s heart to be really angry with the old man who had been irritated
past endurance by the bully's mocking defiance.

"Shiver my garboard strake," he exclaimed contritely, when Rob pointed
out to him that he might have killed one of the occupants of the
hydroplane, "shiver my garboard strake, lad, I saw red fer a minute
just like I did that time the Chinese pirates boarded the Sarah Jane
Butts in the Yellow River."

Although there was not much hope of catching the two, Rob stuck to the
chase even when he realized the scouts were outdistanced, and in fact
kept his attention so closely riveted on the other craft that when
there came a sudden jar and jolt and the Flying Fish stopped with a
grunt and a wheeze, he realized with a start that he had not been
watching the treacherous channel and was once more fast on a sand bar.

With a last shout and a yell of defiance the bully and his companion,
who had by now got over their fright, shot out on to the ocean and
rapidly vanished.

"There goes our hope of catching those two crooks," cried Tubby
angrily, while the engine of the Flying Fish was set at reverse. "It's
all off now. They know that we have rescued Joe and they'll fly the
coop for some other part of the country."

"I suppose they came down here to get their tent, not realizing we'd be
here so soon," observed Andy, which indeed was the fact.

Fortunately the Flying Fish was not very hard aground and a little
manipulation got her off into deep water once more.

"I guess those two chaps are almost in Hampton by this time and getting
ready to leave town," observed Rob as the motor boat forged ahead, once
more.

"This will be the safest thing for them to do," exclaimed Merritt,
"they are in a serious position this time. Kidnapping is a dire
offense."

"I wonder what they came back for?" said Tubby suddenly.

"No doubt to get their tent and the few things they had left on the
island," vouchsafed Rob, skillfully dodging a shoal as he spoke,
"maybe, too, they intended to see how Joe was making out."

"I wasn't making out at all," said the small lad, with a shudder at the
recollection of his imprisonment.

"Never mind, Joe, that's all over now," put in Merritt.

"I'm glad it is," answered the small lad, "and just think, if I hadn't
been a Boy Scout and understood that code I might have been there yet."

"That's true enough," said Rob, "for we had about made up our minds
that the bungalow was deserted, and were