ING TO HAVE HER!"]

Dolph recovered, staggered to his feet, and entered the fray again. It
was four to one against Jim; he fought manfully, but it was no use.
Presently he lay flat on his back on the gravel, bruised and panting,
one man kneeling on each arm, and a third on his chest.

"Take him up to the camp, boys!" puffed Brittler.

The doughty captain had not escaped unscathed. A swollen black eye and a
bleeding nose bore eloquent testimony to the force and accuracy of Jim's
blows. A guard on each side and another behind were soon propelling
Spurling toward the open door. From within came the ceaseless click of a
telegraph instrument. Throppy was still calling the cutter. Jim heard
the quick patter of the continental code; Brittler heard it, too, and
understood. He sprang forward with a shout of alarm.

"They've got a wireless! Smash it!"

A buffet on the side of the head knocked Stevens off his soap-box and
sent him rolling on the floor. Five seconds later a crashing blow from a
stick of firewood put the instrument out of commission. Brittler poised
his club threateningly over the prostrate Stevens.

"Wish I knew if you've been able to get a message through to anybody! If
I thought you had--"

He did not finish, but half-raised the stick, then dropped it again and
turned away. One by one the remaining members of Spurling & Company
were bundled unceremoniously into the cabin. Then the door was slammed
shut and two men with automatics were stationed on guard outside.

"Don't shoot unless you have to," instructed Brittler's voice, purposely
raised. "And remember a bullet in the leg'll stop a man just as quick as
one through the body."

And then in a tone lower, but perfectly audible to those inside:

"But don't stand any fooling! Stop 'em anyway! You know as well as I do
how much we've got at stake."

XXII

PERCY SCORES

Defeated and imprisoned in their own camp, the boys faced one another
dazedly. Though none of the five had suffered serious injury in the
scuffle, all were more or less bruised. Lane had a slight cut where the
back of his head had come in contact with a sharp stone on the beach;
and a swelling on Jim's right cheek told where the hard fist of one of
his assailants had landed.

Outside, the two guards conversed in low tones; but for a few minutes no
one spoke or moved in the cabin. The boys sat on the boxes or had thrown
themselves into their bunks. Elbow on table, chin resting i