“What kind of a plot could it be?” asked Captain Blossom.  He scarcely knew what to say.

“I don’t know.  Perhaps they want to get hold of my money,” went on Baxter, struck by a sudden idea.

“That’s right, we do want to get hold of the money!” cried Sam.  “For it belongs to us—­at least two hundred and seventy-five dollars of it—­not counting what he may have got on the diamonds and the cuff buttons.”

“You shan’t touch my money!” screamed Baxter.

“Captain, he ought to be placed under arrest,” said Dick.

Dora had gone back to the cabin and now she returned in great haste with Nellie and Grace.

“To be sure, that is Dan Baxter,” said Nellie.

“There can be no mistake,” put in Grace, “We all know him only too well.”

“You see, Captain Blossom, that we are six to one,” said Tom.  “And you will surely believe the ladies.”

“How is you all happen to know him so well?” demanded the captain curiously.

“We know him because we all went to school together,” answered Dick.  “These young ladies lived in the vicinity of the school.  We had trouble with Baxter at school and later on out West, and ever since that time he has been trying to injure us.  We met him in San Francisco in the hotel lobby and at night he went to our room, cut open a traveling bag and unlocked our trunks and robbed us of two hundred and seventy-five dollars in cash, some diamond studs, a pair of cuff buttons, and some clothing.”

“I’ve got an idea!” almost shouted Sam.  “Maybe he has some of the stolen stuff in his stateroom.”

“Yes, yes, let us search the stateroom:  by all means!” exclaimed Tom.

“You shall not touch my room!” howled Baxter, turning pale.  “I have nothing there but my own private property.”

“If that is so, you shouldn’t object to having the stateroom searched,” observed Captain Blossom.

“If we get back our money we may be able to pay you something, captain, for our passage,” said Dick.

This was a forceful argument and set Captain Blossom to thinking.  He was a man who loved money dearly.

“I will go along and we will look around the stateroom,” he said, after a pause.

“This is an outrage!” cried Dan Baxter.  “I will have the law on you for it.”

“Shut up!  I am master on my own ship,” retorted Captain Blossom, and led the way to the stateroom Dan Baxter occupied.  The door was locked and Baxter refused to give up the key.  But the captain had a duplicate, and soon he and the Rover boys were inside the room.  Baxter followed them, still expostulating, but in vain.

“Here is a pocketbook full of bills!” cried Tom, bringing the article to light.

“Here is my light overcoat!” came from Dick.  “See, it has my initials embroidered in the hanger.  Aunt Martha did that for me.”

“Here are my gold cuff buttons!” exclaimed Sam.  “They were a present from my father and they have my monogram engraved on each.”  And he showed the articles to the captain.