The door flew from its hinges, and he was flung out into another dark little room—flung with such heavy force that he was almost stunned.
Before he could get up, he was set upon in the darkness by a man, who seemed to rise up beside him. Presumably he had been waiting to attack him if the door yielded.
Believing that he had come in contact with Belton, Frank struck heavily at the man in the gloom, thinking the best way to fight the supposed maniac was to knock him out at once and render him incapable of further mischief. The man dodged the blow and struck back with an enraged snarl, exclaiming:
“If you go out of this boat it will be to drown!”
For a moment Frank felt weak and dazed. The blow had not reached him, yet he fairly reeled against the wall.
He was not fighting Amos Belton, but Dion Santenel!
Could the man who looked so much like Amos Belton be Santenel, the hypnotist? The thing seemed impossible, yet Merriwell believed it true.
Another conviction came to him. Santenel had not abducted Inza for the purpose of carrying her away or harming her, but to draw him into this trap, knowing that he would follow Inza to whatever point she might be taken.
“You again, Santenel!” Frank hissed, lunging at the dimly seen form of his enemy.
“So you know me?” screamed Santenel. “You triumphed the other day; it is my turn now!”