low said he was willing to
abdicate in Tom's favor, and now, I suppose, Tommy-boy is King of the
Pipes," and Helen, the irrepressible, grinned.

The two ex-army men, however, took the matter quite seriously. Tom
disarmed the Chinamen as well as the white men. And to search and disarm
a squirming Oriental, they found not easy work.

"But I disarmed enough Fritzies in Europe to learn my job pretty well.
How's the weather, Sergeant?"

"All right here, Captain Cameron," said Copley seriously.

"Then I'll back out with this bunch of junk. Here's a pair of brass
knuckles in the bunch. I'll use 'em on any of these fellows who try to
run. We'll keep 'em hived up here till the police come. One fellow can
hold 'em. Unless they try to climb up that hollow beech tree."

"No fear," said Copley. "Get the girls out first."

Tom had already loaded both Ruth and Helen down with the loot from the
malefactors' pockets. He motioned to the girls to leave the cavern.

"Hold on! Hold on!" Bilby cried. "I beg of you, don't leave me with these
men. I only happen to be here by chance--"

"A bad chance for you, then," said Chess Copley. "Don't listen to him,
Captain Cameron."

"No, don't listen to him," said Ruth severely. "I know he is worse than
the others. Why, Tom! he is the man who has made us all that trouble
about Wonota and my picture."

"Sure," agreed Tom. "I know the snake. Go ahead, girls. Chess and I will
follow you. And one of us will be right in this passage all the time," he
added, addressing the two white men. "Don't make any mistake. We'll shoot
if you try to come out until you are told to."

The girls were already feeling their way through the darkness of the
tunnel. At the turn Ruth kicked something, and, stooping, secured Chess'
electric torch. She pressed the switch and the illumination allowed the
two young men to overtake them with more certainty, Chess backing out
with his pistol trained on the opening into the cavern.

When once the four friends were around the turn and out of hearing of the
prisoners, Tom Cameron began to chuckle.

"This is no laughing matter!" exclaimed his sister. "I am so excited I
don't know what to do."

"Keep right on," said Ruth. "I want to get home just as soon as I can. I
don't believe I shall care hereafter to leave the island until we are
through with the picture and can go back to the Red Mill. What are you
laughing about, Tom Cameron?"

"I don't know how 'Lasses is fixed,"