mber that, or I'll fix you!"

"Yaas, sir, Boss," replied Doright in a shaking tone.

Quickly he obeyed the commands of his master, securely fastening the
boys' arms behind their backs with lengths of cord. He then indicated a
bed on the floor of the cabin as a place where the boys might rest if
they chose.

"Now you stay out here on the gallery and keep your eyes open,"
commanded Lopez. "I won't be gone more'n an hour if I can find Wyckoff
and we'll see what he wants done with these robbers!"

After he was gone Doright took up his post on the gallery. He
persistently refused to reply to the boys' questions, and after a time
they refrained from trying to elicit any information.

"Looks like that villain Wyckoff was out after us and means business!"
Harry ventured. "He seems to have lots of help!"

"I guess this is one of those Spanish moss beds you were telling about,
Arnold," Harry said, walking over and kicking the bed.

"Looks like it," replied Arnold, "but just now the springs in the
Fortuna berths would suit me a whole lot better. I'm homesick."

"And I'm going home," declared Harry with emphasis.

"How are you going?" queried Arnold. "We can't get away from the negro
outside. He's guarding the very door."

"I'll show you how we'll get out. I'm going to burn these cords off my
arms, and then I'll set fire to the cabin, and when Doright rushes in,
we'll rush out. Before he knows what's up, we'll be away in the woods.
I'd like another piece of sheep, though!"

"Funny they brought it in here," commented Arnold. "I'll bet Lopez stole
it. He was in a mighty hurry to get here and then brought it inside the
cabin. He should have left it outside."

"We won't argue about that now," replied Harry kicking the remains of
the fire about. "I'm going to get loose first thing!"

Arnold protested vigorously, but to no avail. Harry maintained that Tom
had been kicked and Jack had been shot and therefore a burn or two on
his part should be borne unflinchingly. He found considerable difficulty
in getting the fire applied to the cords without also burning his own
flesh. At last he was triumphant.

Quickly he loosed Arnold. He then threw the remains of the fire into the
middle of the mattress. A burst of flame followed. In an incredibly
short time the whole end of the cabin was blazing.

Doright horrified fled to the edge of the clearing where he felt safe.
Arnold dashed out of the cabin in terror. Turning to find Harry