The bristly-moustached man got to his feet and glowered at the boys menacingly. Under one of his eyes, so Jack noted with satisfaction, was a rapidly-spreading, plum-colored bruise.
“Now see here, you kids,” he barked out, “it ain’t a bit of good, your putting up a scrap. Your dad tried it and it took a bullet to stop him.”
“You rascal! You wounded my father?” shouted Jack, rushing at him, completely carried away by anger.
But he had not advanced a foot before he was seized by a dozen of the crew who, despite all his struggles, held him fast.
“You see it ain’t a bit of use, your kicking,” went on the man, vindictively. “This yacht carries a crew of twenty men and they’ll all do just as I tell ‘em to. Now that you know what you’re up against, I’ll explain a few things to you just to show you that there’s nothing you can do against my wishes.”
Despite their indignation, the boys listened eagerly for what was to come. Tom and Dick still held their attitudes of defense. Poor Jack was too effectively held to do anything but submit, with what grace he could.
“Them guns you heard was fired by the Professor’s orders. He figured there was a bunch of life savers ashore who’d come out and clap us all in irons for mutiny. We rushed him and finally he saw it was no go and gave in. He’s a prisoner in his cabin now.
“If you and your dad hadn’t come butting in in that contraption of yours we’d have gone on our voyage all peaceable; but you interfered, and now you’ve got to pay for it. If we let you go ashore you’d get the gov’ment after us and we’d get in hot water. As it is, we’ll just lock you up till we make up our minds what to do with you, and then we’ll dispense with you someway.”
“Is my father hurt?” demanded Jack.
“No, he’s all right and will be all right as long as he keeps quiet. I fired a shot at him to keep him quiet, scare him like. That’s all. You can take ‘em below, men, an’ then we’ll keep on our course.”