and it will go hard with you."
"What do you intend to do with us?" questioned Dick curiously.
"You'll have to ask your friend Arnold Baxter about that."
"He is no friend of ours!" cried Tom. "He is our worst enemy — and you know it."
"If you behave yourself I'll see to it that no harm befalls you," continued Captain Langless. "I'm sorry I mixed up in this affair, but now I am in it I'm going to see it through."
"You are carrying us off against our will."
The owner of the Peacock shrugged his shoulders.
"You'll have to talk that over with Baxter and his son."
"You've been starving us."
"We were just going to furnish you with breakfast and a small keg of water."
"We don't want to stay in that foul-smelling hold," put in Sam. "It is enough to make a fellow sick."
"If you'll promise to behave yourselves, we may let you on deck part of the time."
"You'd better," grumbled Tom. He hardly knew what to say, and his brothers were in an equal quandary.
"Come, throw down your arms and we'll give you breakfast here in the cabin," continued Captain Langless. "You won't find me such a bad chap to deal with, when once you know me. You look like decent sort of fellows, and if you do the right thing I'll promise to see to it that the Baxters do the square thing, too. We'll be better off on a friendly footing than otherwise."
The owner of the Peacock spoke earnestly, and it must be admitted that he meant a large part of what he said. The manliness of the Rover boys pleased him, and he could not help but contrast it with the cowardice of the bully, Dan. Perhaps, too, behind it all, he was a bit sick of the job he had undertaken. He knew that he had virtually helped to kidnap the boys, and, if caught, this would mean a long term of imprisonment.
Dick looked at his two brothers, wondering what they would have to say. He realized that, after all, they were in a hopeless minority and were bound to lose in a hand-to-hand struggle.
"We may as well try them," he whispered. "If we fight, one of us may get killed."
They talked among themselves for several minutes, and then Dick turned to the captain.
"We'll submit for the present," he said. "But, mind you, we expect to be treated like gentlemen."
"And you will be treated as such," answered Captain Langless, glad that there would be no struggle. "Come into the cabin and stack those weapons in the corner. They were never meant for anything but wall decorations," and he laughed somewhat nervously.
The three lads entered the cabin and put down the weapons. They kept their eyes on the captain and his men, but there was no move to molest them.
"You can go," said Captain Langless to the sailors. "And, Wilson, send the cook here for orders."
The sailors departed, and with something of a grim smile on his furrowed face the owner of the Peacock dropped into a seat near the companionway door. He had just started to speak again when there was a noise outside and Arnold Baxter appeared.
"Have you subdued the rascals?" he questioned hastily.
"Reckon I have," was the slow answer. "Leas'wise, they have thrown down their weapons."
"Then why don't you handcuff them again, the rats!"
"We are no rats, and I'll trouble you to be civil," returned Dick firmly.
"Ha! I'll show you!" howled Arnold Baxter, and would have rushed at Dick had not the captain interposed.
"Hold on, sir," were the words of the ship's owner. "We have called a truce. They have promised to behave themselves if we treat them squarely, and so there are to be no more back-bitings."
"But — er — " Arnold Baxter was so astonished he could scarcely speak. "You are not going to put them in the hold?"
"Not for the present."
"They will run away."
"How can they, when we are out of sight of land?"
"They ought to be chained down."
"Supposing you let me be the judge of that, Mr. Baxter. I promised to do certain things for you. If I do them, you'll have no cause to complain."
"Have you decided to take these boys' part?" ejaculated Arnold Baxter, turning pale.
"I have made up my mind that treating them like beasts won't do any good."
"They don't deserve it."
"Don't deserve what?"
"To be well treated. They are — are — "
"Young gentlemen," finished Tom. "The captain knows gentlemen when he sees them, even if you don't."
"Don't talk to me, Tom Rover."
"I will talk whenever I please. I am not your slave."
"But you are in my power, don't forget that."
At this moment the cook of the schooner appeared.
"What's wanted?" he asked of the captain.
"Bring some breakfast for these three young gentlemen," said Captain Langless. "Some fresh coffee and bread and some fried eggs and potatoes."
At this order Arnold Baxter stood fairly aghast. "You are going to let them dine here?" he gasped.
"I am."
"But — but you must be crazy. They will — er — think they are running the ship!"
"No, they won't. Leave them to me, and I'm sure we will get along all right. Come, let us go on deck."
"What! and leave them alone?"
"I will send a man down to see that they don't get into mischief."
"But I don't like this turn of affairs," stammered Arnold Baxter. He was half afraid the captain was going back on him.
"It's all right; come," answered the owner of the Peacock; and a moment later both men quitted the cabin.
CHAPTER XII
A DINNER OF IMPORTANCE
"The captain isn't such a bad fellow, after all," observed Sam, when the three Rovers were left to themselves.
"He certainly isn't a brute," answered Dick. "But about being bad, that's another story."
"He's got an awfully shrewd face," put in Tom. "But I'm mighty glad he turned old Baxter down. That villain would ride over us roughshod."
"I think, all told, we have gained a point," continued Dick. "It's something to be treated decently, even if you are a prisoner. The question is, how long will we be caged up on board of the schooner?"
"I would like to know if the Swallow is in sight," said Tom. "Wonder if I can't slip up the companion way and find out?"
He arose from the seat into which he had dropped, but before he could gain the doorway a sailor appeared and waved him back. Then the sailor took the seat the captain had occupied by the door.
"Are you sent to spy on us?" demanded Tom.
"I was sent to see that you didn't cut up any tricks," answered the tar. He was terribly cross-eyed, but appeared to be rather good-natured. "You mustn't go on deck without the captain's permission."
"Can't we have any fresh air?"
"You'll have to ask the captain about that. He said I was to watch you while you had breakfast, and keep you and those other folks from quarreling."
"What