ad feared. He almost cried with
sorrow and vexation when he considered that his brother John was one of
the mutineers.

"They are running away with the yacht," said he to his fellow-prisoner.

"That's none of my business," replied Dick, with his accustomed
stoicism. "All I got to say is, that supper will be ready at six
o'clock; because why--that's the time Captain Gordon told me to have
supper."

"But do you mean to let them run away with the yacht?"

"Don't see that I can help myself;" and the steward suspended his labors
for a moment, glancing at Paul as though he had a vague suspicion that
he might be in some degree responsible for his inactivity.

"I think we have a duty to perform," continued Paul.

"What can we do?"

"We must get the vessel away from them and take her back to her
anchorage."

"But we can't do that. We are prisoners here; can you break through that
hatchway?"

"Then you are willing to do something?"

"Certainly I am," replied Dick. "If you can tell me what to do, I will
do it."

Paul seated himself by the side of the steward, and proposed to him
that, at a suitable time, they should make an effort to recover the
yacht, and return her to her lawful commander. Dick consented, but he
was afraid they would have no opportunity to put the plan in execution,
for they could hardly overcome the eleven mutineers. Yet each pledged
himself to the other to do whatever could be done; but it was agreed
that they should not attempt anything without a reasonable prospect of
success.

There was a stiff breeze from the northeast, and the prisoners saw the
yacht lying over upon her side, which gave some indication of the rate
at which she was passing through the water. They knew how dense was the
fog outside, and they had some fears that her reckless managers would
run her upon the rocks, which was not a pleasant prospect to them,
confined as they were in the cabin.

An hour by the clock had elapsed since the yacht got under way, and it
was evident from her motion that she was laboring through a heavy sea.
Paul had begun to be uneasy, for he had very little confidence in the
seamanship of Tom Nettle, who, he judged, was the new master of the
Flyaway, and he was in momentary expectation that she would strike upon
a rock, and the cabin be filled with water.

When the yacht first got under way there had been a great deal of
confusion on deck. Frank had rebelled at the authority of Tom, and
claimed th