and the ladder thrown out. Soon the rowboat came up to the ladder, and one after another those aboard the small craft mounted to the deck of the Mermaid. The three Rovers and Hans were at hand to see who they were.
"Dan Baxter!"
"Sack Todd!"
Such were the cries that came from Sam and Tom. Two of the new arrivals were indeed the persons named, and a third was Gasper Pold.
"Did you come from the Dogstar?" demanded Dick.
"We did," answered Dan Baxter, sullenly. Evidently he was much chagrined over this unexpected meeting.
"Have you been following us in this steam yacht?" asked Sack Todd, with a sickly grin on his hard face.
"We were certainly following you," answered Tom. "But we didn't start out in this vessel. We"
"Tom!" said Dick, warningly, and then Tom shut up instantly.
"Who's the captain here?" demanded one of the men from the rowboat.
"I suppose I am, for the present," answered Dick.
"You!" And the man, a burly fellow, took a step back in astonishment.
