No sooner were the boys in the river than he opened fire. In a moment, however, he turned his attention to the Esmeralda, which had been left unguarded.
Before the boys in the water saw what he was up to, he was climbing over the prow of the boat. Then it was too late, and, leaving his chum to his fate, the man in the boat started the motor and was soon around a bend in the river.
Buck gave a regretful look at the Esmeralda as she disappeared from sight, but kept on toward the Rambler. His regret was that someone had not been left on the boat, but that was now a past issue. The Esmeralda was gone, and would undoubtedly be annexed by the pirates who had captured the Rambler.
In the meantime, Captain Joe was having the time of his life with the robber, who happened to be the identical fellow the dog had sampled up the river. It being necessary to leave someone on board the boat, the fellow’s mates had chosen him as the one to remain, he being still suffering from the wounds made by the dog.
Alex was the first one to mount the deck of the Rambler, and the sight he saw sent him off in peals of laughter, in which he was soon joined by the other members of the party.
Tommy, the parrot, having been long parted from the dog, was standing erect on his back, talking all the words he knew, which were not a few. Teddy, the baby bear, was curled up a few feet away, sound asleep.
Alex’s first act on gaining the deck was to lift the robber’s revolver from the place where it had been thrown in the struggle and place it in a secure position on the prow.
Next he gave his attention to the robber, who by this time was hurling all kinds of oaths and imprecations at Captain Joe, who, by the way, paid not the slightest attention to what was being said.
The dog had taken the robber by the back of the neck, so his throat was in good working order, and he filled the atmosphere of the rainy night with such a collection of oaths as one seldom hears.
“Swear away if it makes you feel any better!” laughed Alex. “You certainly are a peach at it.”