"We know they are a desperate gang," Jack admitted. "Our own experiences
show that. They also believe we are here on the same mission and already
they have attempted to disable and sink our boat."
Frank stopped in alarm. Glancing hurriedly about he grasped Jack's arm
and in a trembling tone entreated him to leave the vicinity at his
earliest opportunity. Jack's answer was a negative shake of his head.
His companions also indicated their disapproval of the course.
"Well, here's the flounder," announced Frank at last picking up a fine
specimen of that denizen of the Gulf waters. "He's a beauty."
The boys gathered about the fish admiring and investigating the
peculiarities already mentioned by Frank. At last Harry spoke:
"But he wouldn't be good raw and you had to have a fire. I'm always
interested in seeing fire produced from a stick."
"Oh, that's not so difficult," Frank answered; "watch me."
Kneeling on the sand he grasped his fire stick in his left hand after
placing the bowstring in position. With a shell over the upper end of
the stick, he sawed away busily for a moment. A tiny wreath of smoke
eddied away from the lower end of the stick.
"Hurray," cried Harry, "You're fetching it. I can see it coming around
the bend. Just look at that, boys. I can see it coming."
"Put up your hands," came a coarse voice from the rear.
Startled, the lads with one accord jumped to their feet to see their
guest of a short time previous pointing an automatic at them.
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