Page:Rover Boys on Land and Sea.djvu/256

238 ought to follow me. I have always treated you fairly, and"

"Hi! none of that!" roared the mate. "We won't listen to it."

"The men shall listen, if they will. I"

"Say another word and I'll fire!" cried the mate, and pointed his pistol at Captain Blossom's head.

"Do—do you mean that?" asked the captain, an as steady a voice as he could command.

"Of course he means it," said Dan Baxter. "He isn't a fool. We are all going to stand by him, too," he added.

"That's right," came from part of the crew. Dick noticed that a few of the others looked doubtful.

"I mean it, and I want you to leave right now," stormed Jack Lesher. "I'll give you one minute in which to turn your boat around," and he pulled out his watch.

"Might as well go back," whispered old Jerry. "You can't reason with a lot of half-drunken men."

"Very well, we'll go back," said Captain Blossom loudly. "But, remember, you haven't seen the end of this affair."

"And remember another thing," added Dick,