rows slung to his back, the lad
left the canoe, being followed immediately by the Seminole, who lifted
the prow of the frail craft out upon the bank, and then led the way.

Passing round a thick mass of reeds, they soon reached a position where
they could see the camp-fire and the moving forms of the sailors. Just
as they reached this position, Leslie Gage was seen to dash up to the
fire and kick the burning brands in various directions.

"He has done that so that the firelight might not reveal them to us,"
thought Frank. "They still believe us near, although they know not where
we are."

Crouching and creeping, Socato led the way, and Frank followed closely,
wondering what scheme the Indian could have in his head, yet trusting
everything to his sagacity.

In a short time they were near enough to hear the conversation of the
bewildered and alarmed sailors. The men were certain a band of savages
were close at hand, for they did not dream that the arrow which had
dropped Jaggers was fired by the hand of a white person.

"The sooner we get away from here, the better it will be for us,"
declared Leslie Gage.

"We'll have to get away in the boats," said a grizzled
villainous-looking, one-eyed old sailor, who was known as Ben Bowsprit.

"Fo' de Lawd's sake!" gasped the third sailor, who was a negro, called
Black Tom; "how's we gwine to run right out dar whar de critter am dat
fired de arrer inter Jack Jaggers?"

"The 'critter' doesn't seem to be there any longer," assured Gage.
"Those two shots must have frightened him away."

"That's right," agreed Bowsprit. "This has been an unlucky stop fer us,
mates. Tomlinson is dead, an' Jaggers----"

"I ain't dead, but I'm bleedin', bleedin', bleedin'!" moaned the fellow
who had been hit by Frank's arrow. "There's a big tear in my shoulder,
an' I'm afeared I've made my last cruise."

"It serves you right," came harshly from the boy leader of the ruffianly
crew. "Tomlinson attempted to set himself up as head of this crew--as
captain over me. You backed him. All the time, you knew I was the leader
in every move we have made."

"And a pretty pass you have led us to!" whined the wounded wretch.
"Where's the money you said the captain had stored away? Where's the
reward we'd receive for the captain alive and well? We turned mutineers
at your instigation, and what have we made of it? We've set the law
agin' us, an' here we are. The _Bonny Elsie_ has gone up in smoke----"

"Th