CHAPTER XXVI.
WHICH WILL WIN?
Rob's idea was a simple enough one. With his knife he would cut bundlesof branches and then bind them to the sides of the boat with the rope.This would at least keep the crazy craft afloat and offer him a means ofreaching the shore.
He set to work at once with great enthusiasm, and by dusk hisstrange-looking boat was ready to be launched. By placing round branchesunder it for rollers and using another branch as a lever, he soonsucceeded in getting it into the water. But it was hard work, and hepaused to eat some of his canned beef before going any further.
To his huge delight the boat, though lopsided and half full of water,was buoyed up by the branches, and he had no doubt that he couldnavigate her with the oars. As soon as he had finished his unappetizingmeal, Rob clambered on board his "ark," as he mentally called her, andthrust the oars into the rowlocks. The boat was very heavy, and owing toher waterlogged condition pulled very hard. Worse still, Rob encountereda current that carried him toward the other island, the one he had leftthat morning; and even worse, a fact he presently perceived, his craftwas being carried around a point, on the opposite side of which he couldsee the glow of a fire against the night sky; for by this time it wasdark. Rob was heartily glad that this was the case, for he knew that thefire must be that of the rascals who had abducted him, and in thedarkness he might slip by them unnoticed.
Luckily the current set a bit from the shore at this point, andalthough the boy could hear the three rascals carousing around theirfire over a keg of spirits, and singing and shouting at the top of theirvoices, they could not see him, partly because of their condition, andpartly because of the firelight.
Past the camp, with its carousing inmates, the boy was carried, andsuddenly his boat was bumped against something. Rob looked around. Atfirst he thought he had struck a rock. Instead he saw before him thegreen motor boat.
Like a flash an inspiration came to him. He clambered on board, and nottill he was fairly on deck did he recollect that he had neglected to tiehis ark to the side.
He looked over the stern rail. In the dim light he could see his clumsycraft drifting off, bobbing up and down on the tide.
"Well, I've burned my bridges behind me now," he exclaimed to himself."If I can't carry this thing through, I'll be cold meat by morning."
Just at that moment came a shout from the outlaws carousing on thebeach.
Keener-eyed than his companions, Berghoff had spied a dark form on themotor boat, silhouetted against the thickly sprinkled stars.
"There's someone stealing our boat. After him, boys!" Rob heard thefellow roar.
Then he ducked as a volley of bullets came whizzing over his head. Hisnext move was to clamber forward, keeping as low as possible till hereached the anchor chain.
There was no time to haul in, for the men had already run down the beachand launched their small boat.
Rob merely knocked out a shackle pin and let the whole thing go. Thisdone, he scrambled back and descended to the engine room.
"If I can't make this old tea-kettle go, I'm a gone coon," he admittedto himself with grim humor, as he switched on gasoline and spark, andturned the fly wheel over. Outside the shouts were coming closer everyinstant, and the motor showed no signs of intending to start.
+ + + + +
It was Donald, the Wolf Scout, who saved the day for the prisoners ofthe submarine.
As Barton rolled about whimpering and cursing by turns, he spied abright object protruding from the man's pocket.
"Is--is that the lever?" he asked, in tones that trembled withexcitement.
Mr. Barr darted on the object and pulled it out with a shout of triumph.
"Once more the Boy Scouts have saved the day!" he cried. "It is thelever, sure enough!"
Close as the atmosphere of the cabin had by this time become, they allfound breath enough to give three ringing cheers. In the conning towerMerritt, at the wheel, heard them, and guessed what they meant.
Fifteen minutes later the submarine was shooting upward to the surfacetoward the blessed air. With what speed the hatch was opened when theyreached the surface and could inhale the pure ozone once more, may beimagined. As soon as they had somewhat recovered a red light was shownfrom the stern, and presently the _Viper_ came chugging up.
"Well, where in the world have you been?" asked Tubby.
"Where _under_ the world, you mean," laughed Merritt; "but for a time itwas no laughing matter, I assure you."
He then gave his fellow Scout a description of all they had undergone.When the excitement was over, word was given to get under way once more,and with the submarine leading, and the _Viper_ following the red light,they held their courses toward the south.
It was dawn when they found themselves off a maze of small islands andislets. Donald had the wheel, and was gazing ahead as the submarine, atreduced speed, threaded her way among the shoals and sand bars.
All at once he saw something coming toward them that made his pulsesbeat far above normal.
It was a green motor boat, with a single military mast and a high cabin.
He lost no time in notifying everybody, and the submarine decks weresoon crowded.
"Better get below, boys," warned the ensign; "that is undoubtedly therascals' boat. In fact, Merritt says he recognizes it. They aredesperate fellows, and when they see we have them cornered, they willput up a fight. If they run, I mean to pursue them to the bitter end."
Reluctantly the boys went below, while the ensign and Mr. Barr stood onthe foredeck, revolvers in hand.
But although whoever was on the green boat must have seen them, thecraft came right on.
"Why, they actually mean to fight," gasped Mr. Barr.
"They're nervy fellows, all right," commented the ensign; "we may have atougher time of it than we think, Barr."
He turned and warned Tubby to take his boat back out of range. On and oncame the green boat without making a sign of any kind, hostile orotherwise.
"What can they be up to?" wondered the ensign in tones of blankamazement.
Scarcely twenty feet intervened between the two boats now, when suddenlya boyish figure, bareheaded and clad in a Boy Scout uniform, leaped tothe rail of the green craft.
"Kre-ee-ee-ee!" he shrilled out.
"The call of the Eagle Patrol!" gasped Mr. Barr.
"Yes, and by all that's wonderful, that lad is Rob Blake!" fairlyshouted the ensign, waving his cap.
By this time Tubby, too, had recognized his leader. The air rang withcheers, shouts, questions and answers in a perfect babble of sound.
"Well, who on earth but a Boy Scout could get himself kidnapped and thenkidnap his abductors' boat!" exclaimed the ensign that evening as theylay at anchor off Rob's "Ivory Island."
The climax of a wonderful day had been reached. Only one thing marredit. The rascals who had pursued Rob, for he only got the engine going inthe nick of time, had got clear away in the rowboat. Possibly theyhailed a passing steamer and were picked up.
But, after all, their escape, while annoying, was not of so muchimportance, for in their haste they had left behind the most importantpapers and models, and the ones they had taken were valueless, Mr. Barrdeclared, without the missing ones.
The next day, after a long evening of jollity, the _Viper_ set out forJamesport, S. C., with the unfortunate Barton bound with ropes to keephim from further violent manifestations. The poor man never recoveredhis reason, but died shortly after being admitted to an asylum. Itappeared that in his youth he had been an inmate of an institution forthe feeble-minded, but had been discharged as cured.
On the _Viper's_ return, work was begun on transferring the ivory, whichwas ultimately sold for an amount that netted all of them a handsomesum; for Rob insisted on sharing his good fortune with all hiscomrades.