et away from the officers
of the law," said the bully. "But don't kill anybody--I won't stand
for that," he added, showing that his hard heart had at least one
soft spot in it.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE ENEMY TRIES TO TAKE POSSESSION

"Say, boy, come down in the cabin; I want to talk to you."

It was Sack Todd who spoke and he addressed Hans, who had left the
pilot house to look over the stern, to see if the rowboat was still safe.

"Vot you vonts of me?" asked Hans, in surprise.

"I want to ask you a few questions," returned Todd, smoothly.

Hans was a trifle suspicious, and yet he saw no direct reason for
refusing to comply with Sack Todd's request. He followed the
ex-counterfeiter across the deck and down the companionway.

"I want to ask your opinion of this letter," said Sack Todd, as he
laid a written sheet on the table. "We can't understand it at all.
I know you are a pretty smart boy and maybe you can help us."

Flattered by the compliment paid him, the German youth took up the
letter and scanned it by the light of the swinging lamp. As he did
so, Sack Todd closed the cabin door and motioned to Gasper Pold and
Dan Baxter, who stood behind an angle of the wall.

Almost before he could realize it, poor Hans was a prisoner. His arms
were held tightly by someone, while someone else thrust a gag into
his mouth and fastened it by means of a cloth running to the back of
his neck.

"Sthop! ton't choke me!" he gasped, and that was all he was allowed
to utter. Then his arms were fastened, and his feet secured.

"Now, into the stateroom with him!" cried Gasper Pold, and the three
evildoers lifted the prisoner up, carried him into one of the
staterooms, and threw him on the berth. Then the door was closed and
locked.

"That's Number One," declared Sack Todd. "And an easy job, too."

"If you can bag the others as easily, it will be a grand job," was
Dan Baxter's comment.

"We must get one of those chaps up from below next," said Gasper
Pold. "Baxter, you can go down and tell one of them his brother in
the wheelhouse wants to see him. We'll catch him on the stairs."

"All right," said the former bully of Putnam Hall.

He hurried down to the engine room and then to the nearest coal
bunker, where Sam was shoveling coal.

"Sam!" he called out, to make himself heard.

"Hullo, Dan Baxter, what do you want?"

"Dick wants you on deck at once."

"What for?"

"I don't know--I think Hans has a fit. That Dutch