alarmed. They hesitated for a moment.

"Go ahead, don't mind them!" howled Si Peters. "Quick, fellows, shove out
to the yacht!"

Before Jerry and the others could reach the spot the big row-boat was
afloat. The Peters' crowd leaped on board and quickly shipped the oars.

"Stop, or we'll fire on you!" sang out Harry again.

"Fire and be blowed!" howled Wash Crosby.

Bang! went Harry's gun, and the shot rattled all around the row-boat.

But now a turn of a headland took the craft out of range.

"Follow me!" said Jerry, as he leaped across the camp to where they could
again catch sight of the craft.

Over the rock and through the brush they stumbled, a distance of two
hundred feet. Then the shore of the lake was again reached.

But, alas! before they could do anything the Peters crowd was entirely out
of range. They saw the big row-boat taken over to where the yacht lay at
anchor. Harry's craft was tied fast to the stern and the Rockpointers
clambered aboard their own vessel.

"Good-bye and good luck to you!" cried Si Peters, mockingly. "Hope you
fellows enjoy playing Robinson Crusoe. We'll come back for you some time
next year."

And then the yacht sailed away, leaving those on the island to their
fate.

CHAPTER XVI.

AN EXCITING CHASE.

For the moment the boys did not know what to do. Si Peters and his crowd
had run off with their row-boat, and how to get to the mainland was a
serious question.

To swim the distance would be a dangerous undertaking, and there was no
telling how long it would be before another craft should come along to
take them off.

But the hermit solved the problem.

"If you want to follow those boys you can take my boat," he said.

"Have you a boat?" asked Jerry, quickly.

"Certainly, although I use it but sparingly, and then only at night."

The hermit led the way to the lower end of the island. Here in a
water-cave rested a long, round-bottomed row boat, containing two pairs of
oars.

"Just the thing!" cried Jerry. "Come on, Harry!"

He and his chum leaped in. Blumpo looked at his newly found father.

"I will go along if you wish," said the hermit.

In five seconds more all four were in the boat, which was then shoved out
into the lake.

With Jerry and Harry at the oars, they made good progress in the direction
of Si Peters' yacht.

All were armed, and Blumpo occupied the time in seeing that every weapon
was ready for use.

"The wind is dying out," said H