Frank understood the meaning of the man, and he fully realized the peril of his position. That Dugan meant to murder him he had no doubt, and now he was sorry that he had not made some kind of effort when he came face to face with the man, even though he had been shot down at once.
He turned to look at the man who had come up behind him, and he saw Elder Jones! But what a change in the appearance of the man! No longer was he the sleepy, long-faced, ministerial-appearing person Frank had seen on the boat. His black clothes had been cast aside, and he was roughly dressed, like Dugan, his trousers being tucked into his boots.
This person gave Frank a vicious look of hatred.
“So it is you!” exclaimed the captive. “Well, I must say this is queer business for a minister of the gospel!”
“Bah!” exclaimed Jones. “You are a fool!”
“Possibly you are right,” was Merry’s calm admission. “I acknowledge I am beginning to feel rather foolish just now. It is somewhat disgusting to think I could be trapped so easily.”
“You thought you were cutting lots of ice with Hilda Dugan,” said Jones, tauntingly; “but she was pumping you, and she found out the things we wanted to know. When she made an appointment for you to meet her on this island it was for the purpose of trapping you just as you were trapped.”
These words gave Merry a shock, but he refused to believe them. He did not wish to think the beautiful girl could be so treacherous. Besides that, it was a blow to his self-esteem to think that he had been deceived thus easily.
“I do not believe it!” he said, firmly. “She would not do such a thing!”
“That shows how much of a fool you are. Do you think she would betray her own father to a stranger like you? You must be a chump! She never intended to meet you here.”