ill to hail, which was done with a truly
sailor-like "Ahoy!" repeated many times, and followed by the
landlubber's "Hello, there!" but without getting an answer. Gus had to
work around to get the wind so as to come up again. Still there was no
reply to the hailing, and without more ado the _Stella_ was put
alongside of the schooner, going also aground, but lightly.

"You grapple and hold her, Bill. I'll board her and see what's what,"
said Gus, pistol in hand, stepping over the schooner's rail.

Swiftly, without hesitation, he rounded the cabin, peered down the small
companion-way and shouted into the cabin, door, calling loudly. Then he
went back, got the _Stella's_ lantern, and Bill, having made fast,
limped along after, gun in hand. The two silently explored every nook
and cranny finding, to their utter astonishment, no one aboard. The door
to one of the staterooms, however, was fastened.

"I wonder if somebody is in there," whispered Gus.

"Must be. Looks funny. Let's call," Bill suggested.

"I guess we'd better beat it and mind our own business," said Gus,
loudly. "Come on, we don't belong here at all."

Had the boys been suddenly confronted with a genie, at the behest of
Aladdin's lamp, their surprise could not have been much greater than at
the response from within the room. It was a girl's voice that reached
them, and though very sweet and low it was full of trepidation.

"I hear you. What can you be plotting now? If you intend to kill me you
will have to destroy this boat to do it, for I'll surely kill you if you
try to break in here. Now, you'd better listen to me again. Sail back
and I'll see that you're not arrested and--I'll get you a reward. You
will only get into jail by this----"

"I guess, Miss, you're talking to the wrong party," said Bill.

"You're mistaking us for somebody else," asserted Gus.

"Oh, who are you, then?" came the voice.

"Two fellows at your service. We got a radio at Oysterman Dan's and
thought we could rescue----"

"I sent it. I got to the wireless when they were working to get us off.
But please tell me exactly who you are."

"We are Marshallton Tech boys, down here on vacation,--that's all."

"Oh, you are? We know the professor of political economy----"

"Jennings? He's one of our favorites--fine chap."

"And that was where that boy was kidnaped, too."

"The same. He never turned up." Bill nudged Gus.

"Two weeks ago I was at Guilford and saw the ball game with