“Who goes there?” cried a voice out of the darkness.

“Is that you, Sam?” called back Dick.

“Dick!  I am glad you are back.  They attacked the house, and we are going to the cave to—­”

“Yes, we know all about it, Sam.  We have brought one of the sailors along.  He is badly, burnt.  Are the girls safe?”

“I guess so.  We told them to go ahead,” answered Sam.

Carrying Bostwick between them, Dick and old Jerry soon reached the cave, where they found the three girls standing in a group, each full of dread over what was occurring.  Hardly had they gotten inside when Captain Blossom came up on a run, accompanied by Gibson and Marny.

“Back, are you?” he said.  “I am glad to see it.  But it may put you in a tight hole.  Hullo, so you’ve got Bostwick with you, eh?  Everybody get into the cave, just as quick as you can.”

Once inside of the cave Captain Blossom commanded everybody to he silent.  The hurt sailor was carried to the inner chamber, where a lantern was lit, for it would be impossible to see this light from outside.  Then the girls set to work to make Bostwick comfortable.

“Has anybody been shot?” asked Tom.

“I got a bullet scratch on the arm,” answered the captain.  “And Marny got a few buck-shot in his shoulder.  But neither of the hurts amount to anything.”

“What do you think the mutineers will do next?”

“Ransack the house first,” said Sam.  “Oh, but they are a bad crowd!  They came on like a lot of demons.”

“Of course Baxter was with them.”

“Yes, but he kept in the background, for fear, I suppose, of being shot.”

With caution one after another left the mouth of the cave to look in the direction of the house.  No one outside of their own party was visible.

Suddenly a glare lit up the scene, growing brighter each instant.

“By the great boots!” ejaculated Captain Blossom.  “They have set the house on fire!”

“That shows how crazy they are,” declared Dick.  “In their rage they are liable to do anything.  Ten to one they get to fighting between themselves before this is over.”

The house, being built of semi-green logs, burnt slowly.  As it was consumed, they heard some of the sailors singing and yelling, and heard several pistol shots and a scream of pain.

“Some of them are coming now!” announced Sam, half an hour later.

“Everybody get back out of sight,” cried Captain Blossom.

There was a wild scramble, and in the rush Tom tripped and fell.  His foot struck a stone, which went rolling down to the mutineers’ feet.

“Hi! hi! there they are!” came in a rough, thick voice.

“Where?” roared back the voice of Jack Lesher.

“Up there, among the rocks and bushes.”

“Let’s go after ’em!”

“Shoot ’em down, boys!  They deserve it for burning up the ship!”