ss-eyed knave, losing
his temper. He was about to strike Hugh again, when the other man,
still holding the lad in a steel-trap grip, pushed him aside with
one foot.

"Hold off, Harry," he commanded gruffly. "I know where his camp
is. He's one of Lem Vinton's crew. That's the _Arrow_ over yonder,
but he ain't going back to it yet awhile."

"Let me go!" shouted Hugh, struggling to free himself from the grasp
of those sinewy hands. "Let me go, I say! What---what do you want
with me? I tell you---help! Hel-----"

The frantic shout was checked by another blow from the angry ruffian's
fist, and Hugh measured his length upon the sand.

"Shut up, will ye?" snarled the man, thrusting a bunch of sharp-edged
grass into Hugh's mouth. "Look here, Branks," he added, "we can't
let this kid blow the gaff on us to Lem Vinton. Why, the cap'n
wouldn't wait ten minutes before he'd sail out to find that blamed
cutter ag'in; and then we'd have him and the _Petrel_ on our trail."

"Harry, you're right---dead right. The boy has got to come with
us, until-----"

"Sure! Here, lend a hand. Tie his arms."

With their leather belts they bound the lad's hands securely, despite
his struggles. Once, by a manful effort, he managed to break away
and run forward a few yards. But they were after him instantly,
before he could get the gag out of his mouth. In the tussle that
followed, he kicked and writhed so vigorously that the cross-eyed
captor howled with pain. Then, beside himself with rage, he felled
Hugh by a blow on the head.

Myriads of stars reeled in the sunlight before Hugh's eyes, then the
light of day changed to pitch darkness, and Hugh sank down on the
sand---a limp heap, unconscious.

CHAPTER V

KIDNAPPED BY SMUGGLERS

When Hugh regained his senses, about half an hour later, he found
himself lying on the bottom of a canoe, bound and gagged, staring up
at the sky. The sun beat down upon him, full in his face, causing
him to close his eyes until he could just see through the
lashes,---a trick he had learned in many games played in the
woodlands. In the present instance it served him well, for the
three men who were paddling the canoe swiftly toward the mainland
believed that he had not yet recovered fully from the punishing they
had given him; so, after their first glance, they paid little
attention to the captive.

Though the threatened storm which Captain Vinton and Dave had looked
for on the prev