CHAPTER XXVI
TURNING THE TABLES
"Be quiet, Baxter," said Dick, softly but firmly. "Don't you dare tomake another sound."
"I--I thought you were--were--asleep," faltered the former bully ofPutnam Hall. "That you--"
"That he had drank the poisoned water, eh?"
"Ye--es."
"We did not. We took your advice and left it alone."
"Then when they brought you up out of the engine room--"
"We were shamming, that's all. But I haven't got time to explaineverything, Baxter. Where are the others?"
"On deck, or down in the engine room, I guess--all but the two beastsin there," and Baxter pointed to the overcome sailors.
"What brought you in here? Were you going to sleep?"
"Sleep! I--I couldn't sleep, Dick; honestly I couldn't!"
"Why?"
"Because I--I--But what's the use, you won't believe me." And DanBaxter hung his head for a moment.
"Maybe I will. Tell me why."
"I came away from them because I was sick of their doings, that'swhy. I--I am sick of all of it,--sick in body and in mind, too."
"You didn't want to see us doped, as they call it?"
"No! no!"
"And that is why you warned us and gave us that good water?"
"Yes."
"Dan, you're a little bit more of a real man than I thought you were.I thought you were willing to do anything against me and my brothers."
"Well, I was once, but now--But what's the use of talking, you won'tbelieve me. And why should you? I've been against you ever since wefirst met."
"That's the straight truth, Dan, and you've done some pretty meanand desperate things."
"I don't know why I did them, Dick--honestly I don't. Lots of timesI knew you and your brothers were right and I was wrong. But the OldNick got in me and I--well, you know how I acted. Now I'm anoutcast--nobody decent wants to have anything to do with me. Even myown father--" Dan Baxter stopped short.
"See here, Dan, I haven't time to talk now," said Dick, after a shortand painful pause. "I didn't expect this of you. The whole questionjust now is this, Are you going to fight or keep quiet?"
"Are you going to fight those others?"
"Yes, if it becomes necessary."
"I don't want to fight any more."
"Then will you keep quiet?"
"I will. But, Dick--"
"Well?"
"If you capture those men, are you going to hand them over to thepolice?"
"Certainly."
"And hand me over, too?" And again Dan Baxter hung his head.
"Don't you deserve it?"
"I suppose so. And still I--er--I thought you might give me anotherchance. Oh, that's what I want, another chance! You know how my fatherhas reformed. I want to reform, too. I want to go away somewhere andbegin all over again."
"Dan, come with me."
"Where to?"
"To the others. You can talk with them while I take a look on deck."
The former bully of Putnam Hall demurred but Dick insisted, and soonthe pair had joined Sam, Tom, and Hans.
"Talk to him," said Dick. "I'll be back soon," and then he left andmade his way up the companionway to the deck of the steam yacht.
His heart was in a strange tumult. That Dan Baxter should want toreform was a surprise of which he had never dreamed. Could the formerbully be playing a part?
"He's sly enough," he reasoned. "And yet his eyes had a look in themthat I never saw before. He looked like a worried wild animal, thatdoesn't know how to turn or what to do. He's down here all aloneamong strangers, and evidently he has found out that Sack Todd andthe rest aren't his sort. Well, if he wants to reform I shan't putanything in his way. But I am not going to give him too much rope--justyet."
Having gained the deck of the vessel, Dick looked around cautiously.It was a dark night, the stars being hidden by clouds. He crept alongslowly.
"Well, you'll have to give me a pointer or two about the engine,"Dick heard Sack Todd exclaim. "I thought I knew how to run it, butI reckon I was mistaken."
"Oh, why not let that go just now," growled the mate of the _Dogstar_in return. "We've got to make sure of those boys first, and get somesleep, too."
"It won't take but a few minutes to explain about the engine," saidGasper Pold. "I ran one once for six weeks."
"Seems to me you have dabbled in a little bit of everything," observedSack Todd.
"So I have."
The three men were near the pilot house, but came away and startedfor the hatchway leading down into the engine room. They had to passclose to where Dick was crouching and the eldest Rover hardly daredto breathe, so fearful was he of discovery.
Presently Dick saw the three men go down the iron ladder, one afteranother. As they did this, a sudden idea came into his head.
"I'll do it!" he told himself, and sneaked forward with the silenceand quickness of a cat.
The hatch still lay beside the opening, with the hooks that had beenused to fasten it down. It was heavy and Dick wondered if he couldmove and fasten it quick enough.
"I wish Sam or Tom was here to help me," he thought.
As he started to raise the hatch a sudden puff of wind made the mastcreak loudly. This alarmed the men below and Sack Todd started upthe ladder.
"We ought to have somebody on guard," he said, so loudly that Dickheard him. "I don't trust that Baxter very much."
"All right," answered Gasper Pold. "You go to the cabin, and--"
He broke off short as a cry came from Sack Todd. The ex-counterfeiterhad caught sight of Dick as the latter was raising the hatch to dropit in place.
"Hi!" yelled Sack Todd, and then let out a scream as the hatch hithim on the head.
"Down you go!" answered Dick and leaped on top of the hatch to forceit into place. One of Sack Todd's fingers was caught and pinched andhe let out another yell. But he kept his footing on the iron ladderand thus held the hatch up several inches.
"What's up?" came from Sid Jeffers.
"They are trying to shut the hatch! Help me!"
"What!" roared Gasper Pold, and sprang up beside the ex-counterfeiter.
"Tom! Sam! Hans!" yelled Dick, at the top of his lungs. "Help! Quick!"
He continued to call out and at the same time did all in his powerto force the hatch into place. He was sprawled on top, and no soonerdid he get one end down than the other bobbed up. Then he heard GasperPold cry out:
"Look out! I am going to fire!"
"Don't hit me," cautioned Sack Todd.
"If you fire, so will I," answered Dick, "and you'll get the worstof it."
"Hang the luck! We didn't disarm them!" muttered Pold.
By this time Tom was coming up on deck, followed by Sam. Hans wastold to remain behind, to keep his eyes on Dan Baxter.
As soon as Sam and Tom saw the situation they leaped to Dick'sassistance. Tom saw Sack Todd's shoulder under the hatch and gave ita vigorous kick. This caused the man to lose his balance on the ironladder and he went down a step. At the same time Gasper Pold fired.
"Oh, I am hit!" groaned the ex-counterfeiter, and fell in a heap onthe head of Sid Jeffers. Then the hatch came into place with a thudand in a twinkling the three Rovers secured it.
"We have them! We have them!" cried Sam, in delight. "Good for you,Dick! That was a clever move."
"Run down and make certain that other door is fast," said Dick, andaway went Sam with Tom at his heels. They came back in less than twominutes.
"It's fast," said Tom. "We've got them in as tight a box as they had us."