"Wonder if they've waited," Jack panted as they came to the foot of the stairs.
"We've been gone mor'n five minutes," Bob told him.
A moment later they had reached the middle deck and their first glance was toward the rail where they had left the two mates and the two sailors.
"They've gone!" Bob gasped.
"What do you know about that? The cowards!" Jack added.
CHAPTER II.
THE STRUGGLE.
Ten days previous to the events related in the preceding chapter Bob and Jack Lakewood were preparing to return East for the fall term at College. They had spent the summer on the Lazy S ranch a few miles from the little town of Cold Springs in the State of Texas, except for a few weeks during which they had been in Mexico, hunting for a lost mine. It was late in October and ordinarily college would have opened several weeks before but, owing to a serious outbreak of influenza, the opening had been delayed, giving them several weeks more of vacation.
The day before they were to start a telegram had come from their father, bidding them to delay their departure until a letter, which he had already sent, should reach them.
"That's funny," Bob said as he handed the telegram to Jack.