Under his instructions they took the door off its hinges, carried it
outside and laid it on the floor of the dining cabin.

"Now, ladies," Dave called, as he stepped outside, "you will be good
enough to come out at once."

"We will come at our good convenience!" snapped the older woman.

"Wrong again. As I am discharging my duty here, you will necessarily come
out at once. I shall not be patient if my instructions are defied."

Plainly furious that the door could not be closed, the younger woman
assisted the older one to rise from the berth. Then, both expressing
their resentment in their glances, the two women came out of the cabin.

"Mother and daughter," guessed Dave.

"Where will you have us sit, Brute?" demanded the younger woman.

"Take any seat in this dining cabin that you please," he replied. "You
must sit together, and one of my men will stand before you."

Seats having been taken by the women, Darrin, calling one of the sailors
to him, entered the little cabin. The only baggage there, beyond a hand
satchel, appeared to be a locked steamer trunk under the lower berth.

"Take that outside," Dave directed. "It need not be investigated until we
reach port."

Two dressing sacks and a few toilet articles were all the personal
belongings that could be found there, though Darrin did not stop until he
and the seaman had inspected pillows, mattresses and all other places
that might have concealed papers or other little belongings.

Coming outside after some minutes Darrin asked:

"Ladies, do you wish to remain in the dining room, or will you go back to
your sleeping cabin?"

"We will remain here for the present," replied the older woman. "If we
wish to return to our own cabin later on we will do so."

"Wrong again," Dave informed her. "You must remain in one place. There
can be no roaming about. This seaman who is your guard will see that you
remain where you are for the present. I cannot permit you to leave this
part of the dining room. Ladies, I regret being obliged to be so
disagreeable, but I beg to assure you that your rights will be respected,
and that you shall come to no harm if you obey instructions."

Then he looked into the other three cabins, but found them empty. With
that Darrin left the dining room, after detailing another seaman to
remain on duty there with the guard over the two women.

Darrin's next care was to inspect the holds. Here he found a cargo that
appeared to consist of hundr