In a moment the men on board the Rambler caught sight of the rowboat and invited the boys to come on board. The invitation was declined, and the outlaws opened fire.
The boys dropped into the bottom of the boat and lay still until the men exhausted their charges, and then rowed with all speed for the shore, where they took shelter behind a slight elevation.
“We’ve gone and done it now, after all we’ve been through!” exclaimed Clay, grinding his teeth at the thought of what might be going on on board the motor boat. “We’ve been captured a dozen times, but never like this! What shall we do now?”
“Give the thing up!” was Alex’s answer. “It’s all my fault. I dragged you ashore against your will, and against your better judgment Yes, I did, and you know it.”
“You are mistaken, for I was just aching to come!” answered Clay. “Try to think clearly for only a second. I think my reasoning powers are wool-gathering.”
“I think mine are in the same boat,” Alex answered. “But look there! What’s coming off now?”
The boys saw, in the clear moonlight, Case and Jule led to the railing of the Rambler and released from the ropes which held them. Then they were unceremoniously kicked into the river!
Case at once started to swim for the shore, but Jule was not seen again. The boys looked long and anxiously, but he was nowhere to be seen. They looked into each other’s faces with eyes which held a suspicious moisture.
“Jule’s drowned!” Alex moaned, starting forward. “I hope I can get to the place where he went down in time to save him!”
“You will only throw your life away if you go out there now. The outlaws are looking for you to do something like that. Let’s wait for Case to swim in.”