rying to do now?" shouted Dick, racing for the opening of
the lock.

The gate that barred the boat was in place. But suddenly Dick
understood. The desperado in the launch intended to be true to his
nature. He saw just one chance of escape in a thousand, and he meant
to take it, perilous as it was.

Straight for the gate he drove the boat. The man at the wheel was
crying out in piteous fear and the burly ruffian stepped back from the
bow, crushed his friend to the deck of the boat with a brutal blow, and
took the wheel himself.

"They'll both be killed," cried Dick. "He can't mean to drive against
the gate."

But that was just what was in the desperate robber's mind. He saw and
weighed the chances that were against him, but he was ready to risk
life itself for liberty, and, in that desperate moment even Dick and
Jack, debased as they knew the man to be, could not but admire his
daredevil courage.

At top speed the launch crushed into the barrier. There was a terrific
crash, and those, including Durland, who stood on the gate, leaped back
precipitately.

For an instant the timbers shivered. Then, with a crash, they gave
way, and the launch hurled through and dropped to the surface of the
river. There, for a moment, it spun around. But the boat was well
built. It stood the shock, and the next second, swaying from side to
side, it was dashing away, past the possibility of pursuit. Jack was
saved, but the villain had escaped--for the time at least.

CHAPTER IX

A SWIMMING PARTY

Though Jack Danby, partly through his own courage and determination,
and partly by reason of Dick Crawford's quick thinking, had escaped
from the hands of the desperado who had so evidently determined to
murder him, Scout-Master Durland was anything but easy in his mind
regarding his friend, as he was proud to call the young Scout who had
done so well whenever he had been put to the test.

He did not want to alarm Jack himself without cause, but to Dick
Crawford he spoke without hesitation.

"I'm worried about Jack, Dick," he said. "These villains are quite
capable of making another attack on him, and that would never do."

"I should say not, sir! He might not get off so lightly another time."

"That's just what I'm afraid of. If they strike against him once more
they are more than likely to realize that to have a chance against him,
they must strike quickly. If that scoundrel had had the slightest idea
that th