“Go to the right, Barney, I will go to the left, and we must head them off.”
“All right, sorr.”
Away went Barney on the mad run. The savages had already got the canoe into the water.
They saw him coming and a yell was the signal. The captives were hustled into the light craft and it was pushed out from the shore.
Down into the current it went. There was no time to lose.
Frank Reade, Jr., came to a stop and raised his rifle. It was a desperate chance but he took it.
A quick aim, a bead skillfully drawn on one of the paddlers and——
Crack!
A wild Indian yell went up and the prow of the canoe swung around.
Over into the water went the doomed savage. The shot had been a good one.