"What are they about on deck? It is half an hour since the boatswain piped all hands," said Hyde, jumping out of his berth.
"I'm sure I don't know," replied Lindsley, uneasily. "I should think they had found out by this time that something was the matter."
"I know one thing," said Wilde, with a significant shake of the head, as though he had made an important discovery.
"What's that?" demanded the others, in the same breath.
"They have put the grating on the main hatch, so that we can't go on deck if we wish to do so," replied Wilde, who had begun to be regarded as one with a weak back.
"No matter for that," answered Raymond, with an effort to laugh, though he was far from being satisfied with the situation as indicated by the closed hatch. "As we don't want to go on deck, it makes no difference to us."
"That's so," added Lindsley. "They have put on the grating to make a show. They can't do anything while sixty of the crew are below."
"Are you sure there are sixty?" asked Hyde, doubtfully.
"Take twelve from the whole crew, and it leaves sixty. But count them for yourself, if you are not satisfied with my figures."
"I will;" and he left the mess-room for this purpose.