his countenance. Instinctively they fell back
from him in his anger.

"I have told you that the situation cannot be remedied. Let us not
discuss the matter further. You are my guests. Do not force me to make
you my prisoners."

CHAPTER III

"SHE'S LIKE A WARSHIP BELOW."

As the captain left the cabin the boys looked at one another without
speaking, for some minutes.

"What do you make out of him?" asked Bert, who was the first to break
the silence.

"Sure enough pirate" said the Midget, confidently. "Gee, did you see his
face?"

"Yes, he evidently has a very bad temper and it will be well for us not
to cross him too far," said Harry, thoughtfully; "but I don't propose to
stay on this ship any longer than is necessary, whatever her mission,
and I shall keep my eyes open for a chance to get ashore, or to signal
some passing vessel."

"Well, we cannot do anything in the escape line to-night, so we might as
well take his advice and turn in," said Bert, with a yawn.

An inspection of the stateroom showed a very comfortable room fitted
with two narrow bunks on each side. They were neatly made up, and the
linen was fine and clean. Thoroughly worn out, the boys prepared for bed
and for the time cast their troubles aside.

As they were about to jump into their bunks, a slight grating noise was
heard. They all stopped and waited in silence. There was no further
sound. It seemed to have come from the cabin beyond. After a second's
thought, Harry stepped quickly out of the stateroom and to the door that
led to the deck.

"We are no longer guests," he said, quietly, as he turned back into the
stateroom and jumped into his bunk with resignation.

"What do you mean?" asked Bert, in a whisper.

"I mean that we are prisoners," answered Harry. "The door of the cabin
is locked on the outside. That is the noise we heard. However, we can do
nothing to-night, and as I am very tired and sleepy I am going to turn
in."

"Say, Hal," said Mason, in an awed tone, "what are we up against?"

"Search me," replied Harry, in a sleepy voice. "We may be able to learn
something in the morning. Let's go to sleep now. We may need all our
wits by and by."

Notwithstanding the mystery of their situation the boys were soon fast
asleep, and when they awoke, the sun was streaming through the port
holes of the cabin. The steamer seemed to be moving along on an even
keel. Apparently they had ridden out the storm of the night before.