"No, I didn't take either your sailboat or the rowboat," spoke the man simply. "I wanted to, but some one else got ahead of me. I had to row away from the island as the storm came up, and it was no joke, either."

"Then who did take our boats?" asked Andy blankly.

"I don't know," replied the man. "But I do know that you have more than you bargain for if you think you can make me talk. There is no one on this island but ourselves, now that Splane played me a mean trick, and deserted. Talk of authorities! Ha! Ha! It's a joke," and he pretended to be amused.

"We'll soon be off the island," said Frank, with more confidence than he felt. "Our father will be looking for us, and may arrive at any minute."

The man uttered an exclamation beneath his breath. Evidently he had not counted on this. The two boys stood regarding him. Now that they had him, they hardly knew what to do with the fellow.

With a suddenness that was surprising, considering that his feet were tied, the man managed to stand upright. Then, with a mighty effort, he tried to loosen the rope around his hands.

"When I get loose I'll show you what it means to trifle with me!" he shouted. "You'll be sorry you ever meddled in this matter! Wait until I get this rope off!"

He tried desperately to get it off his hands, and Andy saw the strands loosening.

"Quick, Frank!" cried the younger lad. "We've got to take some more turns on that! I'll help! He can't hurt us now!"

The two brothers fairly threw themselves on their prisoner and all three went down in a heap on the sands.

CHAPTER XXVII

SEARCHING THE WRECK

There was a hard struggle on the beach of lonely Cliff Island. And the boys did not have such an advantage as it would seem at first, even though the hands and feet of their mysterious prisoner were bound.

He was big and strong, and he had evidently been in tight places before, for he knew how to handle himself. Every time he got a chance, as he and his captors rolled together over the sands, he would strike out with his two hands at once. Several times he hit Frank or Andy glancing blows, and once he gave the elder lad such a bop on the side of the head that the boy saw stars for a moment.

Again he hit Andy, and knocked him several feet distant so that at first Frank feared his brother had been hurt.

"I'm all right!" shouted the plucky Racer lad, as he jumped and came on to renew the struggle. "Hold his head down in the sand, Frank, and I'll tie some more ropes around his feet!"

"You will not!" yelled the man, and as Frank took his brother's advice, and pressed the man's head down in the yielding sand, Andy endeavored to slip another noose about the feet, for the boys had cut the tow rope into several pieces.

Like a madman the fellow kicked out with both feet. Frank saw his object, and uttered a warning cry.

"Keep away!" shouted the elder lad. "If he hits you it will be all day with you!"

"That's what it will!" yelled the infuriated man.

"Watch me!" cried Andy with a laugh. "I didn't learn to throw a la.s.so for nothing." He swung the noose in a circle about his head, and, as the man raised his feet in the air, to ward off any personal attack, Andy skillfully tossed the coils about his feet. They fell around the shoes, and in an instant Andy had pulled his end of the rope taut, making two coils about the prisoner.

"Now I have him, Frank," he called. "I'll take a turn around part of the boat, and pull. Then you tie down his arms."

It was a good plan, and well carried out. With a turn of the rope about a part of the wrecked motor boat, Andy pulled the man's menacing legs down flat on the sands. He could no longer raise them.

"I have him!" exclaimed Frank a moment later, as he pa.s.sed several turns of the rope he held about the still bound hands and arms of their prisoner. "Now we'll truss him up!"

The man was practically helpless now, and realized it. Suddenly he ceased his struggles and when the brothers had completed their work, and raised him to a sitting position on the sand, he could do no more harm.

"Well, I guess you've got me," he growled. "What are you going to do with me?"

"It depends on what you tell us," said Frank.

"I'll tell you nothing!"

"Then we'll take you where you will. I guess when Paul Gale sees you he'll remember something about you that will put us on the right track."

"Paul Gale! That's not his name. It's--you say he'll remember?" and the man interrupted himself in some confusion. "Has he lost his mind?"

The question was an eager one.

"He can't remember--" began Andy, but Frank stopped him with a sudden gesture.

"When you tell us what we want to know, we'll answer some of your questions," the elder lad said. "Come on, Andy. Let's have a look at the wrecked motor boat. Maybe we can find some clues there."

"You keep away from that boat!" cried the man savagely. "It's mine. I order you to keep away!" He struggled desperately to get loose, but could not.

"We'll do as we please now," said Frank. "You had your way long enough. We're going to solve this mystery. Come, Andy."

The man glared at them, but he could not help himself. He watched them go toward the boat and muttered threats at them. But the boys were not frightened.

The interior of the motor boat, which once had been an expensive craft, was all confusion. It plainly showed the effects of the fire and explosion, and the battering of the sea. The hull, however, was sound, or it would have sunk.

"What do you suppose is in it that he's been looking for?" asked Andy.

"I don't know," replied Frank. "Gold perhaps, or jewels."

"Maybe valuable papers."

"Perhaps. Well, let's see what we can find."

They poked about in the engine c.o.c.kpit, looked in all the lockers, and took out some of the broken seats to search under them, but came upon nothing of value. There were many splintered and charred boards, and these they removed, but all to no purpose.

"If anything is here it's well hidden," remarked Frank at length.

"This is a fine boat, and with a little fixing could be made good again."

They went on with the search. At times the man laughed at them, and again he harshly urged them to leave the wreck alone. But the boys searched on. The sun rose higher and the day grew hot.

"I wonder if dad will come for us?" ventured Andy.

"Sure," a.s.serted his brother.

"I suppose they'll say we did wrong to come here, and run so many risks," went on Andy.

"Well, we meant it all for the best, and it has turned out fine,"