was wrong to run away with a
government boat. He'll serve time for it, I reckon."

"I suppose," Jimmie said, in as sarcastic a tone as he could bring
forth, "that you're lookin' among these bushes for the _Manhattan_. She
might have climbed one of these big trees," he added, with a grin.

The leader made no reply, none being required, and the party pressed
forward toward the center of the island. The jungle grew thinner as they
advanced, and presently the encampment came into view.

It was evident to the boys that some of the native chiefs were there in
state, for some of the tents--doubtless stolen from the government--were
gaudily decorated, and attendants were flying about as if their lives
depended on the speed with which they covered the ground. It seemed to
the boys that there could not be less than three hundred persons
present, and the decorated tents, marking the stopping place of a chief,
indicated a large collection of native rulers.

The boys were not taken through the encampment, but led into a tent on
the outskirts, where they were securely tied up and left alone.

"Cripes!" Jimmie said, when the flap of the tent fell behind the figure
of the disguised man, "this reminds me of a drammer we used to have on
the good old Bowery. In this play there was a girl that was always bein'
captured an' rescued. Any scene that didn't witness a couple of captures
and a couple of rescues was no good. This is just like that. We're bein'
captured, all right, but we ain't bein' rescued--not just yet!"

"Ned's somewhere about," Jack said, confidently. "He'll manage to turn
us loose before long."

Then through the jungle, and ringing snappingly on the clear air, came
the snorting of the _Manhattan's_ engines. At that moment she was
entering the little creek which Pat had pointed out. In a moment the
explosions ceased.

"If they didn't know before," Jack said, "they know now. It won't take
them long to geezle the _Manhattan_ now. Say," he added, "roll over here
and eat these cords. If I could get down to them I'd soon be free."

"I wonder if I could?" asked Jimmie.

The cords were hard and strong and tightly knotted, but after a long
time the boy succeeded in releasing Jack's hands, and the rest was easy
as they were alone in the tent. In a very short time both boys were free
of bonds.

The tent did not seem to be guarded, as the captors doubtless believed
escape from the island impossible, even if the boys succeede