CHAPTER XIII.

AN EXCITING FINISH.

"I thought you'd gone back," were the first words Bob spoke as he grabbed Jack's hand.

"I know, but I hated to leave you in their hands," Jack told him.

"But you should have gone, although between you and me and the fence post, I'm mighty glad you didn't."

Bob had been picked up with the large boat between them and the Valkyrie and, while they were talking, Jack had been paddling as hard as he could, to put as much distance between them and their enemies as possible.

Although it has taken some time to tell it, probably not more than two minutes had elapsed from the time Bob had struck the water until he was in the boat. Nothing had been heard from those on board and he supposed they had rushed to the cabin for weapons, so it behooved them to get beyond their range in the least possible time.

"Seems to me the fog's getting thicker again," Jack declared after he had paddled for about five minutes.

"Sure is," Bob agreed.

"Well, it's a good thing for us. They'd probably try a shot or two in our direction if they could see us."

"No doubt of that, but which way you going?"

"Back to the island, of course."

"You sure?"

"I think so. I swung around her bow, and unless I've turned again, we must be right."

"Well, I hope so, but I guess it'll be safe to take the oars now," Bob said as he picked them up from the bottom of the boat and slipped them into the locks.

The fog was now almost as thick as before and they could see only a very short distance, but Bob rowed with all his might while Jack helped with the paddle.

"Ought to be about there, don't you think?" the latter asked after a few minutes had passed.

"If we're going in the right direction," Bob replied.

"Don't you think we are?"

"Frankly I haven't the least idea."

"You haven't?" There was a note of alarm in the question.

"No, I'm completely turned around," Bob confessed.

"Well, we're safe away from those fellows at any rate. By the way, I never thought to ask you how you came out with the gun."

"They won't use it this trip, unless they've got a lot of extra parts."

"That's good, but what happened?"

Bob gave him account of his adventure and when he had finished, Jack said: "Gee, but you did have a close one."

"Too close for comfort," Bob agreed grimly. "But, I say, Jack, we've missed the boat and the island as well. We've gone a good deal too far," he added as he rested on his oars.

"Just what I was thinking. Well, what's the answer?"

"Listen."

"Don't hear a thing."

"Think we'd better risk a shout?"

"Reckon it wouldn't do any harm. We must be quite a ways from that other boat."

"Unless we've been rowing in a circle."

"I say risk it."

"All right, then, here goes. On board the Valkyrie."

Bob gave the call several times, each time a little louder until, at the last, he was shouting with about all his lung power. But there was no answer.

"Gee, we must be half way back to the United States if they didn't hear that last one," Jack declared.

"Or to Australia," Bob added.

"Well, I guess about the only thing to do is to do nothing till this fog lets up."

"I reckon so. There's no use in getting any farther away and I guess we're safe enough here."

An hour passed and there was no diminution in the density of the fog. Save for a gentle swell the sea was perfectly calm.

"We aren't going anywhere very fast," Bob laughed after a long period of silence.

"Not unless there's a current here."

"Wonder if they've missed us yet?"

"What time is it?"

"One o'clock."

"Then they've missed us all right. It's past time for dinner."

Another hour went by and the fog was as dense as ever. The gentle rise and fall of the boat had lulled Jack to sleep and Bob was having hard work to keep awake when a slight sound caught his ear.

"That's the surf," he said half aloud as he picked up the oars and began rowing toward the sound.

Shortly he was sure he was right as the sound came nearer and, after rowing for perhaps twenty minutes, the boat, carried forward by the swell, ran up onto the sand and, as the wave receded, came to a sudden stop.

The jar awoke Jack and he sat up rubbing his eyes.

"Did we hit the United States?" he asked.

"We've hit something," Bob laughed as he jumped from the boat and as the next wave hit, pulled it up a little farther.

"What part of the world do you suppose this is?" Jack asked as he tried in vain to pierce the fog.

"I imagine it's our island all right. We surely didn't go far enough to hit anything else. But I think I feel a little breeze and it'll probably blow the fog away pretty soon."

He was right for, in a very few minutes, the fog began to lighten and in another fifteen minutes it was practically gone.

"They sure come quick and go quick," Jack declared. "Do you recognize the place?"

