e
holder of the lantern, "lift the light a bit, I think I can make out
something stretched out flat--yes, it must be a man, I'm certain."

"Kinder guessed we'd run across one or two o' the scrappers knocked out
an' left behind in the getaway rush," commented Perk who had drawn his
automatic before starting to explore the lower regions of the
rum-runner, not knowing what they were apt to meet there.

He continued to advance, and presently they were bending over a dismal
looking object, undoubtedly a man who might be a member of the crew,
judging from his rough sea clothes and his bare feet.

There could be no question but that he had been in the fight, since his
face was bloody and his general appearance betokened rough treatment.
Undoubtedly he had been senseless at the time the tear-gas penetrated
every part of the small vessel, and was only now coming to.

Jack lost no time in examining the pitiful looking object while Perk
waited to hear what his verdict would be. After all the old fighter bore
no malice toward any of these reckless men who were so assiduously
engaged in breaking the law of the land by running contraband goods into
Uncle Sam's domains and he was just as willing to bind up the wounds of
this luckless adventurer as if the other had only been an ordinary
sailor in sore trouble.

"Nothing serious, it seems," was Jack's decision. "He has had a pretty
hard knock that started the blood from his nose and as like as not laid
him out here senseless for there's a fine big lump on his head."

"So we'll have _one_ prisoner to fetch in after all," chortled
Perk, as if pleased by the prospect of being able to produce a witness
to testify to the work they had just accomplished.

CHAPTER VIII

THE SPOILS OF VICTORY

"Take hold, Perk," continued Jack, without losing any time. "We've got
to get this poor chap out in the open air for it's pretty bad down below
here, and bothers my eyes more or less."

So between them they managed to carry the wounded rum-runner to the
deck, where he was laid down, still groaning, although showing no other
signs of life.

"Step lively, brother, and see if you can run across any fresh water,
so's to pour a little down his throat," Jack went on to say. "I can dip
up some salty stuff by reaching down over the gun'l and mop his forehead
so's to fetch him around."

"Okay, boss!" snapped the ever ready Perk, "kinder guess I spied a
barrel with a faucet--hope now she don'