y was still visible on the vessels,
but tiring of them soon he turned away.

It was dark on the shore, but Robert started violently. If fancy were
not playing tricks with him he saw the shadow of Garay once more. The
figure had appeared about twenty yards ahead of him and then it was
gone. Robert was filled with fierce anger that the man should show such
brazen effrontery, and impulsively he pursued. Profiting by his
experience with the spy, he now had a pistol in his pocket, and
clutching the butt of it he hurried after the elusive shadow.

He caught a second glimpse. It was surely Garay, and he was running
along the shore, up the stream.

Robert's anger rose by leaps. The spy's presumption was beyond all
endurance, but he would make him pay for it this time. He drew his
pistol that he might be ready should Garay turn and attack, though he
did not believe that he would do so, and sped after him. But always the
shadow flitted on before, and the distance between them did not seem to
diminish.

They soon left all houses behind, although Robert, in his excitement,
did not notice it, and then he saw that at last he was gaining.

"Stop, Garay! Stop, or I shoot!" he cried.

The spy halted, and Robert, covering him with his pistol, was about to
approach when he heard a step behind him. He whirled, but it was too
late. A stunning weight crashed down upon his head, and he fell into
oblivion.

CHAPTER IV

OUT TO SEA

When Robert came back from the far country in which he had been
dwelling, for a little space, he looked into a long face, with eyes set
close and a curved nose. He was dimly conscious that it was a familiar
countenance, but he could not yet remember where he had seen it before,
because he could not concentrate his thoughts. His head was heavy and
aching. He knew that he lived, but he did not know much more.

The staring face was distinctly unpleasant and menacing. He gazed into
it, trying to recall the owner, but the effort was still too great. Then
he became conscious that he was lying upon his back and that he was
moving. Trees on his right and trees on his left, some distance away,
were filing past. Two men on each side were pulling hard on oars, and
then it slowly entered his mind that he was in a boat.

He made another and stronger effort to gather up his wandering faculties
and then he realized with a jerk that the face looking into his was that
of the slaver. Making a supreme effort he sa