“It’s Bones!” she cried. “You have him here on the island!”
“Sure, we got him,” agreed Hod indifferently.
Penny loudly called the dog’s name and he bounded through the brush toward her. His long hair was matted with burs, but he seemed in good health and well fed.
Before Penny could get her hands on him, Coon seized and tossed the dog into the boat.
“Please let me keep Bones!” she pleaded.
“Yeah, leave the dog on the island,” growled Danny Deevers. “He’ll be a bother to us.”
“Git the dog then, gal,” commanded Coon.
Penny scrambled aboard the Hawkins’ boat. Bones had crawled far forward.
As she bent to gather him into her arms, her hand encountered a gunny sack. Inside were wrapped three hard, round objects.
“The cans of stolen money!” Penny thought, her pulse jumping.