s with the big boat. This is a tidy little
craft, but she's not meant for deep water sailing."

"How about the others?" asked the man at the wheel, in a nervous, timid
tone that made Jack grin. Only one of his captors was formidable,
anyhow, and that was something to be thankful for.

"I don't care about the others," replied the other, with a vile oath.
"They'll have to save themselves. And they'll be in jail for the next
ten years, sure. More fools they for gettin' caught! An' it was only
kids as did them up. If they'd taken my advice, it wouldn't never have
happened."

"You oughtn't to have stopped for this kid. It was too risky."

"Risk? My eye! Ain't everythin' we do risky? An' it's the only
chance the others have got, anyhow. He's the biggest witness against
them. He saw their mugs--no one else did. They'll have trouble
getting off, anyhow, even if he ain't there. But he'd finish them,
sure. An' he cost me twenty thousand dollars with his infernal buttin'
in, too. I ain't overlookin' a chance to get hunk with him, the little
rip!"

He was almost shouting in his rage.

"Easy there!" said the timid one, in a low tone. "We're getting near
the lock. Look out, or you'll have everyone on to us."

"Right, oh! I'll shut up. Time enough to attend to him later, anyhow."

The boat slowed down, now, and Jack guessed that they were near the
lock that formed the outlet of the lake into the river that ran through
the city, the same river on which he had his exciting experience with
the river pirates. Late as it was, the lock was quickly opened at the
insistent, shrill call of the power boat's whistle, and in a moment it
was in the narrow channel that led from river to lake.

It was Jack's chance. Here, where the banks were close on either side,
if he could slip overboard, there was a chance to swim to the safety of
the shore. He was still weak and dizzy from the effects of the drug,
but he had an idea that if he could get into the water it would
complete the work of reviving him, and he determined to make the
effort. Both of the men who made up the crew of the little craft were
busy as they passed through the lock, and, thinking him unconscious,
they paid no attention to him.

Silently he slipped to the side. And, a second later, he dropped
overboard. Silent as he was, he made a splash as he struck the water,
and, at the sudden curse from the robber in front, and his quick leap
around, Jack