"I think so. That's the grove where we heard the wild man of Borneo or whatever it was."

"Then we're away round the other end from the boat?"

"I reckon that's it, and we'd better be moving. Uncle Si'll be worried stiff about us."

"Going to row?"

"Of course. There's no use in leaving the boat here. Help me get her in the water."

They had just taken hold of the boat to push it out on the next wave when they heard that cry which had so startled them a few days before. And now it was only a short distance away. Only a strip of sand some thirty feet wide separated them from the woods and they knew that the creature must be very near the edge of it.

"Make it snappy," Bob cried as the wave struck the boat.

The boat slid out without much difficulty and, as soon as the water was up to their knees, they clambered in.

"Look," Jack cried as Bob picked up the oars.

Bob turned his head and saw what had caused Jack's alarm. Coming toward them from the woods was a creature, fierce enough in appearance to frighten the bravest, but whether it was a man or a beast, he could not say. Well over six feet high and with short stocky legs and long arms, reaching nearly to its knees, it stooped forward as it ran. It was clad in some sort of skin but whether its own or another animal's was another thing impossible to say, Its face was hidden all but the nose and eyes by a long and thick black beard.

By the time the creature had reached the water's edge the boat was some thirty feet away and Bob was rowing for all he was worth.

"It's a good thing he didn't come a minute sooner," Jack declared.

But he spoke too soon. Picking up a rock, the size of a large cocoanut, the creature, with a wide swing of his long arm, threw it at them, or rather toward them. The rock described a high arc and, in spite of Bob's efforts to get the boat out of the way, it struck the bottom between them. It was a heavy stone and the boat was a light one and it went right through leaving a hole the size of a plate. Too astonished to move they sat still as the boat rapidly filled and sank beneath them. The water there was not more than four feet deep and when the boat rested on the bottom they were submerged only to their shoulders.

"Well, I'll be jiggered," Jack gasped as he got to his feet.

Bob glanced toward the shore where the creature was dancing wildly about uttering its weird cries and brandishing its long arms. For several minutes they watched it and their hopes rose as they saw that it was reluctant to enter the water.

"Doesn't seem to want to get its feet wet," Jack suggested.

"But it swam out to the boat the other night," Bob reminded him.

"Maybe it's got a boat somewhere."

"I hope not."

"Look out, he's going to throw another stone," Jack cried a moment later.

This time, however, the creature's aim was not so good and the rock, about the size of a baseball, struck the water some ten feet beyond them.

"Guess that first shot was an accident," Jack said but he changed his mind a moment later when he had to dodge sharply to avoid a third rock which was nearly as large as the first.

For some time the creature stood there on the shore throwing rocks at them and several times they narrowly avoided being struck.

"I say, this is getting a bit tiresome," Jack declared after he had barely escaped a rock nearly as large as his head. "I wonder if he's going to keep it up all the rest of the day."

"It's his move," Bob said grimly.

"But it'll be ours in a few minutes because there comes the Valkyrie," Jack cried joyfully pointing out to sea.

Bob turned his head and saw that what Jack had said was true, and, taking off his coat, he waved it over his head.

"They see us," Jack shouted a moment later as he saw the boat change its direction slightly and come directly toward them.

And now the creature on the shore also saw the approaching boat and with a hoarse cry of rage, it hurled a final rock which landed only a foot from Bob's head, and then turned and ran for the woods.

"And I sure hope that's the last we see of that fellow," Bob declared.

"He's not what you'd call a pleasant playmate," Jack assured him.

The Valkyrie soon hove to and a boat was lowered and, a few minutes later, they were on board once more.

"Where in the name of common sense have you been?" Mr. Lake wood began as they came up the ladder.

"Spiking the enemy's guns," Jack grinned.

"Out there in the water?" his uncle demanded.

"Well, that's another part of the story," Bob broke in.

"We'd about given you up for lost," Captain Ole told them as he led the way to the cabin. "Dinner's been waiting these two hours and Wong's as mad as a wet hen. Now hustle and get some dry duds on and then maybe Wong'll give us something to eat and maybe he won't."

As usual Wong's bark was worse than his bite and while they were eating the boys gave them a full account of their adventures.

