said.

"We know they are a desperate gang," Jack admitted. "Our own experiences
show that. They also believe we are here on the same mission and already
they have attempted to disable and sink our boat."

Frank stopped in alarm. Glancing hurriedly about he grasped Jack's arm
and in a trembling tone entreated him to leave the vicinity at his
earliest opportunity. Jack's answer was a negative shake of his head.
His companions also indicated their disapproval of the course.

"Well, here's the flounder," announced Frank at last picking up a fine
specimen of that denizen of the Gulf waters. "He's a beauty."

The boys gathered about the fish admiring and investigating the
peculiarities already mentioned by Frank. At last Harry spoke:

"But he wouldn't be good raw and you had to have a fire. I'm always
interested in seeing fire produced from a stick."

"Oh, that's not so difficult," Frank answered; "watch me."

Kneeling on the sand he grasped his fire stick in his left hand after
placing the bowstring in position. With a shell over the upper end of
the stick, he sawed away busily for a moment. A tiny wreath of smoke
eddied away from the lower end of the stick.

"Hurray," cried Harry, "You're fetching it. I can see it coming around
the bend. Just look at that, boys. I can see it coming."

"Put up your hands," came a coarse voice from the rear.

Startled, the lads with one accord jumped to their feet to see their
guest of a short time previous pointing an automatic at them.

"Drop that gun," came an order in Tom's ringing voice.

CHAPTER VII

THEIR PIRATE PRISONER

With an exclamation of surprise and alarm all eyes were turned in Tom's
direction. With a steady hand he was leveling an automatic pistol at the
head of the outlaw who now dropped his pistol hand to his side without,
however, relinquishing his hold upon the weapon. His shifty eyes were
closely watching the boy.

"I'll not tell you again!" warned Tom. "Once is plenty."

"Yes, I heard you the first time!" gritted the outlaw, opening his hand
and permitting the weapon to drop to the sand. "You wait! You Yankees
can't come down here and have your own way always."

"We won't argue that point just now," was Tom's rejoinder. "Right now,
you'll please put your hands up over your head." Then as the outlaw
obeyed, Tom added--"Way up with 'em. Pick me a star or two out of the
sky. Keep 'em up there and watch a comet while one of my friends goes
t