st."

"A good idea!"

The door was closed and locked. Larry still lay unconscious and there
was no telling how soon he would come to his senses.

They heard the tramping on the deck and the departure of the small boat.
Now those in the boat came back and the search for the missing men came
to an end.

With the slyness of a pair of cats, the evildoers crept up the
companionway once more. Nobody was in sight, and they crawled rather
than walked to the rail of the schooner. Both were good swimmers and not
afraid to trust themselves to reach some other shipping in the harbor.
Yet as an extra precaution each provided himself with a life-preserver.

"Are you ready, Peterson?"

"Yes."

"Then over we go."

A small rope was handy, and lowering this, each slid along it into the
waters of the harbor. Then they struck out swiftly but silently; and in
a few minutes the fog and darkness hid them completely from view.

It was the best part of an hour before Larry returned to his senses. His
head ached as if ready to split open and for several minutes he could
not remember where he was or what had occurred.

"Oh, my head!" he groaned. "Oh!" And he turned over and tried to sit up,
with the result that he pitched out on the floor of the stateroom. This
aroused him and he got up as quickly as he could.

"Those rascals attacked me!" he muttered. "They struck me over the head!
I remember now! Oh, how my head spins,--just as if I was in a
merry-go-round! I wonder----"

He dropped on the berth and snatched away the pillow. One glance was
sufficient to show him how he had been robbed.

"That's why they attacked me!" he cried. "Wonder where they are now?
Perhaps they ran away from the ship!"

Leaping up again he stepped to the door, and finding it locked, began to
pound away lustily, at the same time yelling at the top of his lungs. In
a few minutes this brought down Captain Ponsberry, followed by Luke, who
had been told to come along, the captain fearing that something had gone
wrong.

"What's up here?" demanded Captain Ponsberry as he flung open the door.

"Where are they?" came the counter-question from Larry.

"They? Who?"

"Peterson and Shamhaven?"

"Gone--slid away in the fog."

"They have robbed me!"

"You don't say!" ejaculated the master of the _Columbia_. "You are
sure?" he went on.

"Yes. My money belt is gone. They came while I was asleep, and when I
woke up both hit me,--and I don't know what happened