"Blamed if I know whether to scold you or to praise you," their uncle said when the story was told. "You did mighty wrong to take such a risk but, on the other hand, I reckon you may have done a big thing for us, that is, if you've fixed that gun so they can't use it."

"Suppose you call it even and don't do either," Bob grinned.

"Well, maybe I will," Mr. Lakewood chuckled.

"How come they didn't follow you?" Jack asked.

"I guess they didn't have steam up," Captain Ole told him.

"Are we going back there?" Bob asked.

"We sure are," his uncle replied. "I never had anyone scare me away from a place yet and I'm too old to begin now."

By the time the meal was over the Valkyrie was again back at her former anchorage. Smoke was pouring out of the stack of the other boat and it was evident they were getting ready to chase them, as the anchor was raised. But it was lowered again almost as soon as their own and again the two ships rode at anchor only a short distance apart.

"I'd give two cents to know what they're going to do," Mr. Lakewood said as he gazed at the other boat. "By the way, boys, come forward a moment. I've got a little surprise for you."

"Gee, but that's a beauty," Jack cried as his uncle pulled a piece of canvas from an object and disclosed a large caliber rapid fire gun of the latest model.

"I didn't expect to have to use it," he explained, "and I very much hope we won't have to but I had it down in the hold and, as soon as we were out of sight a while ago, I had it brought up."

"It sure gives us the upper hands of them," Bob declared.

"I'll say it does," Jack agreed.

"Look, they're lowering a boat," Bob said.

The same two men, rowed by a couple of natives, were soon at the companionway and, permission having been granted, they quickly mounted to the deck.

"I have the honor to bring you the papers ordering us to search your boat," the man who had called himself a captain, said stiffly handing a legal appearing paper to Captain Ole.

"Do you think I was born yesterday?" the latter snapped as he handed the paper back after a brief glance at it.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that that paper's a fake."

"On what do you base your charge?" the other demanded.

"Are you so ignorant that you don't know that no paper of that kind is legal unless it bears the seal of the government?" he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"It--it must have been an oversight."

"Perhaps it was, but that makes no difference. The paper is worthless and I refuse to recognize it."

"Perhaps you will recognize something else."

"That depends on what it is, but let me warn you that we are well armed and won't stand for any funny business," Captain Ole said sternly, looking him squarely in the eye.

With a nod at his companion the man turned without another word and left the ship.

"I wonder if they know their gun's out of commission," Bob said as soon as they were off the boat.

"I doubt it," Jack replied.

"And I hope he didn't suspect what we've got under that canvas," Mr. Lakewood said.

"I don't believe he would the way you've got it covered up, that is unless they were watching when you showed it to us," Bob told him.

"But I was careful to stand so that they would be unable to see it," his uncle assured him.

"Then I don't believe they saw it."

"Do you suppose they'll do anything before night?" Jack asked.

"It's hard to tell what those fellows'll do," Captain Ole assured him.

"Well, I reckon we're a match for them whatever they try," the boy declared.

"Let us hope so." The captain spoke readily enough but there was a note in his voice which Bob caught and it told him that the man was not as confident as he wished to appear.

It was some two hours later when they noticed signs of activity in the bow of the other boat. Several men were gathered in a group about the gun which Bob had disabled and, with the aid of the glasses, they could see that its condition had just been discovered.

"I'll bet that fake captain's mad," Bob chuckled.

"I'd like to be a little mouse and hear what he's saying," Jack added.

"I reckon he knows now."

Bob's sentence was cut short by a series of explosions and they could see smoke coming from the barrel of the gun.

"Now what do you know about that?" Jack drawled.

"I'm not so terribly surprised," Bob returned. "It means simply that they had extra parts, that's all."

"Or another gun."

"Of course."

"And you took all that risk for nothing."

"I guess you'll have to scold me now," Bob smiled as his uncle and Captain Ole came toward them having heard the reports.

"It wasn't your fault that they had the parts to replace those you took," Mr. Lakewood assured him.

"What I can't understand is why they want us to know that the gun is all right. You see, they were not shooting at us," Bob said.

"Some men can't help bragging and that's his way of doing it. You see he probably couldn't resist the temptation to let us know that you had failed," Mr. Lakewood explained.

"And I suppose he thinks that gun'll scare us," Jack added.

"There's the wireless," Bob said as Jack finished, "and I think it's our call."

