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Rh Tom. "I don't think it could be more strenuous than it has been."

"Dan, I want to say right now that you have helped us a great deal," said Dick, turning to the big youth. "But for you we might have lost that battle."

"Dot is so," said Hans. "You vos tone splendidly alretty!"

With two of the enemy in possession of the engine room, it was of course impossible to run the machinery of the steam yacht, and this being so our friends decided to wait until daylight before attempting to make another move.

"It is after three o'clock," said Dick. "We may as well get what rest we can. We can take turns at remaining on guard," and so it was decided. But it must be said that nobody got much sleep, so great was the general excitement.

While he was on guard Dick had a long private talk with Dan Baxter, and for once the former bully of Putnam Hall opened his heart completely. He had been knocking around "from pillar to post" so long that he was utterly discouraged and scarcely cared what happened. Since his father had reformed, and he had lost the companionship of Lew Flapp, he had been traveling among strangers and not a one of them had proved worth knowing, as he expressed it.

"I was a great big fool that I didn't turn over