Silently the boat approached the sloop, which swung bow toward it. In and under the shadow cast even in the darkness by her bow the yawl swiftly shot, and then stopped. The voices of the burglars could be distinctly heard, and they were evidently making the night ring with their songs and laughter. Sounds of drinking and feasting suggested, also, that they were still at their supper. No one was on deck, and no thought of capture had apparently come to the robbers' minds.
Again the yawl moved silently forward, and paused under the starboard quarter of the sloop, and just adjacent to her cabin. Judd knew his time for action had come, and he arose and braced himself for it.
The opening into the cabin was for convenience and ventilation made in two parts--one upright, the other horizontal. The upright portion was a door, and swung upon hinges from the starboard side of the cabin toward its larboard end. The horizontal part was a sliding hatch at the top of the cabin, and to close it, it had to be shoved toward the stern-end of the cabin, directly over the upright, where it fastened down into its place with an iron clamp. Both swinging door and sliding hatch were made of solid wood, and when closed and fastened could not easily be opened from the inside of the cabin.
All this Judd knew; and he was, moreover, at the one point where he could reach both parts that were to be closed without himself being seen. For a brief moment he steadied himself on the bow of the yawl; then laying one hand on the rail of the sloop, he jumped lightly on board. His weight swayed the craft somewhat, but before the burglars, surprised at the sudden lurch, could spring even to their feet, he had reached the opening. In an instant his left hand swung-to the upright door and his right hand shoved the slide into place; down came the clamp with a jerk; the iron bar was thrust into the socket, and all was secure before the burglars had recovered from their first shock of surprise.
Loud curses now followed, and heavy blows were struck upon the closed door. Then a voice cried:
"Open that hatch, or we'll fire through it!" and the click of a revolver was heard.
"Two can play at that game, my hearties," rang out the voice of the stalwart captain as he sprung on board, followed by Mr. Avery.
Then he drew his revolver and fired twice in the air. It was the signal for the tug to approach.
These movements on the part of the captors were not without their effect on the imprisoned men. A silence suddenly fell upon them, broken at length by the leader of the gang asking:
"Who are you, and what do you mean by closing us up in here? You will find it is a joke we will not stand."