on
board of the Tacoma."

The others were equally destitute, and when Captain Blossom heard of
this his face grew dark. He was a close man, and his first mate, Jack
Lesher, was no better.

"If you haven't any money, you'll have to work your passage," he
growled. "I can't afford to carry you to Australia for nothing."

"Then let us off at some port in the Hawaiian Islands," said Tom.

"Can't do it, I told you," retorted Captain Blossom angrily. "And
you'll either work while you are on board or starve."

"My, what a Tarter!" whispered Sam.

"Well, we'll work," said Dick. "But you must not force the young
ladies to do anything."

"I'm a sailor and will do my full share," said old Jerry. But he did
not like the situation any better than did the Rovers.

The matter was talked over, and seeing that they were willing to
work, Captain Blossom became a little milder in his manner. He said
he would give the three girls one of the staterooms, but the boys
and old Jerry would have to join the crew in the forecastle.

Fortunately the sailors on board the _Golden Wave_ were a fairly clean
lot, so the forecastle was not so dirty a place as it might otherwise
have been. The boys did not like to be separated from the girls,
however, and Dick called the girls aside to talk the matter over.

"I want to know if anything goes wrong," said he. "If there is the
least thing out of the way, let us know at once," and the girls
promised to keep their eyes open.

Once in the forecastle the boys were given three rough suits of
clothes to wear while working. Then they were called out to work
without delay, for the storm had left much to do on board the Golden
Wave.

"We have only one passenger," said one of the sailors, in reply to
a question from Tom.. "He is a young fellow named Robert Brown. He
was hurt during the storm, but I reckon he's all right now."

Tom was set to coiling some rope and Sam and Dick had to scrub down
the deck. This was by no means an agreeable task, but nobody complained.

"We must take what comes," said Dick cheerfully. "So long as we get
enough to eat and are not abused I shan't say a word."

The boys had been to work about an hour when Sam saw a young fellow
limping around the other end of the deck. There was something
strangely familiar about the party, and the youngest Rover drew closer
to get a better look at him.

"Dan Baxter!" he cried in astonishment. "Dan Baxter!"

At this cry the person turn