lf. You were about to use our kitchenette for a
while, then you would have gone on peaceably."

No answer was vouchsafed to this sally and Jack continued:

"You might as well make a clean breast of the whole matter. We know you.
You were aboard our boat once before. We are several gallons of gasoline
short because of your kindness. 'Fess up, now."

"I guess I know a way to make him talk," declared Frank. "Come here
until I suggest a method that I hope will be effective."

Frank and Jack withdrew a little from the group about the berth holding
the stranger. After a moment's consultation they returned and Jack again
addressed the injured boy in a friendly tone:

"Come, now, Carlos Madero, or whatever your name may be, we want to
treat you right, but we're going to have some information if we have to
wring your neck to get it. We don't care about doing you any harm,
especially since you're already wounded, but you will have to explain
your presence here at this hour of the night. Why did you come aboard
barefooted and unannounced?"

"I am not afraid of your threats. You can't do anything to me. Besides,
you're Boy Scouts and you wouldn't harm me."

"Never mind about that just now," interrupted Jack. "We can protect
ourselves even if we are Boy Scouts. You'll learn that."

"Sure he'll learn it," chimed in Tom. "He'd better not monkey too far
with this crowd. We'll make him eat that meat."

"God idea," declared Jack. "Arnold, please start the coils and fry this
chunk of meat for out friend. He's hungry."

With these words, Jack drew an automatic and displayed it for the
benefit of the visitor. He had no intention of using the weapon, but
felt it might have a salutary effect. In this he was right.

"I can't eat it," cried the boy. "It's poisoned."

"Ah, ha," gloated Jack. "I thought so."

"Oh, please let me go away," begged the lad. "I'll promise not to do
anything against you again. I'll never bother you at all."

"We don't want to do anything rash," Frank suggested. "We won't harm you
if you'll agree not to injure us, but we must know why you came aboard
tonight as you did and what your purpose was."

"Wyckoff made me," groaned the boy covering his face with his hands.
"There," he cried sitting up in bed, "now I've told, he'll kill me sure.
Oh, I'm in trouble now."

"Not so you could notice it," gritted Jack, taking a firmer hold on his
automatic. "If Wyckoff tries any of his dirty tricks around here, we'l