om Frank.

"Let's not make it any more horrible than it is. That man is desperate
and I'm afraid of him," he whispered as they helped Tom to his feet and
started away in the direction taken by the outlaw.

"I can't see him anywhere," Harry asserted. "I'll bet Rowdy has eaten
him up body, boots and breeches. Serve him right, too!"

"We're the bloodthirsty bunch!" declared Jack. "It must be some quality
in the atmosphere down here. This is the old region infested by Captain
Kidd and his buccaneers. They must have left something in the way of a
piratical germ in the atmosphere."

"Maybe so, but I'd like to find that dog just now," stoutly declared
Harry. "He's had one big meal even if the quality was poor."

"Follow his tracks," suggested Frank. "That's easy in this sand. See,
here they go. My word, but he was taking long jumps."

"He left in such a hurry that he didn't take my automatic," declared
Tom. "I guess when he hit me or kicked me I must have closed on the
trigger and started the thing going. He left without waiting to take the
gun away from me. I'm glad of that, too."

"I see him!" joyfully shouted Frank, who was slightly in the lead. "Here
he is, and Rowdy is mounting guard. Good old dog."

It was even as Frank had said. Rowdy had overtaken the fleeing villain
and brought him to earth. Now he was walking about the prostrate form,
occasionally stepping in and taking a nip at an arm or a leg. Wyckoff,
thoroughly cowed, was begging and whining at a great rate. At the
approach of the boys he begged piteously.

"Let him get up, Rowdy!" commanded Jack. "Now, Wyckoff," he ordered when
the dog had permitted that worthy to regain his feet, "You 'bout face
and back to the campfire on the double quick. It's getting toward
evening and we can't lay around here all night waiting on you. We want
you for a little while yet."

Wyckoff's appeals for mercy were piteous. All the way to the campfire he
begged that the boys would show him mercy, but no response was made.
Rowdy trotted along beside the outlaw with a satisfied air. Now and
again he would look up at Wyckoff's face and then make as if to take a
bite of the man's leg. At such times Wyckoff would involuntarily quicken
his gait until cautioned by Jack to go more steadily. This was very hard
for him to do, for he was frightened.

"Frank," Tom asked when the little party arrived at the fire, "did you
see anything of a boat on shore here during your visit?"

"Com