The mainsail of the schooner was furled, and casting off the main-sheet could not have the least effect upon her; but one of them cast it off, and the other was at the tiller. He did not know what "hard down" meant, as no one would have known when the schooner was at anchor.
"Which way shall I put the tiller?" asked the one who was at the helm.
"That's right as you have it," replied the machinist, prompted by Dory.
While he was making it fast with the tiller-lines, the other one came into the waist. Dory turned his back to him, regardless of the law of politeness. The instructor was a stranger to him; but as he came off in the schooner's boat, he did not seem to suspect that there was any thing wrong.
"Have you seen Captain Spickles?" he asked.
"Yes: we saw him on shore, but he was not ready to come on board," answered the instructor.
By this time Dory had worked himself to a position in the rear of the fellow, who was rather diminutive in form; and he did not lose an instant in resorting to the tactics of Captain Spickles himself. Placing his hands on the shoulders of his intended victim, he raised his right knee to the small of his back, and brought him down with very little effort. He had picked up a piece of line before, with which he tied his arms behind him, even before the one at the tiller had noticed what was going on.
"What are you about there?" demanded the other, as soon as he saw what had been done, and hastened to the waist.
"Throw up your hands!" said the machinist, as he brought his revolver to bear upon him.
The weapon had its effect, and the fellow promptly obeyed the order. Dory secured him as he had the first one, and the business was finished without disaster to any one. The prisoners were astonished, and it was evident that they were inferior in force to the other three.