hooks and nails and
he sent Dan Baxter for these. When they were brought he calmly
proceeded to fasten the extra hooks to the hatch and then hook them
fast to the deck.

"What are you doing now?" yelled Gasper Pold, and when he was told
he muttered things I do not care to mention on these pages.

"Now, Sam and Tom, you remain on guard here, while the rest of us go
and secure that door below," said Dick.

"It is secure," said Tom.

"Yes, I know, but some extra cross bars won't do any harm."

"Want me to help?" asked Baxter.

"You can come along," said Dick, not altogether willing to leave the
former bully out of sight.

He hurried to the door in question, one leading from the back of the
engine room into something of a storeroom. The door was fastened by
two ordinary bolts.

"I'll soon fix that!" said the eldest Rover. "Dan, you hold the
lantern. Hans, bring that piece of board here."

The board was brought, and Dick began to nail it fast, directly over
the door. He had still another nail to drive when there came an
unexpected crash on the other side.

"All together!" yelled the voice of Gasper Pold. "Now then, with a will!"

Another mighty crash followed and then a third. With this the door
flew from its hinges, and over it came, hurling Hans flat on his
back. Then Dick found himself confronted by Pold, Jeffers, and Sack
Todd, each with a weapon ready for use.

CHAPTER XXIX

AN EXCITING TIME ALL AROUND

"We've got him! Down with him!" roared Sack Todd, as he leaped over
the fallen door and made a grab for Dick.

For the instant Dick did not know what to do, then he stepped backward
and at the same time attempted to draw his pistol.

"No, you don't!" yelled Gasper Pold, and aimed a blow at Dick's head
with an iron bar he carried.

Had the blow landed as intended, the eldest Rover might have had his
skull crushed in. But as the iron bar was descending Dan Baxter made
a quick jump to Pold's side, gave him a shove and hurled him flat.

"Stop it!" cried the former bully of Putnam Hall. "Do you hear? Do
you want to kill somebody?"

"So you're against us, eh?" yelled Sack Todd. "Well, we'll fix you!"

He tore a pistol from his pocket and started to aim it at Baxter.
But the latter was now on the alert and, whirling around, he caught
Sack Todd by the coat collar with one hand and with the other raised
the pistol up into the air. It went off, but the bullet merely plowed
its way into the woodwork