“I’m afraid there are a whole lot of outlaws on board,” Clay whispered, as the boys sat in the rowboat, watching the dim bulk of the Rambler.
“Then the two thieves who stole the boat have picked them up out of the river,” Alex insisted. “There were only two when I left the deck, and they came off from a coal tow which was going downstream.”
“If there were only two, we ought to go and blow the tops of their heads off, and take the boat away from them, just to show that we can,” said Jule. “We ought to do something to show them that they’re not the only apples on the tree. Don’t you think so, boys?”
“You’re the bloodthirsty little pirate now!” laughed Clay. “I’ll be satisfied if we can dump them in the river and get on board the good old Rambler again.”
The boys sat still in the boat for a long time, hardly knowing what course to pursue. The sky was clearing of clouds, and the glow of the stars shone dimly down on the Rambler. Although no lights showed on board the motor boat, suspicious noises in the cabin and on the deck informed the lads that people were moving about there.
“They’re awake and watching us, all right!” Alex whispered, after a time. “We’ve got to do something to place them off their guard!”
While the boys were listening and waiting, Captain Joe sprang out of the boat and waded and swam over to the hard ground on the south of the cut-off. The boys saw only a white flash as the bulldog left the water and disappeared in the darkness of the jungle. Teddy, the bear, seemed inclined to follow him, but the boys held him back by main force.
“Now I wonder,” whispered Jule, “if the pirates are over there, too! If they’ve got us surrounded, we’re likely to open a barrel of trouble in about a minute.”
The noise made by Captain Joe and also by the struggle with the bear apparently attracted the attention of those on board the Rambler, for a faint light blazed up in the cabin of the motor boat for an instant and was then extinguished.
“They’re getting their guns ready, I guess,” Clay whispered. “Suppose we pull the boat under the shadow of the bank and take to the shore. We might be safer there.”