know," replied Lindsley, uneasily. "I should think
they had found out by this time that something was the matter."

"I know one thing," said Wilde, with a significant shake of the head,
as though he had made an important discovery.

"What's that?" demanded the others, in the same breath.

"They have put the grating on the main hatch, so that we can't go on
deck if we wish to do so," replied Wilde, who had begun to be regarded
as one with a weak back.

"No matter for that," answered Raymond, with an effort to laugh, though
he was far from being satisfied with the situation as indicated by the
closed hatch. "As we don't want to go on deck, it makes no difference
to us."

"That's so," added Lindsley. "They have put on the grating to make a
show. They can't do anything while sixty of the crew are below."

"Are you sure there are sixty?" asked Hyde, doubtfully.

"Take twelve from the whole crew, and it leaves sixty. But count them
for yourself, if you are not satisfied with my figures."

"I will;" and he left the mess-room for this purpose.

He had the curiosity to look up the hatch, and made another
discovery--that the stout boatswain was there, apparently keeping
watch. The faithful had just marched to the quarter-deck, to indicate
that they were willing to "keep their own counsel," as requested by the
principal. Hyde returned to the room to report the fact. It looked like
decided measures to him.

"I think we are caged," said he.

"No matter if we are," replied Raymond, with a sneer. "One thing is
plain enough; they can't go to sea without us."

"No; twelve fellows can't get the anchor up, even with the help of
Peaks," added Lindsley.

"O, we've got them," persisted Raymond. "We are a majority of all
hands, even if you count the officers on the other side; and I happen
to know they are as much dissatisfied as we are."

Hyde left the room again, and succeeded in making a count of all the
seamen in the steerage.

"Humph!" snuffed he, on his return. "You counted the fellows with your
elbows, Raymond. There are only forty-four in the steerage."

"Forty-four!" sneered Raymond. "Does twelve from seventy-two leave
forty-four?"

"No; but twenty-eight from seventy-two leaves forty-four," retorted
Hyde. "I'm sure I'm right."

Raymond was not satisfied, and counted for himself, but with no
different result; and Lindsley suggested that some of the twenty-eight
were on deck when the boatswain's call sounded.