young fellow limping around the other end of the deck. There was some thing strangely familiar about the party, and the youngest Rover drew closer to get a better look at him.
"Dan Baxter!" he cried in astonishment. "Dan Baxter!"
At this cry the person turned and his lower jaw dropped in equal astonishment.
"Who — er — where did you come from?" he stammered.
"So this is the vessel you shipped on?" went on Sam. And then he called out: "Dick! Tom! Come here."
For a brief instant Dan Baxter's face was a study. Then a crafty look came into his eyes and he drew himself up.
"Excuse me, but you have made a mistake in your man," he said coldly.
"What's that?" came from Sam in bewilderment.
"I am not the party you just named. My name is Robert Brown."
"It is?" came from the youngest Rover, "If that is so, you look exactly like somebody I know well."
By this time Dick and Tom came hurrying to the spot, followed by Dora, who happened to be on deck.
"Dan Baxter!" came from Tom and Dick simultaneously.
"He says he isn't Dan Baxter," said Sam.
"Isn't Dan Baxter? Why, Baxter, you fraud, what new wrinkle is this?" said Dick, catching him by the arm.
"Let go of me!" came fiercely from Baxter. "Let go, I say, or it will be the worse for you. You have made a mistake."
"No mistake about it," put in Tom. "He is Dan Baxter beyond a doubt."
CHAPTER IX
IN WHICH THE ENEMY IS CORNERED
The loud talking had attracted the attention of Captain Blossom, and now the master of the Golden Wave strode up to the crowd.
"What's going on here?" he demanded of the Rover boys. "Why are you not at work, as I ordered?"
"I have made an important discovery," answered Dick. "Is this your passenger, Captain Blossom?"
"He is. What of him?"
"He is a thief and ran away from San Francisco to escape the police."
"It's a falsehood!" roared Dan Baxter. "They have made a mistake. I am a respectable man just out of college, and my father, Doctor L. Z. Brown, is a well-known physician of Los Angeles. I am traveling to Australia for my health."
"His real name is Daniel Baxter and his father is now in prison," said Tom. "He robbed us of our money and some diamonds while we were stopping at a hotel in San Francisco. The detectives followed him up, but he slipped them by taking passage on your ship."
"I tell you my name is Brown — Robert Brown!" stormed Baxter. "This is some plot hatched up against me. Who are these fellows, anyway?" he went on, turning to the captain.
"They came from the steamer we ran into," answered Captain Blossom.
"I never saw them before."
At this moment Dora touched the captain on the shoulder.
"Please, captain," she said, "I knew Dan Baxter quite well and I am sure this young man is the same person."
"It aint so. I tell you, captain, it is a plot."
"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.
"I reckon it's a pretty clear case against you," said Captain Blossom, turning to Dan Baxter.
"Here are half a dozen letters," said Tom, holding them up. "You can see they are all ad dressed to
