."

"Dem fellers ought to be all hung, ain't it!" was Hans' comment.

"The question is, What are we to do next?" asked Tom.

"That question is not so easily answered," returned his elder brother.
"I know what I should like to do."

"What, Dick?" asked Sam.

"I'd like to make all of the gang prisoners."

"Exactly!" exclaimed Tom, in a low voice. "But can it be done?"

"I don't know. For the present let us play 'possum and find out."

"Vot kind of a game vos dot possum?" asked Hans innocently. "I ton't
dink we got dime to play some games," he added, seriously.

"Dick means to lay low," explained Sam.

"Vot, lay under der peds?"

"No, keep quiet and watch out."

"Oh! All right, I done me dot kvick enough," said Hans, and fell back
on the berth and shut his eyes.

"You fellows keep quiet while I investigate," said the eldest Rover.
"It is so late some of the crowd may have gone to sleep. If so, we
may have a chance to capture the others first."

So it was arranged, and making certain that his pistol was still in
his pocket, Dick slid from the berth, tiptoed his way to the stateroom
door, and, opening it slowly and cautiously, peered out.

One look into the cabin of the _Mermaid_ told him the apartment was
empty. There were two more staterooms, connected, as were those the
boys were occupying. With a heart that beat rather violently, Dick
stepped to the door of one of these staterooms. From within came a
deep and regular snoring.

"Somebody is asleep in there," he mused. "Who can it be?"

With great care he peered into the room. On the berth rested one of
the sailors from the _Dogstar_ and on the floor rested the other,
both evidently much the worse for liquor.

The door to the second stateroom was wide open and Dick caught sight
of a form on the berth in there. It was Dan Baxter. The bully was
not asleep but was tossing about, as if in either mental or physical
distress. As Dick looked at him he suddenly started up, turned around,
and stared.

"Dick Rover!" he screamed. "Are you alive, or is it a--a ghost?"

CHAPTER XXVI

TURNING THE TABLES

"Be quiet, Baxter," said Dick, softly but firmly. "Don't you dare to
make another sound."

"I--I thought you were--were--asleep," faltered the former bully of
Putnam Hall. "That you--"

"That he had drank the poisoned water, eh?"

"Ye--es."

"We did not. We took your advice and left it alone."

"Then when they brought you up out of the engine room