The inrush of a fresh atmosphere completed the work the water cask had begun.  The poisonous fumes were dispersed, and, with their disappearance, the others regained their senses.  Mr. De Vere was the next to arouse.

“What—­ what happened?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” replied Jerry, “unless Blowitz came aboard and chloroformed us.”

“He couldn’t do that—­ yet—­ the safe is not tampered with—­ but this drowsy feeling—­”

Mr. De Vere stopped suddenly.  His eyes were fixed on the closet or locker, whence the safe had been wheeled, and where the little boxes were.  From the locker a thin, bluish smoke arose.

“Quick!” he cried.  “I understand it all now!  We must get them overboard or we’ll all be killed!”

Ned and Bob had been aroused by this time, and were sitting staring stupidly around them.  They did not realize what had happened.

“I’ll throw ’em overboard,” volunteered Jerry.

“Don’t go near them,” cautioned Mr. De Vere.  “If you breathe too deeply of those fumes, you’ll be killed.  Get a boat hook, poke them out of the locker, spear them with the sharp point, and thrust them up through the broken cabin window.”

Jerry hurried to the Ripper, which safely rode alongside the brig.  He got a sharp boat hook, and, with the aid of Bob and Ned, the boxes, with their deadly contents were soon out on deck, whence they were knocked into the sea.  Then a hunt was made in other parts of the brig and more boxes were found and cast into the ocean.

“What was in them?” asked Ned, when the task was finished.  “Was that what made us fall asleep?”

“It was,” replied Mr. De Vere.  “What was in them I do not know exactly, but it was some chemical that Blowitz put there to accomplish his purpose.  I see through his scheme now.  After the brig was loaded he sent these boxes aboard.  They were distributed in different parts of the ship, some in the quarters of the crew, some where the mates slept, and others in the captain’s cabin.  They were properly adjusted to give off a vapor at a certain time and he counted either on the fumes killing the men, or making them unconscious so they would die of heart failure.  Then, very likely, he intended to make a search for the brig which would have no captain or crew, and claim the vessel.  But his scheme did not work as he intended.  The crew and captain were probably frightened by feeling some mysterious sleepy influence at work, and they hastily deserted the ship.  Probably the commander did not like to acknowledge the real reason for his seemingly un-called-for act, and he did not tell Blowitz the cause for the abandonment.  The stuff in the boxes remained on board, ready to render unconscious any persons who came within reach of the fumes.  Maybe it made the dogs mad.

“The accidental closing of the cabin door deprived us of air.  The fumes filled the cabin, and rendered us all unconscious.  I do not yet understand how we were revived.”