"I'll go," Jack told him as he darted for the wireless room.

He was back in about ten minutes.

"It's that captain fellow," he announced.

"What's he want?" Captain Ole asked.

"He says that if we won't let him search the boat he's going to do it anyway and that he's got forty men on board to back him up."

"What did you tell him?"

"Told him to wait till I asked you and he said he'd give me fifteen minutes."

Captain Ole turned to Mr. Lakewood. "It's up to you," he said.

"What's your judgment?"

"Well, there are three things we can do. We can hide the pearls and let them hunt, or we can hoist anchor and run for it, or we can stay and fight."

"And if you had the say?" Mr. Lakewood smiled.

"Well, I never ran away yet nor did I ever give in to the other fellow when I knew he was wrong," Captain Ole declared grimly.

"I thought that was the way you'd feel about it and I don't mind acknowledging that I feel the same way, but the last proposition is out of the question."

"Why is it?" Both the boys asked the question together.

"Do you think I could ever face your mother or father if I took that chance and one or both of you got shot?"

"But--"

"There's no buts about it. It's one of the first two alternatives."

When he spoke in that tone they knew it was useless to argue and even Captain Ole accepted the decision as final.

"Which'll it be, then?" he asked.

"Do you think they could catch us?"

"I don't know. That boat looks pretty fast."

"Has Mac kept steam up?"

"Yes, I told him to."

"Then we'll give them a race."

"Just as you say." The captain turned and mounted the stairs to the wheel house.

"What will I tell him?" Jack asked in a disappointed tone.

"Don't tell him anything," his uncle ordered. "I know just how you boys feel about it and I'm not saying that I don't feel much the same way but it isn't worth the price we might have to pay. They probably haven't got forty in their crew but they have got a lot more than we have and if it came to a fight someone would be sure to get hurt and I can't risk it," he explained.

The boys knew he was right and told him so.

"We've got enough pearls now to give all hands a tidy sum and if we get away from those fellows without any one getting hurt I'll be satisfied so far's that part of it is concerned. Some day I'll find that rascal Kelley and then there'll be a day of reckoning."

"Mac says he's all ready," Captain Ole cried from the wheel house.

"Then up anchor."

"Right."

Three minutes later the propeller began to revolve and the boat slowly swung around. It was evident that the others had expected such a move for hardly were they in motion before they saw the enemy's anchor come out of the water and, at the same time, clouds of smoke poured from the stack.

"They're not losing much time," Jack declared.

Around the end of the island swept the Valkyrie and soon the other boat was lost to sight but they knew it would be only a matter of a few minutes before they would see it again.

"There she comes," Bob cried a few moments later.

"And, believe me, she is coming," Jack added.

The Valkyrie was now tearing through the water sending a cloud of spray from her bows and, for a time, it seemed that she was outdistancing her pursuer. But, as the time passed, she seemed to be doing better and for an hour the boys could not see that the distance between them changed perceptibly. By the time another hour had passed it was evident that the other boat was shortening the distance between them.

"It's only a matter of a few hours at this rate," Bob said as they stood in the stern watching the race.

"If we can keep ahead till dark we may be able to lose them," Jack returned.

"If we can, but it's quite a while before dark and unless we can get more speed out of this boat they'll be up to us I'm afraid."

"They're gaining."

Mr. Lakewood looked worried as he joined them.

"Are we going as fast as we can?" Bob asked.

"Mac's got on every pound of steam he dare carry."

"Then they must have a wonder," Jack declared.

"They have," his uncle agreed with a shake of his head.

"They're going to catch us before dark."

This time it was Captain Ole who made the prediction and his face was, as Jack afterward declared, a mile long.

"Well, I reckon all we can do is to keep on and hope for the best," Mr. Lakewood sighed.

"And prepare for the worst," Captain Ole added.

Another hour went by and now the pursuer was not more than two miles behind and coming like a race horse, as Jack put it. A glance at his watch told him that it was not quite six thirty and he knew that there would be at least two hours and a half more of daylight and by that time, at the rate she was gaining, they would be overhauled. It looked as though they would have to submit to being searched after all. But would they now be satisfied with that? That was a question which was troubling all of them except probably the members of the crew, some of whom had shown their reluctance at leaving until they had exhausted the oyster bed. Wong summoned them to supper and they made a hurried meal, all being anxious to be out where they could watch the race.

