board by means of a rope
that was dangling over the side; am I right, Jimmy?" he asked.

"Just what they did, sir," came the reply.

"You didn't leave that rope there, did you?" continued Ned.

"I should say not," Jimmy answered with emphasis. "Jack pulled it up on
deck, after I'd helped the feller make his getaway jump."

"And you think it's there still?" the patrol leader asked.

"Must be, unless somebody's been and gone and cut it loose to throw it
overboard," was the answer Jimmy made. "But what's a rope got to do
with us now, Ned? Want it to string up one of the dubs in case we get
our hooks on the same? Now, that might be a good scheme. It'd sure warn
'em that we meant business, and didn't expect to stand for any
foolishness."

"Well, you've guessed wrong that time, because it wasn't hanging I had
in mind, Jimmy!" declared Ned. "I was only trying to figure what chance
we'd have to get away, if later on in the night, one by one, we managed
to drop down by means of that rope."

"Gee! that is an idea, now, Ned. And say, it'd give us a chance to skip
out in the dark. Once clear of this pack, we could do some huntin' and
lay in a stock of meat. Oh! I hope you can make it work, Ned. Looks like
it might be our last hope, don't it?"

"I've been thinking right along, and, so far, it's the only idea I've
struck; but we couldn't dream of starting for some hours yet. So keep on
the watch, and don't let the enemy rush us."

"Count on me to hold 'em in check," said Jimmy, with a touch of his old
boastfulness. "I'm Leander at the Bridge, or Leonidas holding that pass
at Thermopylae. I'm here like a rock and can't be budged. Oh! you mutts
down there, I'm sorry for the feller that tries to run the gauntlet of
my fire; because my finger's on the trigger all the while, and just
itchin' to press harder."

Thinking to make sure about that rope, on which it now seemed so much
might depend, the patrol leader passed on down the slanting deck of the
stranded old hulk.

He met some one coming from the other end of the wreck; and it turned
out to be Frank, who, on finding out that he had run upon Ned, took hold
of his sleeve.

"Come down here with me," he said, "I want you to see something."

Curious to know what the other scout meant, Ned readily accompanied him;
but in passing the place where Jack and Jimmy had met with their
adventure, he made sure that the rope was still where the former had
tossed it after drawing it up