"You'll have us on the rocks first thing you know!" cried Matt. "Put her about and go back to Belize."
"You might just as well understand, Matt," answered Gaines firmly, "that we've started on this business and we're going to see it through. We want your good will—and we think you'll give it to us before we're done with this cruise. It's a short cruise, anyhow, and we ought to be back at Belize by to-morrow night."
"If anything happens to the Grampus," said Matt, "you'll be held responsible."
"We're willin'. We went into this with our eyes wide open. First thing we did was to shut both doors of that room and lock 'em; then we heaved up the anchors as quiet as we could, and you and Dick were so sound asleep you didn't hear a thing. It's two in the morning now, and we're well down the coast—so far down that we might as well see this thing through as to put back. Don't you think so?"
"It doesn't appear to make much difference what I think," said Matt grimly.
"Well, not a terrible sight," went on Gaines, "only, as I said, we'd rather have your good will than your bad."
"How did you work this? How did the don get back?"
"He stood off and on in the sailboat. As soon as you were asleep, Clackett and I dickered with him and he came aboard."
"I haven't much of an opinion of Don Ramon Ortega!" exclaimed Matt. "Any man who will hire a crew to disobey orders has a crooked strain in him somewhere."