The Adventures of Rover Boys: 26 Illustrated Adventure Novels. Stratemeyer Edward

ye I don't know where the liquor is," answered old Jerry doggedly.

      "And he tells the truth," said Dick. "I put it away myself."

      "Then I command you to bring it to me."

      "I told you before your commands don't hold water here. Even old Jerry hasn't got to obey you. When the Golden Wave was abandoned that ended your authority. We have simply made Captain Blossom our leader because he acted fair and square. But we don't have to obey him if we don't want to."

      "What of the nine sailors who are with me?"

      "We'll be pleased to give them their full share of what is on the wreck, and if they behave themselves they can build a camp right next to this one. But you must remember that we discovered the wreck first, and that Captain Blossom was the only man left on board."

      "We'll see what the men have to say about this," growled Lesher. "Then you aint going to give me no liquor?"

      "You can have one glass with your breakfast, and that is all. After this you can have the regulation ship's grog, with the other sailors. But getting drunk has got to be stopped, even if we have to dump all the liquor into the ocean."

      By this time the girls had appeared on the scene, and the talk came to an end, Dick turning in to help get breakfast. Jack Lesher walked down to the beach, followed by Dan Baxter.

      "You see, it is just as I told you," said Baxter. "They are going to ride right over us."

      "They wouldn't ride over us if I had those other sailors here," growled the mate.

      "Or if we were armed," went on the bully. "I tried to get hold of a pistol, but Dick Rover watches me like a cat watches a mouse."

      "If we could get to the wreck we might arm ourselves," said Lesher. "Here is a boat; let us row over."

      "I'm willing," answered the bully.

      They walked to the boat, shoved it into the water, and leaped in. Just as Lesher picked up the oars Dick saw what they were doing.

      "Stop!" he cried.

      "What do you want?" growled the mate.

      "Where are you going?"

      "Over to the wreck."

      "What for?"

      "That is our business," put in Dan Baxter. "You shan't go over there until Captain Blossom comes back."

      "We'll go when we please," said Lesher, and started to row away.

      "Come back, I say!" cried Dick, and, rushing into the house, he appeared with a shot gun.

      "What are you going to do, Dick Rover?" questioned Baxter in alarm.

      "I am going to make you come back," was the oldest Rover's very quiet, but determined, answer.

      CHAPTER XXI

       THE ATTACK ON THE WRECK

       Table of Contents

      The appearance of Dick with the shot-gun disturbed Jack Lesher quite as much as it did Dan Baxter, and the mate stopped rowing instantly.

      "Hi! don't you fire at us!" he cried.

      "Then come back here," said Dick.

      "Haven't I a right to visit the wreck?"

      "I am not sure that you have. Anyway, you must wait until Captain Blossom returns."

      "It seems to me that you are carrying matters with a high hand, young fellow."

      "Oh, Dick, be careful!" whispered Dora. "They may become desperate."

      "Don't worry, Dora," he whispered in return. Unless I miss my guess, one is as big a coward as the other."

      "I hope ye aint goin' too far, Dick," said old Jerry, in a low tone.

      "Don't you intend to stand by me, Jerry?"

      "To be sure I do; but the mate is the mate, ye know."

      There was an uncertain pause all around.

      "There is no harm in my visiting the wreck," growled Jack Lesher presently.

      "Perhaps not, but you had better wait until Captain Blossom gets back."

      "I only want to get some things that belong to me."

      "And I want to get my extra clothes," said Baxter. "These are in rags, as you can see."

      "Then wait until after breakfast and we'll all go over," said Dick, but he had scarcely spoken when he felt sorry for the words.

      "Oh, Dick, don't trust yourself with them!" cautioned Dora.

      "We want to hurry, for I want to go back to where I left the sailors before night," answered Lesher.

      "Then we'll have breakfast at once."

      Rather reluctantly the mate turned back to the shore and he and Baxter left the boat. Then the girls prepared breakfast with all haste. Lesher ate but little, but eagerly tossed off the glass of liquor Dick allowed him.

      "Give me one more," he pleaded, but Dick was firm, and the mate stalked away muttering under his breath.

      Before Dick entered the rowboat he called Jerry aside, and handed the old sailor a pistol.

      "We had better go armed," he said. "Keep your eyes open, for they may try to play us a foul trick. And don't let Lesher talk you into obeying him. He has no authority whatever over you."

      "All right, Dick, I'll stand by ye always from this minit on," said Jerry, and the compact was sealed by a handshake.

      The girls came down to see them off, and Dora warned Dick again to be on guard. It was decided that Lesher and old Jerry should do the rowing. Baxter sat in the bow of the boat, and Dick in the stern.

      The trip to the wreck was accomplished in almost utter silence. Everybody was busy with his thoughts. As they drew near Dick showed the mate where a ladder hung from the side, and as they drew close to this Baxter was the first to mount to the deck.

      As Dick had surmised, Lesher's first hunt was for liquor, and he drank several glasses at a gulp. Then he began to roam around the wreck, not ing the damage that had been done and the amount of stores still on board.

      "Might float her, if the tide got extra high," he said. "Eleven men in our crowd and five in your own ought to be able to do something, surely."

      "The captain says the ship is too deep in the sand," answered Dick briefly.

      "Blossom don't know everything," growled the mate.

      Both he and Baxter soon found some comfortable clothing, and put it on. Then they made up a bundle of things they said the other sailors needed.

      When arming themselves, the Rovers and Captain Blossom had placed all of the remaining firearms in a stateroom and locked the door.

      "What did you do with all of the guns and pistols?" asked Lesher presently, after looking in vain for them.

      "They are packed away in a stateroom. Captain Blossom thought it wouldn't do to leave them lying loose. Some savages might come to the islands and steal them, and then we'd be in a bad hole."

      "We've got to have some guns and pistols, Rover."

      "Well, you can see the captain about that."

      "I shan't wait. Which stateroom are they in?"

      Dick would not tell the mate, and Lesher went around trying the various doors. Coming to one that was locked he burst it open with his shoulder.

      Dick scarcely knew what to do, and while he was trying to make up his mind Jack Lesher secured a pistol and a rifle, and also a pistol for Dan Baxter. He would have taken more firearms, but Dick stopped him.

      "That is enough,"