ots into the air.

Still the thing ran on.

"Well, I see I must catch him," muttered Merriwell.

He set his teeth and made wonderful speed over the uneven ground. Never
in any college sprinting match had he made such speed. He was determined
to overtake that hideous thing and solve the mystery of the island.

Frank soon saw he was gaining. The creature looked back and saw the
same, whereupon it seemed to increase its efforts.

But, although the monster was a swift runner, it could not get away from
Merriwell. The cove was passed, and the race continued up the rise
toward the big building above.

Frank was drawing nearer and nearer. He reached out a hand to grasp the
shoulder of the hunchback, for there was a large hump on the back of the
fugitive.

At that moment the panting thing whirled and grappled with him suddenly.

Frank was taken by surprise by the movement, and in a twinkling he was
flung to his knees. The monster snarled with satisfaction and sought to
clutch his throat with those clawlike hands.

Summoning all his strength, Merriwell fought his way to his feet and
obtained a better hold on the thing, keeping those twisted fingers away
from his throat.

Then there was a fierce struggle for the mastery. During that struggle
the tushes in the mouth of the being with whom Frank was battling
suddenly fell out and dropped to the ground.

They were false teeth, made to look as hideous as possible.

And now Merry could see that the man's face was made up to appear
twisted and deformed, and, a moment after the teeth fell out, the shaggy
wig of tangled hair was torn away, showing that also was false and a
part of the make-up.

Now Merriwell recognized the man before him.

It was the hunchback of Green's Landing--Put Wiley!

"Really, Mr. Wiley, this is quite a surprise!" exclaimed Frank,
triumphantly. "You had a splendid make-up, but the cat is out of the bag
now."

"Curse ye!" grated the hunchback. "You'll pay for this with your life!"

"Oh, I don't know!"

"I do."

Wiley's voice did not utter these two words; they were spoken by another
person, and Frank was clutched from behind. Strong hands closed about
his neck, and hard fingers crushed into his windpipe, so that his
breath was shut off in a moment.

Frank could not withstand this onset, he was forced to his knees. Being
unable to breathe, he tried to tear those crushing fingers away, but the
effort was in vain. He had dropped the revolver,