of the fort was only a cleverly-planned trick on the part of
its defender, who had crashed noisily into the bushes, in the hope of
deceiving the attacking party into the belief that the fort was empty.
As soon as he saw that Tommy was going to fall into the trap, he
slipped quietly back, and, lassoing Tommy just outside, dragged him a
prisoner into the fort.

[Illustration: Tommy, lassoed]

"Serves him right," said Jim. "He had no business to act on his own
account like that."

But it was all very well to say "serves him right." Perhaps Tommy had
met with no better fate than he deserved, but he, nevertheless, brought
about a very serious check to his party; for, while one of their number
was in the hands of the enemy, no attempt to take the flag could be
made. The prisoner must first be rescued. Sometimes he was ransomed
with ammunition. But their store was too low for them to be able to do
that now. They could better afford to spare Tommy than cannon-balls.

Meanwhile, complete silence reigned in the fort. The Union Jack waved
triumphantly from the flagstaff, and the captive Tommy had disappeared
from view.

"Got you rather neatly, I think," his enemy had said, as he pulled him
in. Even in that moment of bitter humiliation Tommy gave a start of
surprise as he recognized his captor. Drusie was right, for the
defender of the fort was indeed Jumbo's boy.

"Oh," Tommy gasped out, as, breathless from the struggle he had just
gone through, he stared at his captor, "it is you, is it? Hal said he
was sure it was Dodds, but I am jolly glad that you are not Dodds. He
is conceited. I should not have liked to have been taken prisoner by
him."

"Oh, you wouldn't, wouldn't you?" said the boy with a twinkle in his
eyes. "But who told you that I--that Dodds, I mean--was conceited?
Young Danvers, I suppose?"

"No; Hal didn't. He likes Dodds. But we others don't think very much
of him."

The boy laughed.

"Dodds is a great friend of mine," he said. "I shall tell him what you
have said. But never mind that now. Tell me what I am to do. Can you
be exchanged or ransomed, or are you allowed to escape if you can?"

"I don't think they will ransom me," Tommy said reflectively. But he
was far too wary to tell the enemy why. "And I mayn't try to escape
until one of them has touched me; and till I am rescued the fort can't
be taken."

"That's good news," said the boy. "I shan't let you be taken in a
hurry.