"I'm afraid there is something bad here, Reggie. Cordell is at the bottom of it. I wish he was at the bottom of the sea."
"Yes, he seems inclined to remove us one by one. Whose turn next, I wonder!"
"Do you think that he is a pirate?" exclaimed Arthur.[!-- [Pg 50] --] "Surely our dear step-father would not have put us in such a situation. He couldn't!"
"Perhaps he might have had reasons," whispered a strange voice.
The boys started and looked fearfully around. Who had spoken? They were alone with the sleeping man. What could he know, or how could he talk thus in his sleep, wounded as he was? Reginald looked at the invalid, and then whispered—
"The vessel is haunted! I wish we had never come on board. Let us tell Esau."
"No, certainly not," said Arthur. "He will only make things worse. Let us try to beat him at his own game!"
"Right!" whispered the strange voice. "Lie low!"
"That is mysterious," said Reginald, as he went quickly to the door and threw it open. There was no one near; the cabins were silent and darkened.
"Rum!" he remarked as he returned to the doctor's bunk. "Did you speak, doctor?"