“I see it, too,” replied the pilot. “I was so busy talking to you that I forgot to attend to my business. Snag on the starboard bow!” he shouted. “Man the sweeps, all hands!”
The crew jumped at the word, and Jack sprung down from the pilot’s bench and walked aft whistling. Jake and Tom, who were curled up in the bottom of the dug-out, heard and obeyed the signal. They straightened up at once, and while one seized a paddle the other cut the painter with which the canoe was made fast to the flatboat, and in a moment more they were out of sight. Jack stood on the stern of the boat listening intently for fully five minutes, and then he was almost certain that he heard a splashing in the water and a smothered cry for help.
“They’ve got him!” said he gleefully. “I was afeared they might miss him in the dark. If they had, wouldn’t I have dusted their jackets fur them, though? But they’re good boys, Jake an’ Tom are. The two hundred dollars are mine, an’ the hundred an’ forty-five besides.”
By this time the snag had been passed in safety, and the watch once more huddled together in the waist to sleep until their services were again required. Jack took his stand beside the pilot, and waited for him to say something about Julian’s disappearance; but as he did not refer to the matter, Mr. Bowles went below and tumbled into bed, satisfied that no one beside himself was the wiser for what had happened.
Jack awoke long before daylight, but remained quiet in his bunk, awaiting a favorable opportunity to carry out the rest of his plans. At last the cook entered the cabin and began preparations for breakfast. Shortly afterward some of the crew crawled out of their bunks, and the captain also arose. When Jack saw him he began to bestir himself. He got out upon the floor, and after dressing himself with great deliberation, went to the bunk which had been set apart for Julian’s use. The bed certainly looked as if it had been occupied, but there was no one in it now. Jack started back with well-assumed surprise, uttering an exclamation that attracted the attention of every one in the cabin, and then rushing forward picked up something and examined it attentively. It was the rope with which Julian had been bound.
“Wal, if this yere don’t beat all natur’,” cried Jack.
“Is he loose?” asked the captain in alarm.
“That’s jest what’s the matter. He’s slipped his hands outen this rope and hid hisself somewhars. Help me find him, fellers,” added Jack, in great excitement, leading the way toward the deck; “but look out fur yerselves, ’cause if any of ye had any we’pons he’s found ’em, an’ he’ll use ’em, too.”
A slight rustling among the bed-clothes behind the curtain which concealed the bunk in which Mr. Mortimer lay, proved that that gentleman was awake and listening to all that was going on. Jack heard the noise and noticed the movements of the occupant of the bunk, but the captain and his men did not. They were too busy with thoughts of the dangerous lunatic, whom they must assist in securing, to hear or see anything. They followed Jack to the deck, and during the next quarter of an hour the greatest confusion prevailed on board the flatboat.