The Boy Allies with Uncle Sam's Cruisers Part 23

"Yes."

Frank did not deem it necessary to tell the other that he held a lieutenancy in the British royal navy.

"And you are the sole survivors?" demanded the man.

"So far as I know, yes."

"Good," said the leader of the party. "Then you shall come with us.

It may be that you will have brains, in which event your fortune is a.s.sured. If no, well, it won't be hard to get rid of you. You'll come with me. Tell your men to follow."

Frank thought quickly. It was plain that he was in danger of some kind though as yet he was unable to tell just what.

"One minute," he said. The others paused.

"Who are you?" the lad demanded.

The other smiled.

"Why, I'm Captain Jack," he said quietly.

"I see," said Frank. "And your s.h.i.+p--a submarine, I note--a war vessel, it can be plainly seen. What flag does she fly?"

"The black flag," was the smiling reply; "the jolly Roger."

"As I thought," said Frank. "A pirate!"

His hands dropped to his guns.

CHAPTER XVII

A FIGHT

"We are, in South America, all right."

Thus spoke Captain Glenn as he, Jack and Williams proceeded inland after leaving Frank and the two sailors near the sh.o.r.e.

"What makes you think so, Captain?" asked Jack.

"Look at the trees. You find trees like these in no other place besides the tropics. And feel the heat."

"It gets hot other places, sir."

"Not like it does in the tropics. Once you have felt the tropical heat you can't mistake it."

The land in which they now found themselves was thickly covered with big trees. Their foliage was so dense that progress was difficult.

"Good place for snakes, sir," said Williams.

"Fine," agreed Captain Glenn.

"Don't talk about snakes," said Jack with a shudder. "If there is one thing from which I will run a mile it's a snake."

"You won't run a mile from any snake you find around here," said Williams.

"Don't you believe it," declared Jack. "I don't care how small the snake may be, nor how harmless."

"Snakes hereabouts," said Williams, "are neither small nor harmless.

That's why I say you won't run a mile from them."

"Surely they won't attack a man," said Jack.

"Ordinarily, no. But when you come upon one unexpectedly he naturally thinks you mean him harm and he acts promptly."

"If a snake ever bit me, that would settle me forever," said Jack.

"Most of these," said Williams, "don't bite. They wrap around a man and crush him to death."

"Look here," said Jack, "are you trying to scare me or what? I don't even like to talk about snakes. Let's drop the subject."

"All right," said Williams, with a smile. "I'm just warning you, that's all."

"Thanks," said Jack dryly.

At this moment there came a sudden exclamation from Captain Glenn, who was slightly ahead. He had just disappeared beyond a clump of trees larger than the rest. Jack stopped stock still. Visions of a snake of monstrous size rose before his eyes.

"Come on," said Williams.

Jack forced himself to follow the other. They darted along the path taken by Captain Glenn and there they came upon the cause of his exclamation. Directly ahead of them lay a broad expanse of water.

"The ocean again," said Captain Glenn. "I should say that we are on an island."

"By Jove!" said Jack, for the moment forgetting all about snakes, "I believe you are right. That means that we are marooned, sir."

"Not necessarily," said Captain Glenn. "We'll head north. We may strike a settlement there."

Accordingly they turned their steps in that direction.

For perhaps two hours they walked without finding signs of human habitation.

"Guess we've gone the wrong way," said Captain Glenn. "We should have turned south." He glanced at his watch. "We'd better be getting back to the others," he said, "or they will think something has happened to us."

They turned and retraced their steps. For perhaps an hour they walked along and then Jack, who was slightly in advance, stopped suddenly and held up his hand in a warning gesture.

"Someone coming," he whispered.