"That's it," replied Tim. "There'll be none of the crowd gets past us this night."
"Aye, aye," chimed in the mate. "We'll do our part and you just holler if you want any help."
"Oh, I'll be all right," answered Tom confidently. "I don't think those fellows are armed and I guess these guns won't appeal to them very favorably."
"Hard-a-lea!" yelled the captain. "I'm going to try to hold her on the other tack and see if we don't fetch up somewhere near the shore."
"Let her go," responded Tom. "Guess the nearer that we get to land the better it will be for us."
"We can't do much toward working the ship," the captain said, "but I don't see why we can't hold her in the right direction as long as we have control of the wheel and the mainsail."
"Which we have," put in Tim.
"Yes, just at present," responded the mate, at his side. "But there's no telling for how long."
"Ahoy, on deck!" came a cry from the cabin. "What's all this? Let us out, you lubbers!"
"Can't be done, me boys," called out Tim. "We have quite enough av us here now."