fix you for this!"

The noise continuing, Sam had left his post and arrived on the scene.
He ran off for a rope and with this Sack Todd was bound hands and
feet. Seeing this, Gasper Pold and the mate of the _Dogstar_ retreated
again into the engine room.

"Put up that door!" cried Dick, and without delay it was raised and
put in place and then fastened in such a manner that it was next to
impossible to budge it. Then they ran on deck and fastened down the
hatch. After that they gave Todd their attention.

When he came to his senses the ex-counterfeiter raved wildly and
demanded that he be set free. He was particularly bitter against Dan
Baxter.

"I'll fix you," he said. "Wait till we get into court. I'll have a
fine story to tell about you." To this Baxter did not reply although
he turned very pale.

Seeing they could do little with Sack Todd, the Rovers decided to
put him down in the hold with the sailors and this was done. Then
the party with Baxter gathered on deck to discuss the situation.

"Talk about a strenuous night," exclaimed Tom. "I don't think it
could be more strenuous than it has been."

"Dan, I want to say right now that you have helped us a great deal,"
said Dick, turning to the big youth. "But for you we might have lost
that battle."

"Dot is so," said Hans. "You vos tone splendidly alretty!"

With two of the enemy in possession of the engine room, it was of
course impossible to run the machinery of the steam yacht, and this
being so our friends decided to wait until daylight before attempting
to make another move.

"It is after three o'clock," said Dick. "We may as well get what rest
we can. We can take turns at remaining on guard," and so it was
decided. But it must be said that nobody got much sleep, so great
was the general excitement.

While he was on guard Dick had a long private talk with Dan Baxter,
and for once the former bully of Putnam Hall opened his heart
completely. He had been knocking around "from pillar to post" so long
that he was utterly discouraged and scarcely cared what happened.
Since his father had reformed, and he had lost the companionship of
Lew Flapp, he had been traveling among strangers and not a one of
them had proved worth knowing, as he expressed it.

"I was a great big fool that I didn't turn over a new leaf when my
father did," he said. "I had a chance then to do something for myself.
Now I am so deep in the mud I don't know how I'll ever get out."