has just arrived, anyhow, or at least since night
before last," assented the elder lad. "We couldn't have overlooked
that. Say, Andy, he is getting inside! Now's our chance!"

They saw, by peering over the edge of their craft, that the mysterious
man had climbed over the half-burned rail of the damaged motor boat.
His back was toward them, and they could not see his head. He appeared
to be tearing the interior of the craft apart.

Cautiously the two brothers crept out from behind their shelter and
made their way softly over the sand toward where the man was. What
they intended to do when they confronted him they hardly knew. Frank
was sure that he wanted to ask the queer stranger certain questions,
and he hoped to be able to plead with him to tell what he knew of Paul
Gale. The question was, whether or not the man would answer.

It was lucky that their footsteps made no sound on the soft sand, for
they were thus enabled to approach to within a short distance of the
wreck as it rested on the beach. The man was still in it, and they
could hear him pounding and splitting wood in the interior. Evidently
he was not aware of their presence.

For the first time since they had begun their surprising series of
adventures, the boys were able to make out the name of the strange
craft. It was the _Swallow_, and as they had a chance to look at her
graceful lines they realized that, before the fire, wreck, and
explosion the boat had been a powerful one.

"I think we have him this time," whispered Andy, as they came nearer
and nearer, and the man was still bending over with his back toward
them.

Frank laid his finger across his lips as a sign of caution. At that
moment an unfortunate thing happened. Andy stepped on a shell, not
seeing it, and it broke under his weight with a sharp, crackling sound.

Like a flash the man leaped up, and fairly sprang out of the boat. He
stood confronting the Racer boys.

"Who are you? What do you want?" he demanded sharply. Then, as he
recognized them, he added: "Oh, it's you two again. Didn't I warn you
to stop following me?"

"We didn't choose to," retorted Frank calmly. "We've found you after a
good deal of trouble, and we intend to end this mystery now. A boy's
life--the life of Paul Gale--hangs in the balance."

"As if I cared," sneered the man. "You have had your trouble for your
pains. I shall tell you nothing, and I order you off this island."

"We're not going!