Frank pointed out the fleeing men, who were nearing the mainland, and paddling with superhuman energy, as if fleeing from the Old Nick, no less.
“That accounts for all of them, I guess,” he said. “So we can sit down now, Bob, while you tell us how it happened.”
“Not much to tell,” said Bob, sinking to a seated position against the tree trunk. “Except I went to sleep and was almost surprised, but not quite. My first intimation that the enemy was near was when I heard somebody talking in the trees at the foot of this knoll. Or, did I hear anybody? Was it just the old sixth sense giving warning of danger? I don’t rightly know. At any rate, I woke with a start and looking down through the trees saw a bunch of half-breeds making their way towards the other side of the island.
“I tell you I was scared. I felt guilty as sin. Here I had promised to keep watch, and, instead, had fallen asleep. As a result, the half-breeds had landed on the island, and were heading for where you fellows were swimming. I had endangered your lives. What should I do? That was the question.
“But I didn’t waste must time, puzzling over it. I knew I had to give you fellows warning or you would be taken by surprise. So I yelled to you as loud as I could to look out. I guess they hadn’t seen me up till then. But when I yelled, they saw me quick enough, and several of them opened fire, and——”
“Wait a minute, Bob,” Frank interrupted, his eyes shining. “They hadn’t seen you, and you could have let them pass without attracting their attention, but you yelled, just to give us a chance for our white alley. That’s, that’s—”
“Oh, forget it,” said Bob, uncomfortably. “You’d have done the same. Anyway,” he hurried on, “they split up into two groups, and one kept on going, while the other rushed me before I could do much shooting, and—well, I guess you know the rest,” he concluded, lamely.
“I’ll say we do,” said Frank, gripping his big comrade’s shoulder. “Boy, I’ll never see the like of that fight again.”
“But, Bob, I wonder why they rushed you instead of trying to shoot you down,” said Jack.
“Search me,” said Bob.