In this way they were propelled down a flight of steps leading, as soon became apparent, into the saloon of the yacht. From this chamber there opened off several smaller doors. One of these was open and through this and into a small cabin the boys were roughly thrust. Then the men who had made them captive went off without a word, first locking the door behind them on the outside.
The boys looked miserably at each other as the door clicked.
“And the _Wondership_ to be cast away,” cried Tom despairingly, sinking down on the edge of a bunk. “There’s all our work and money gone for nothing,” he added bitterly.
Dick Donovan said nothing. He felt that of them all he was the only one who had no right to say anything. He was there by his own fault solely, and the freckle-faced boy felt that it would have been an impertinence on his part to have made any complaint.
“Well, this _is_ a fine fix,” exclaimed Tom at length, after a long silence, during which they had heard a trampling of feet on deck but had noticed no vibration to show that the yacht was in motion.
“Yes; and that there is so far no explanation for our treatment doesn’t make it any better,” spoke up Jack wretchedly. “It’s the thought of the _Wondership_ being cast loose that makes me feel worst, though.”
“Same here,” muttered Tom dismally; “but can you form any idea as to why we’re being treated in this way?”
“It’s all a Chinese puzzle to me,” he said. “Of course, that ruffian on deck hinted that there had been a mutiny of some sort, and that between the time that we answered the signal guns and the moment we reached the ship the Professor had been made prisoner.”
“Didn’t you see a struggle to pull down the flag when you looked through the glasses?” asked Tom.
“Yes, two or three men on the stern deck appeared to be battling with some others whom they finally drove off.”
“Then depend upon it, the whole crew has not mutinied. Probably the men you saw were the Professor and the Captain or some other officer who had remained loyal,” struck in Dick Donovan. “Come to think of it, I believe I saw a despatch in the paper some time ago about this very yacht,” he went on. “The cable came from the Canary Islands and said that the _Valkyrie_ had put in there with a mutinous crew and shipped another one. She then proceeded on her voyage across the Atlantic. There was some mystery about her destination, but it was generally supposed that she had on board a party of treasure hunters bound to recover lost treasure somewhere in South America.”