"She's not more'n a mile away," Bob declared when they were again in the stern.

"And coming like all possessed," Jack added. "I never supposed a boat of that size could make such speed."

Rod by rod and yard by yard the pursuing boat gained on them although the Valkyrie seemed to be fairly flying through the water. It still lacked nearly an hour of sunset and there was no hope of keeping away from them until darkness would give them a chance of escape. Slowly, and yet it seemed rapidly to them, the gap between the two boats was closing and it was now only a matter of a few minutes when they would be abreast.

"What do you think they'll do?" Bob asked his uncle.

"It's hard to tell," he replied.

"But aren't we going to put up a fight?" Jack broke in.

"If we get a ghost of a chance we'll fight all right," Captain Ole assured him.

And now it would have been possible to throw a stone from the deck of the Valkyrie to the other boat. The captain, standing in the bow of the pursuing boat was holding a megaphone to his mouth and was evidently shouting some order to them but, so great was the noise of the water rushing by, they were unable to hear a word. Then, throwing the megaphone to one side he gave an order to a man standing by his side and he, motioning to several natives, who were standing several feet back, moved toward the machine gun which had already been uncovered.

"They're going to take a shot at us," Captain Ole declared.

"Then we'd better get inside," Mr. Lakewood said.

"But you don't--"

Bob started to say something but the sentence was never finished for, just as the man gave the signal to fire, there came a terrific concussion from the bowels of the larger ship. For the fraction of a second, it seemed to the boys, it quivered as though wondering what it was all about, and then the air seemed filled with flying objects.

"She's exploded," Bob gasped.

It was over almost before they realized what had happened and the Storm, as the name on the bow designated her looked, as Jack afterward declared, as though a hundred tons of dynamite had exploded beneath her deck. In fact her entire superstructure was torn to pieces and, evidently the force of the detonation had been downward as well as upward, for she was settling rapidly by the bow.

Fortunately none of the flying debris had struck the Valkyrie and, as soon as he had realized what had happened, Captain Ole had given the order to stop the boat. But before they could turn and get back to the scene of the disaster the Storm had plunged beneath the waves. There was, however, much wreckage floating about and, in hopes of saving some of the crew, three of the small boats were lowered. But although they searched for more than an hour, four of the natives were all they could find. None of these were injured and they were taken on board and treated kindly. They could not speak English and nothing of moment was learned from them in regard to those who had employed them.

After a consultation it was decided to go back for more pearls and by ten o'clock they were again at their former anchorage. For three days they raked the sea for oysters getting many more pearls and then the supply suddenly gave out and, after another day, during which only a very few oysters were brought up, it was decided to start for home.

"We've nearly a hundred thousand dollars worth unless I'm very much mistaken," Mr. Lakewood declared after they had counted them.

"What are we going to do with those natives?" Captain Ole asked him.

"Reckon we'll have to go back and leave them on their island," Mr. Lakewood told him. "It won't be so much out of our way at that."

So two days later they were back at the island where their friend Umgubsolongas ruled and, much to their delight, the natives were allowed to land at once. To the disappointment of the boys Mr. Umgubsolongas was away from home and would not be back for another week. So, after taking on a fresh supply of fuel oil and some provisions the Valkyrie turned her bow homeward.

"The only regret I have is that we didn't learn more about that fellow on the island," Mr. Lakewood declared as they were eating dinner the first day out from the island.

"But I tell you it wasn't a man," Bob insisted.

"And if it was we'd never have got him without someone getting killed," Captain Ole added.

"I guess you're right, both of you, but I shall always be sorry that we couldn't have been sure," Mr. Lakewood sighed.

It was a beautiful day when the Valkyrie sailed in past the Statue of Liberty and, a short time later, docked in the East River. The boys were anxious to reach home and see their folks and had prevailed on their uncle to go with them and make them a long visit. So, after goodbyes had been said, the three hurried ashore and, after tending to some necessary business, they caught the Bar Harbor Express for Maine.

"It was a bully trip," Jack declared as he crawled into his berth.

"And a very profitable one as well," Bob added.

THE END.