"
"What about going directly to the wreck?" asked Tom.
"That was Baxter's idea, and it wasn't thought of until we were on
our way to this spot. Baxter said that if we captured the ship we
would have you at our mercy, for sooner or later your provisions
would run out, and you'd be begging for something to eat."
"The scoundrel!" cried Dick. "So he thought to starve us into
submission, eh? Well, he shan't do it."
"I said I didn't think it would be fair on the young ladies," continued
Gibson. "But he told me he'd take care of the girls after he had
brought you to your knees."
"He'll never take care of me!" cried Dora.
"Nor me!" came from Nellie.
"I'd rather die than leave this place in Dan Baxter's company," added
Grace.
"Captain, I want you to understand that Gibson and I didn't agree
to what they wanted to do," came from Marny. "But we were overruled,
and we had to hold our tongues for fear of being knocked down or shot."
"Do you want to join our crowd?" asked Dick bluntly.
"We do, and if you'll take us in we'll promise to stand by you to
the end, no matter what comes. We know they've got the best of
it--having the ship's stores--but we don't care for that. They are
a drunken, good-for-nothing crowd, and we are done with them."
"All right, men, I think we can trust you," said Captain Blossom.
"It's a pity that Hackenhaven was lost overboard and eat up by the
sharks. We could rather have spared Lesher.
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