"You've come in the nick of time," said d.i.c.k. "Our enemies, the Sobber crowd, are here, and they left us as you see us. I rather think they have Mrs. Stanhope and that fortune here, too, but I am not certain. Help to get us out of here, and we'll get after 'em without delay."

"Don't know how we are going to help you without a rope," said the captain.

"I saw some rope, down in the big part of this cave," said Larry Dixon.

"Let me have the light an' I'll fetch it in a jiffy!"

He took the light and was off on the run. When he returned he was out of breath. In his hands he held several pieces of good, stout rope, parts of the same rope which had been used to make d.i.c.k a close prisoner.

"We can splice these," said the old tar, and while Captain Wells held the lantern, he tied the bits together. Then both he and the captain allowed one end of the rope to dangle down into the hole, while they braced themselves and held on to the upper portion.

"Is it long enough?" asked Captain Wells.

"I think so-I'll see," cried Tom, and leaving the rocks he swam over to the rope. He was just able to reach it, and being something of an athlete, went up the rope hand over hand, with his feet against the rocks for added support.

"Now you go, d.i.c.k!" cried Sam. "If you are weak and fall, I'll catch you."

It was quite a task for d.i.c.k to gain the rocks at the top of the pool and once he came close to giving up and slipping back into the water. But he was gritty, and Tom a.s.sisted him by leaning down on his breast and extending a helping hand. Then Sam came up, and the three Rovers stood beside the two men who had come to their rescue.

"Phew! I am glad we are out of that!" murmured Sam, as he looked back at the cold and gruesome waters.

"We don't want to stay here!" cried d.i.c.k. "We want to get after the Sobber crowd-before they have a chance to leave the island!"

"How can they leave the island?" questioned Sam. "I don't think they have a boat. I haven't seen any."

"But Jerry Koswell's crowd has a boat, Sam-that swift motor craft."

"Do you think they would aid such criminals as Sobber and Crabtree?"

"They might-just to get the best of us."

"Then the sooner we get after our enemies the better."

"Where are your pistols?" asked the captain of the steam tug.

"Mine was taken from me by Sobber," answered d.i.c.k.

"And ours are at the bottom of the pool," added Sam. "We both dropped 'em when we plunged into the water." And then he and his brothers acquainted Captain Wells and the old sailor with the particulars of their adventures since entering the cavern.

"Well, I still have my pistol!" cried Captain Wells, grimly.

"And I've got a good club," came from Larry Dixon.

"We can arm ourselves with clubs," said d.i.c.k. "But the main thing just now is to keep those rascals in sight. If they slip us, there will be no telling where they will go to."

With eyes and ears on the alert, the whole party made its way through the big cave, coming out of the main opening, not far from where the campfire still lay smouldering.

"They certainly left in a hurry," remarked Tom, as he gazed around. "They didn't wait to pick up all of their provisions."

"I guess they got scared," murmured d.i.c.k. "Well, they'll get more scared when they find we are so close on their heels."

"Where do you suppose they went to?" asked the captain.

"I don't know. But I think the best thing to do is to go down to where that motor boat was tied up. I don't think they can leave unless they use that boat-unless, of course, they have some craft we haven't as yet seen."

There was a well-defined path running from the cave down to the sh.o.r.e of the island. This they followed, through the patch of woods and over some rocks. Then they came to an opening where were located several dilapidated buildings. Not far from one building were the remains of a recent camp.

"I believe this was the camp Darkingham and those with him made!"

e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed d.i.c.k. "They have gone-maybe they have left the island!"

"Come on, I don't like this!" put in Tom, and broke into a run for the old dock, and the others followed on his heels.

They were still a hundred yards from the dock when Tom let up a shout:

"There they are!"

"Where?" asked d.i.c.k.

"In the motor boat!"

"Who?" questioned Sam.

"The Sobber crowd-and they have Mrs. Stanhope with them."

"Stop! stop!" yelled d.i.c.k, at the top of his voice. "Stop, I tell you!

Mrs. Stanhope!"

"Oh!" came from the lady, as she espied the Rovers. "Save me! Save me!

Don't let them take me further away!"

"Put on all speed!" roared Tad Sobber, to Pally, who was at the engine.

"Crowd her to the limit! They are after us!"

"Here we go! Hold fast everybody!" answered Pally, and the next moment the motor boat shot out into the waters of Cas...o...b..y.

CHAPTER x.x.x BACK HOME-CONCLUSION

"Too late!" groaned d.i.c.k. "Oh, why didn't we get here a minute sooner!"

"Stop, you rascals!" sang out Captain Wells. "Stop, or I'll fire!" and he raised his pistol.

"Don't shoot! You might hit Mrs. Stanhope!" whispered d.i.c.k.

"I only want to scare 'em," muttered the captain of the steam tug.

The motor boat gathered headway rapidly, and soon was out of range of the pistol. The Rovers saw that the craft contained Tad Sobber, Jim Pally, Josiah Crabtree and Mrs. Stanhope and another woman, probably Mrs.