The two men now moved up to the prow of the boat and whispered together for a long time. They paid no attention to signals and calls from the _Hawk_, and so a small boat was soon making its way toward the _Rambler_. Jule saw the two men handling their guns nervously as the boat supposed to contain members of their own party approached.
The boy watched the situation anxiously. It seemed to him that the two men who had boarded the _Rambler_ were not at all pleased at the approach of the rowboat. It appeared, too, that those on board the _Hawk_ were watching Gid and Mike suspiciously.
When the boat drew near, the man who had been called Mike leaned over the gunwale with a revolver in each hand.
“Keep away, boys!” he said. “We don’t want you on board!”
“What does this mean?” demanded the mate of the _Hawk_, who was one of the men in the small boat.
“Never mind what it means,” Mike called out.
“Keep away from the boat if you don’t want to be shot!”
While Mike was holding the mate off with his revolvers, Gid stood by the boy also with revolvers in sight. The mate of the _Hawk_ threw his hand back as if to produce a weapon and Mike passed a bullet so close to the side of his head that it scorched his scalp.
“Don’t try to get out any guns!” the man ordered. “Get back to the _Hawk_ and stay there!”
“What right have you to take that boat?” demanded the mate.
“No words, now!” Mike shouted. “Get back to the _Hawk_!”
“We’ll sink you if you move away from here!” shouted the mate.
“You’ll do lot’s of sinking, with Government boats patrolling the river!” mocked Mike. “You’d get pinched in half an hour.”
“How do you expect to get away with that boat?” demanded the mate.
“Why, we’ve got one of the owners on board,” Mike laughed back, “and he’ll tell the Government officers anything we ask him to.”
“And look here, Mr. River Thief!” Gid joined in, “if you make any noise about the taking of this boat, or try to make trouble for us, or open your mouths to the river police, we’ll give the _Hawk_ away good and plenty. Every murder and every dirty game that’s been played on board will be in the Government’s books within twenty-four hours.”
Slowly, sullenly, the mate turned the boat around and headed for the _Hawk_, glancing back over his shoulders with angry eyes as he did so. Hoots of derision came to him from the deck of the _Hawk_ as he returned. It was quite evident that those on board the _Hawk_ knew what had taken place.