o the job won't take long."

"That's right. We'll begin by looking under the table----Jeehosophat!"

The sudden exclamation was caused by Rob's suddenly springing up,
upsetting the table and planting his fist full in the fellow's face.
The lantern was dropped in the excitement and the hut was plunged in
darkness. Rob had come to his sudden decision to act as he did as the
only way to escape the men.

For a time it looked as if he would be successful. Dashing past the man
who remained on his feet he made for the direction in which he knew the
door lay. In fact, as the men had not closed it, he had no difficulty in
locating it by the starlight outside.

"Hey! Stop! Stop!" roared the fellow behind him.

Rob sped on like the wind, using every ounce of running ability he
possessed. Straight for the beach he made, devoting all his energies to
a swiftly formed plan to get into the beached boat and row to safety. It
was a desperate plan, but he had no other resources.

He was within a few yards of the beach when a dark form loomed suddenly
before him. In the starlight Rob saw something glittering in the
newcomer's hand. This object was leveled at him, and a stern voice
commanded him to stop or be shot.

Rob, with a throbbing heart, pulled up. He recognized the voice as that
of Berghoff and knew that if he did not obey the order the desperate
ruffian would have no hesitation in sending a bullet into him.

Berghoff, who had been aroused by the cries of his aides when Rob
escaped from the hut, came up to the lad, keeping him covered with his
wicked-looking "gun."

"Who are you? What you doing here?" he demanded sternly.

The next moment, and before Rob could reply, the fellow noted the Boy
Scout uniform.

"Oh, ho!" he exclaimed in a malignant tone. "So you are one of dose Boy
Scouts, eh? You think you pretty smart, eh? You vait. I may make you pay
for your fun."

There was a cold sort of malice in the man's way of speaking that
actually sent a chill down Rob's spine.

But he plucked up courage to make a bold reply.

"I know the sort of illegal trafficking you are engaged in, Berghoff,"
he said boldly, "and I tell you, you had better leave me alone."

"Is dot so?" sneered the fellow. "You haven't seen the last of me for a
long time yet."

"My friends will punish you for this," exclaimed Rob, in as confident a
tone as he could assume.

"It vill be a long time alretty before you see your friendts again,"
jeered