sts," cried Vince. "Look out, Mike!"

The old man swam up and put his hands together.

"You arn't going to murder me?" he groaned.

"You wait and see--Ah!" yelled Vince, for the treacherous old ruffian
had seized him by the chest and was dragging him out of the boat.

But Mike was ready: the bat came down with tremendous force, and the old
man loosened his grasp and sank, remaining beneath the surface so long
that the boys gazed at each other aghast.

"Quick! there he is," cried Mike; and Vince seized the oar and sculled
to where the old man had come slowly up, feebly moving his hands, and
apparently insensible.

"We must haul him in, Mike," said Vince. "He's not likely to hurt us
now."

"If he is," said Mike, "we must do it all the same;" and, leaning over,
they each got a good grip, and, heaving together, somehow rolled Daygo
into the bottom of the boat, where they dragged his head beneath the
centre thwart, and then firmly bound him hand and foot, using some
strong fishing line as well as the painter and the rope belonging to the
little grapnel.

CHAPTER FORTY.

"HUZZA! WE'RE HOMEWARD BOUND."

By the time they had done the old man began to revive, but the boat was
skimming along over the waves toward Cormorant Crag before he was able
to speak coherently.

"Where are you going?" he groaned at last.

"What's that to you? Home!" said Vince sharply.

"Nay, nay; don't take me there, Master Vince--don't! I give in. You
two have 'most killed me, but I forgive you; only don't take me there."

"You hold your tongue, you old ruffian," cried Vince, who was steering
and holding the sheet too, while Mike kept guard with the conger bat.
"Mind, Mike. Don't take your eyes off him for a moment, and if he tries
to untie a knot, hit him again."

"Nay, I'm beat," said the old man, with a groan. "My head! my head!"

"Serve you right," cried Mike. "I believe you meant mischief to us."

"Oh!" groaned Daygo; and he turned up his eyes till only the whites, or
rather the yellows, could be seen, and then lay perfectly still; while
the boat bounded onward now towards the island, as if eager to bear the
boys to their home.

Vince looked hard at the big, heavy figure in the bottom of the boat, as
he attended to the sailing and steering; and now that the heat of battle
was over, and he sat there in his saturated clothes, he began to wonder
at their success in winning the day. Then, as Daygo lay quite still, he