ed Tommy is surprise.

"Because this is piracy, all right!" exclaimed the boy. "Old Jamison was
right, and he'll have all the officers along the coast after us as soon
as he gets to land. We're in bad with the cops now."

"But Jamison won't be able to get to land tonight!" suggested Sam.

"Indeed he won't!" agreed Frank. "He'll have to pull in toward the
island and lie there on his oars until daylight."

"Can't he land?" asked Tommy.

"I don't think he can land in the dark!" was the reply.

"Why can't we get to Cordova and get back here with the surgeon before
he can communicate with the officers?" asked Tommy. "We can't afford to
go into hiding just now. We've got to get the doctor up to the cabin,
and we've got to find out what that code message contained."

"How far is it from here to Cordova?" asked Frank.

"It must be about thirty-five or forty miles," replied Sam. "If the waves
wouldn't keep us traveling up and down all the time, we ought to make it
in about three hours."

"Jamison was trying to make us believe he was doing a fine thing if he
took us to Cordova and back in ten or twelve hours!" said Tommy.

"I don't think he intended to take us to Cordova at all!" insisted Sam.

"Well," Tommy argued, "there's no way he can stop us until we get to
Cordova, and he can't stop us then unless he reaches the coast or gains
the wireless station before we leave the town. Once out on the gulf
again, with the surgeon on board, we'll reach Katalla in spite of
Jamison, and start the doctor toward the cabin."

"Then here goes for the town!" cried Frank, turning on an extra bit of
power and sending the boat through the waves like a meteor.

It was rough riding, but the boys were fairly good seamen and stood the
shaking up well.

About midnight the wheelsman began showing signs of consciousness. He
sat up on the swaying deck and motioned for water.

"Tip him overboard!" advised Sam.

"Aw, give him a drink," argued Tommy. "If you'd had had as much red
liquor during the last few hours as he's had, you'd want to connect with
the water cooler, I guess! Give the man a show!"

"Where are you taking the motor boat?" asked the wheelsman.

"Cordova."

"Is that right about your wanting a surgeon?"

"That is right!" replied Tommy.

"Where is he wanted?" asked the wheelsman, who had given the name of
Boswell. "Why didn't you bring the sick boy out with you?"

"Because we thought it better to take the surgeon to him