oe band, however. They had escaped from
one danger, but they knew that there were others close at hand. It had
been their desire to get into deep water with the least possible delay,
but the yacht had sadly interfered with their plans. The Sweepstakes was
fairly blockaded.

"I wish that sloop was at the bottom of the ocean," exclaimed Tom. "If
we don't look out, Harry Green will get the better of us yet."

"Don't you think we could run by her?" asked the governor, anxiously.

"No, indeed. The schooner is very swift, but she couldn't do that. We
must go back to our harboring-place. It isn't safe to go around the
island again, for those tugs have raised steam by this time, and,
whatever we do, we must keep away from them. Perhaps if we run into the
cove we can give Harry Green the slip. He will not know where we are,
and if he goes off to hunt us up, we'll come out and start for our
island again."

The governor did not like this plan. The cove was too near the village
to be a safe hiding-place now, and as soon as the events of the night
became generally known the harbor would be covered with vessels and
tugs. But he could see no other way of escape, and he finally went aft,
and took his place at the wheel. The passengers stood in the waist,
holding fast to the money, and watching all that was going on; but they
had nothing to say until they heard the roar of the breakers, and
discovered that the schooner was headed directly toward them. Then they
wanted to know where the captain was going, and what he intended to do,
but the reply they received did not convey to them the desired
information. Tom could not forget that they had laid their plans to
cheat the Crusoe band, and he thought that men who could go back from
their word, as these intended to do, were not worth noticing. "You will
please attend to your own business," said he.

"But this is our business, captain," protested one of the passengers.
"We don't want to be wrecked."

"Well, if you are afraid, you can get out and go afoot," said Tom. "I am
master of this vessel, and if you will keep quiet, you will find out
that I know what I am doing."

But the robbers' actions indicated that they did not feel disposed to
keep quiet. They looked at the shoals, whispered together for a moment,
and then one of them thrust his hand into his pocket, and, approaching
Tom, said, savagely:

"Look here! We are not going in among those rocks. If you want to keep
out of trou