observer of what was
about to transpire in the water; for he leaped into his boat, and
ordered his crew to back her. In an instant they were pulling with all
their might; and the boat had nearly run over Pearl before the captain
gave the order, "Way enough!"

"Lay hold of that man," said the captain to the two men who pulled the
bow oars.

The young fellows unshipped their oars, and grabbed Pearl with no tender
grasp. They threw him down, and then dragged him into the boat.

"Hold on to him, my lads!" added the captain. "Don't let him go."

Pearl struggled for his liberty; but the two young fellows jammed him
down in the bottom of the boat, and held him there in spite of his
efforts to shake them off.

"This is an outrage, Captain Gildrock!" gasped Pearl, out of breath from
the violence of his exertions. "I did not think this of you! I have
always heard you spoken of as a fair man; but you interfere with my
business, and hand me over to my enemies!"

[Illustration: "THE YOUNG FELLOWS GRABBED PEARL WITH NO TENDER GRASP."
PAGE 264.]

"Your enemies, as you call them, are willing to have the truth, whatever
it is, shown out; but you are not," replied Captain Gildrock. "If the
officer in the cuddy don't make out a case against you, I shall not
meddle with you; and you can go to Canada, or wherever else you please.
Give way," he added to the two after oarsmen.

The two men pulled the boat, and the captain steered it to the spot
where Dory was looking for the key. He had taken no notice of what had
been transpiring behind him, but had kept his eyes fixed on the spot
where he had seen the key drop into the water. After a few minutes'
search he saw it lying on the sand, and picked it up. By this time the
boat had come up to him; but he paid no attention to it, and began to
wade back to the schooner.

"Come into the boat, Theodore," said Captain Gildrock.

"No, I thank you, sir: I will wade back to the Goldwing. It won't take
me but a moment."

The captain thought the boy behaved very strangely, as he had ever since
the boats from the Sylph had come alongside the schooner. But he
permitted his nephew to have his own way, and Dory soon climbed over the
side of the boat into the standing-room. Taking the key from his pocket,
he unlocked the padlock, and threw the doors open. Peppers and Moody
crawled out of their prison, and stretched their limbs; for they were
rather stiff after being kept so long in one position.