he spider's web could be
distinguished. For from up river and down, the silent line of naval
seamen drew near, herding the trapped fugitives into a circle that
always narrowed in diameter. Then, as the cordon seemed complete beyond
escape, the two white men broke into a desperate dash and plunged for
the river.

With one impulse Little and Barry sprang out to intercept them; and even
in his heat the skipper wondered why, now that the time had come,
neither Gordon nor Vandersee was anxious to get his hands on Leyden. For
that Leyden was one of those two plunging whites neither doubted.

But Rolfe's bonfire blazed higher, and every face and form stood
clearly revealed. The skipper and Tom Little hurled themselves headlong
at their quarry's legs and brought them down in a smashing football
tackle, then, from their position on the ground, astride of their
captives, they took in the surprising circle about them. Vandersee's
red, smooth face shone in a beatific smile as he directed the seizing
and securing of the trapped men. He had no apparent interest in the two
whites,--and an interchange of scrutiny satisfied Barry and Little that
neither of their men was Leyden. Instead of giving thought to the white
captives, Vandersee merely left them in their captors' hands until their
turn came to be tied up, and gave Barry still another amazing shock by
stepping over to Houten and embracing him in full view of all hands. And
big, emotionless Houten, with no change of demeanor, returned the
embrace in kind.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Mysteriously the naval seamen and their captives disappeared down the
river, yet leaving a vague impression of a line of keen-eyed sentries
somewhere behind the mists of night. That was the impression always left
upon Jack Barry by Vandersee of late: the feeling of eternal
wakefulness, incessant vigil, sure and inevitable success. The old,
original feeling came back, in short,--of a velvet-covered steel trap,
yet there was now no fear of the trap in Barry's mind.

"Come, we have six hours to wait for the next arrival at our party,"
Vandersee smiled, now coming forward and greeting Gordon with special
warmth. In spite of his determination to accept every situation without
question since realizing how big a part Vandersee played, how small his
own, Barry could not conceal his irritation at this fresh indication of
his own inconsequence in the great game. Though always expecting it now,
there was so