He stoutly maintained that he was not sleepy and would be
only too glad of the chance to watch.
The poisoned meat was thrown overboard and quiet reigned again.
Frank awoke and stretched himself. Then he reached across to the bunk
occupied by Jack and shook that worthy by the arm.
"Let's get up and visit the hospital," he suggested, springing up.
Arnold sat sleeping on the bunk. The prisoner was gone!
CHAPTER XI
AN ELUSIVE BOB WHITE
"Hey," cried Jack grasping Arnold roughly by the shoulder, "Where is
your prisoner? You're a pretty guard, you are."
Sheepishly Arnold glanced around, now thoroughly awake.
"Has he gone?" he asked in a wondering tone. "Where is he?"
"Yes, indeed, he went hours ago," asserted Frank. "He was lying here
sleeping and a big side wheel boat pulled up with a band playing. They
tied up to the Fortuna, fired a salute of twenty-one guns in honor of
royalty and then the band filed through the cabin, one at a time,
playing their instruments as hard as they could blow. The invalid got up
and walked away with them and after another salute of twenty-one guns,
the steamer pulled away upstream."
"They did not," protested Arnold stretching himself.
"Well, if they had, it wouldn't have affected you in the least,"
declared Jack. "We were all tired out and none of us heard him get away.
Even Rowdy didn't say anything against it and when Rowdy keeps quiet
things are pretty still. He's a light sleeper.
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