"Well, it looks as if he had come up out of the sea like a modern
Neptune and like Old Neptune has gone back into it again," Jack said,
his voice shaking. You don't suppose the fright he had turned his head
and made him commit suicide, do you?"

"Suicide your tintype!" stoutly scorned Tom. "Do you think that fellow
would commit suicide in a rowboat?"

"What do you mean?" questioned Jack wonderingly.

"I mean that our young pirate friend got one perfectly good square meal
of food, one entire new outfit of clothes and one rowboat from this
bunch of kindergartners. Then he opened the drip cock in our fuel tank
and sneaked out the back door and is gone."

"Good night," vociferated Harry. "It's as clear as mud! Look at what
that young villain has done! Why, he's a thief!"

"Easy now," admonished Jack. "We mustn't call him names. Maybe things
look black for him, but it may come out all right."

"Yea-ah!" scorned Tom. "When I can see the back of my neck it will. That
guy's crooked! That's what I believe."

"Me, too!" declared Harry. "I vote with Rowdy. He's usually pretty near
right when it comes to reading character!"

"Well, anyhow, this won't get us anywhere, and the Fortuna is rolling
like a loon. Let's see if Arnold can find bottom in the bilges yet and
then we'll connect up the spare tank and start out."