rt in the hands of some brigand!"

Will held up his hand for silence, and the boys sat looking at each
other with questioning eyes as a soft knock came on one of the windows.

In an instant their eyes were turned in the direction of the sound, and
what they saw caused them to spring excitedly to their feet.

During the silence which followed, the sound of a heavy footstep was
heard at the door of the cabin. When they looked again nothing was to be
seen at the window.

CHAPTER X

IN LUCK AT LAST

Instead of moving toward the dinghy, the boys sprang to the top of the
trunk cabin and dashed forward toward the wheel.

With an oath Jamison tried to clamber back to the deck of the motor
boat, but the dinghy was just then performing a bit of nautical
gymnastics at the bottom of a trough and he did not succeed in reaching
the desired footing. He fell back into the bottom of the boat, cursing
the two rowers because they had not assisted him.

As Frank and Tommy sprang forward over the cabin the man at the wheel
released his hold and reached for a pistol. The boat swung around and
would have been capsized only that Frank seized the wheel and brought
her head to the waves again.

The wheelsman struck a savage blow at the boy as he threw the wheel
around, and was in turn the object of attack from Tommy. The two went to
the deck together and came near being thrown into the sea.

When the short battle ended the wheelsman lay on the deck unconscious,
his head rolling from side to side as the boat tossed about on the
waves. In the fall his head had struck the rail.

Seeing that Jamison and the rowers were still trying to board the motor
boat, Sam rushed to the after deck and threatened them with his
revolver. In a moment Jamison presented a thirty-eight at the boy's
head.

"This is piracy!" he shouted. "Surrender, or I'll blow your head off!
This is piracy, I tell you!"

The only reply to the man's threat was the increased clatter of the
motors. Tommy had turned on full power, and Frank was heading the craft
for the mouth of Copper river. As she drew away from the dinghy, several
harmless shots were fired.

"That was a close shave!" Tommy declared as the three boys gathered on
the forward deck. "If Jamison hadn't been a fool, we couldn't have done
it! Can you find your way to Cordova, Frank?" he added.

"Sure I can!" was the reply, "but I take it that we don't want to go
there just now."

"And why not?" ask