"That's it, exactly; and I'm a member of the club, and the cook of the ship," said Sangfraw, dropping his head as though the effort required to keep it up was too great for him.
"Where does the La Motte go when she sails?" asked Dory.
"She is going to Ticonderoga after the rest of the club," answered Sangfraw, rousing himself. "Now, s'pose you tell me where Angy is."
"He is safe enough," said Dory, leading the way out of the steerage, as he called it, into the cabin. "I fancy that these fellows don't live without eating, and I think a few mouthfuls would make me feel better."
They examined the pantry, and they found an abundance of ham, cold chicken, and other food, from which both of the captors of the schooner made a very satisfactory breakfast. Dory found his condition very much improved, and his energy revived, by the meal.
"This is decidedly a happy family," said Dory, as they went on deck, after ascertaining that both of the prisoners had dropped asleep.
"And it seems that there was to be an addition of five persons to the family. Very likely those on board were to fill up the exchequer of the club by their operations before the others joined them," added the machinist. "I wonder if this is the first robbery they have committed. I have not had time to read the papers much this week."
"By the great iron jingo!" exclaimed Dory, as the suggestion of his companion stimulated his memory. "I read that two robberies had been committed in the vicinity of Plattsburg; and the last sentence of the paragraph was, that no clew to the burglars had been obtained. These are the fellows!"
"Then, we had better search the vessel," suggested Mr. Jepson.
"Let the officers do that after we have taken her to Beechwater. We shall have enough to do to take care of these fellows; for I hope we shall be able to take the other two, Chuck and Mack, with us as passengers."