This book is about a young man who has a dream.

He wants to be a sailor
although his father and grandfather want him to be a lawyer, as they are.
His best friend, Augustus, whose father is the captain of a ship called
Grumpus, helps him fulfill his dream. First, they try to go sailing in Arthur’s
boat, Ariel, but it is destroyed in a storm. Then they have a plan that
consists in Arthur hiding in Grampus for a time until sailing.

The first times in Grampus, Arthur lives in a box in a hold, a dark and small
room. He writes in his diary from there.

After some days Augustus disappears and Arthur dies starving from death.
First his dog Tiger arrives to the ship, bringing a message from Augustus,
warning him he is in danger.

Then Augustus comes and explains his father was killed by the first mate
because he wants to be the new captain and because the nine bad sailors
do not want to go fishing any longer but become pirates and sail to the
Caribbean.

One sailor is a good man. His name is Dirk Peters and he allies Arthur and
Augustus. He wants to prevent the first mate from going to the Caribbean.

The first mate starts killing sailors, such as the cook, and Augustus is in
danger because he is the captain’s son.

As the sailors are superstitious and are afraid of ghosts. The three plan
disguising as the dead cook’s ghost, putting on his shirt and with blood in
his face. There is a strong fight where all the bad sailors die, except Parker.
He is a good sailor and help Arthur, Augustus and Dirk. Tiger also dies.

After some time they start to feel extremely hungry and they come up the
idea of killing one of them so as to feed themselves. To decide which one
of them would die, they cut a stick into four piece. The one with the
shortest stick would die. The first to be killed and eaten is Peter. Then they
find food in a cabin and get a cup to catch rain. Augustus dies because he
becomes very ill.