GAGE TAKES A TURN.
Gage was tempted to shout for help, but the muzzle of the cold weapon
that touched his forehead froze his tongue to silence.
"Hello! Ahoy, there, cap'n! Where are you?"
Ben Bowsprit was growing impatient and wondering why Leslie did not
answer. It had occurred to the old tar that it was possible the boy had
deserted them.
The voice of Black Tom was heard to say:
"He oughter be right near by us, Ben. 'Smighty strange dat feller don'
seem to answer nohow."
"Shiver my timbers!" roared Bowsprit. "We'll pull back, my hearty, and
take a look for our gay cap'n."
They were coming back, and Gage was still unbound, although a captive in
Frank Merriwell's clutch.
Frank thought swiftly. There would not be enough time to bind Gage and
get away. Something must be done to prevent the two sailors from turning
about and rowing back.
"Gage," whispered Frank, swiftly, "you must answer them. Say, it's all
right, boys; I'm coming right along."
Gage hesitated, the longing to shout for help again grasping him.
"Do as I told you!" hissed Frank, and the muzzle of the revolver seemed
to bore into Gage's forehead, as if the bullet longed to seek his brain.
With a mental curse on the black luck, Gage uttered the words as his
captor had ordered, although they seemed to come chokingly from his
throat.
"Well, what are ye doing back there so long?" demanded Bowsprit.
"Tell them you're making love," chuckled Frank, who seemed to be hugely
enjoying the affair, to the unspeakable rage of his captive. "Ask them
if they don't intend to give you a show at all."
Gage did as directed, causing Bowsprit to laugh hoarsely.
"Oh, you're a sly dog!" cackled the old sailor, in the darkness. "But
this is a poor time to spend in love-makin', cap'n. Wait till we git
settled down ag'in. Tom an' me'll agree not ter watch ye."
"Say, all right; go on," instructed Frank, and Gage did so.
In a few seconds, the sound of oars were heard, indicating that the
sailors were obeying instructions.
At that moment, while Frank was listening to this sound, Gage believed
his opportunity had arrived, and, being utterly desperate, the young
rascal knocked aside Frank's hand, gave a wild shout, leaped to his
feet, and plunged headlong into the water.
It was done swiftly--too swiftly for Frank to shoot, if he had intended
such a thing. But Frank Merriwell had no desire to shoot his former
schoolmate, even though Leslie Gage had become a hardened and desperate
criminal, and so, having broken away, the youthful leader of the
mutineers stood in no danger of being harmed.
Frank and Socato had been close at hand when Gage placed Elsie Bellwood
in the boat, and barely was the girl left alone before she was removed
by the Seminole, in whose arms she lay limp and unconscious, having
swooned at last.
Then it was that a desire to capture Gage and a wild longing to give the
fellow a paralyzing surprise seized upon Frank.
"Socato," he whispered, "I am going to trust you to take that girl to
the hut where my friends are to be found. Remember that you shall be
well paid; I give you my word of honor as to that. See that no harm
comes to her."
"All right," returned the Indian. "What white boy mean to do?"
"Have a little racket on my own hook," was the reply. "If I lose my
bearings and can't find the hut, I will fire five shots into the air
from my revolver. Have one of my friends answer in a similar manner."
"It shall be done."
"Give me that coat. All right. Now skip with the girl."
Frank took the coat; stepped into the boat, watched till Gage was
approaching, and then muffled his head, sitting in the place where Elsie
had been left.
In the meantime, the Seminole was bearing the girl swiftly and silently
away.
Thus it came about that Gage made love to Frank Merriwell, instead of
the fair captive he believed was muffled by the coat.
When Gage plunged into the water, the small boat rocked and came near
upsetting, but did not go over.
But the fellow's cry and the splash had brought the sailors to a halt,
and they soon called back:
"What's the matter? What has happened?"
"I rather fancy it will be a good plan to make myself scarce in this
particular locality," muttered Frank.
Gage swam under water for some distance, and then, coming to the
surface, he shouted to the men in the leading boat:
"Bowsprit, Black Tom, help! Turn back quickly! There is an enemy here,
but he is alone! We can capture him, boys! Be lively about it!"
"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed Frank, merrily. "You will have a fine time
catching me. You have given me great amusement, Gage. I assure you that
I have been highly entertained by your company, and hereafter I shall
consider you an adept in the gentle art of making love."
"Laugh!" fiercely shouted Gage from the water. "You are having your turn
now, but mine will soon come!"
"I have heard you talk like that before, Gage. It does not seem that you
have yet learned 'the way of the transgressor is hard.'"
"You'll learn better than to meddle with me! I have longed to meet you
again, Frank Merriwell, and I tell you now that one of us will not leave
this swamp alive!"
"This is not the first time you have made a promise that you were not
able to keep. Before I leave you, I have this to say: If Captain
Bellwood is harmed in the least, if he is not set at liberty with very
little delay, I'll never rest till you have received the punishment
which your crimes merit."
Frank could hear the sailors rowing back, and he felt for the oars,
having no doubt that he would be able to escape them with ease, aided by
the darkness.
Then came a surprise for him.
When Gage stopped rowing to make love to the supposed Elsie he had left
the oars in the rowlocks, drawing them in and laying them across the
boat. In the violent rocking of the boat when the fellow leaped
overboard one of the oars had been lost.
Frank was left with a single oar, and his enemies were bearing down upon
him with great swiftness.
"I wonder if there's a chance to scull this boat?" he coolly speculated,
as he hastened to the stern and made a swift examination.
To his satisfaction and relief, he found there was, and the remaining
oar was quickly put to use.
Even then Frank felt confident that he would be able to avoid his
enemies in the darkness that lay deep and dense upon the great swamp. He
could hear them rowing, and he managed to skull the light boat along
without making much noise.
He did not mind that Gage had escaped; in fact, he was relieved to get
rid of the fellow, although it had been his intention to hold him as
hostage for Captain Bellwood.
It was the desire for adventure that had led Frank into the affair, and,
now that it was over so far as surprising Gage was concerned, he was
satisfied to get away quietly.
He could hear the sailors calling Gage, who answered from the water, and
he knew they would stop to pick the fellow up, which would give our hero
a still better show of getting away.
All this took place, and Frank was so well hidden by the darkness that
there was not one chance in a thousand of being troubled by the
ruffianly crew when another astonishing thing happened.
From a point amid the tall rushes a powerful white light gleamed out and
fell full and fair upon the small boat and its single occupant,
revealing Frank as plainly as if by the glare of midday sunlight.
"Great Scott!" gasped the astonished boy. "What is the meaning of this,
I would like to know?"
He was so astonished that he nearly dropped the oar.
The sailors were astonished, but the light showed them distinctly, and
Gage snarled.
"Give me your pistol, Bowsprit! Be lively!"
He snatched the weapon from the old tar's hand, took hasty aim, and
fired.
Frank Merriwell was seen to fling up his arms and fall heavily into the
bottom of the boat!