"And what sort of a voice was it?" asked Dick, "and what did it say?" "It was a voice, sir, like some one in pain, and it called 'Help! Help! Help!' three times, just like that." "Well, why didn't you look further, see who it was, and help 'em?" demanded the captain. "Maybe it was one of the crew, who had fallen and broken his leg. Why didn't you look further?" "Because, sir," answered Widdy, "it ain't healthy to help mermaids, an' Jim Carter an' me ran out as soon as we heard her voice. It was the mermaid, sure, an' all on this ship are doomed, Davy Jones has rooms all ready for us in his locker." "Don't be an idiot!" cried Captain Barton, sharply. "There are no such things as mermaids." "That lobsterman was one," insisted Widdy. "He vanished into fog as soon as he got out of sight, an' turned into a mermaid, an' come aboard. She's here now." "I suppose the lobsters he left us were mermaid lobsters, too," suggested the commander, trying to make the old sailor see how foolish was his superstition. "I don't know nothin' about that, but there's a mermaid below, in the after compartment, near the shaft tunnel, sir, an' I know it!" insisted the old salt, shaking his head. Dick Hamilton gave a sudden cry. "Captain Barton, I believe I know what that is!" he exclaimed. "Come on," and he made his way toward the stern of the yacht, while the commander, wondering what was going to happen, followed. CHAPTER XVIII THE PRINCESS PASSES His excitement increasing at every step, Dick hurried to where Widdy had said the mysterious sounds came from. As the young millionaire and the captain entered the compartment they heard distinct groans, and a weak voice cried: "Help me out! Help me out!" "It's him!" cried Dick. "Get a lantern and help him out!" "Help who out?" demanded Captain Barton. "Tim Muldoon!" shouted Dick. "He's in there--in the shaft tunnel--hurt, most likely--that's where he's been all this while! Hurry and get him out! Show a light!" Widdy, whose courage had returned with the presence of Dick and the captain, passed forward a lantern he had. Dick crawled into a dark passage, which was partly occupied by the long propeller shaft of the yacht. A moment later he uttered a cry. "Tim! Tim! We're going to get you out! We thought you were drowned! Come and help me, captain! Tim's hurt!" "Oh, I'm so glad you came," spoke the newsboy, faintly. "I--I thought no one would ever come. I--I crawled in here----" and then his voice went off into a weak whisper. "He's fainted!" cried the young millionaire. They soon had Tim out of his uncomfortable prison, and in his berth, where he quickly revived under the care of Captain Barton, who was a sort of doctor and surgeon combined, as indeed every seaman of ability is usually.