ervy fellows, all right," commented the ensign; "we may have a
tougher time of it than we think, Barr."

He turned and warned Tubby to take his boat back out of range. On and on
came the green boat without making a sign of any kind, hostile or
otherwise.

"What can they be up to?" wondered the ensign in tones of blank
amazement.

Scarcely twenty feet intervened between the two boats now, when suddenly
a boyish figure, bareheaded and clad in a Boy Scout uniform, leaped to
the rail of the green craft.

"Kre-ee-ee-ee!" he shrilled out.

"The call of the Eagle Patrol!" gasped Mr. Barr.

"Yes, and by all that's wonderful, that lad is Rob Blake!" fairly
shouted the ensign, waving his cap.

By this time Tubby, too, had recognized his leader. The air rang with
cheers, shouts, questions and answers in a perfect babble of sound.

"Well, who on earth but a Boy Scout could get himself kidnapped and then
kidnap his abductors' boat!" exclaimed the ensign that evening as they
lay at anchor off Rob's "Ivory Island."

The climax of a wonderful day had been reached. Only one thing marred
it. The rascals who had pursued Rob, for he only got the engine going in
the nick of time, had got clear away in the rowboat. Possibly they
hailed a passing steamer and were picked up.

But, after all, their escape, while annoying, was not of so much
importance, for in their haste they had left behind the most important
papers and models, and the ones they had taken were valueless, Mr. Barr
declared, without the missing ones.

The next day, after a long evening of jollity, the _Viper_ set out for
Jamesport, S. C., with the unfortunate Barton bound with ropes to keep
him from further violent manifestations. The poor man never recovered
his reason, but died shortly after being admitted to an asylum. It
appeared that in his youth he had been an inmate of an institution for
the feeble-minded, but had been discharged as cured.

On the _Viper's_ return, work was begun on transferring the ivory, which
was ultimately sold for an amount that netted all of them a handsome
sum; for Rob insisted on sharing his good fortune with all his
comrades.

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE ENDURANCE RUN.

The ensuing days, following the return to the island, were filled to
overflowing with activity. Exhaustive tests only made the _Peacemaker_
appear to be more and more the ideal type of boat for her particular
work. By means of the island wireless Ensign Hargrea