DAVE A CAPTIVE It took Dave an hour to find out just what had happened to him. He roused up to find two men carrying him, one at his feet, one at his shoulders. All that he could guess was that they were on land. How he had been fished out of the water, and what had become of the Drifter, the young aviator had no means of knowing. The two men were rough looking fellows and reminded Dave of dock laborers or loiterers. They were big and sturdy, and as Dave stretched out and showed signs of life, one of them remarked gruffly. "None of that--no squirming, now." Dave's clothes were soggy and dripping. He felt somewhat sore on one side of his head, but so far as he could figure it out he was not crippled; or seriously hurt. The young aviator cast his eyes about him to, learn that they were going through a patch of timber. Then came a meadow-like stretch, and then a thicket. They had not gone far into that before the men dropped him on the ground and stood over him. "Can you walk?" asked one of the two. "I think I can," replied Dave, arising quite nimbly to his feet. The instant he did this both of the men reached, out and seized an arm. Dave was thus pinioned tightly as the men forced him along. "Most there," growled one of them gruffly. "Good thing," retorted the other. Finally they came to a dense thicket that covered a rise. About half way up this, almost hidden by saplings and vines, Dave made out a grim looking patched-up building. It was an old hut to which various additions had been made. One of Dave's companions uttered a peculiar whistle. The door of the place was opened, and a disreputable looking fellow like themselves admitted them. "Hello, who's this?" he spoke in a tone of curiosity. "Oh, some one to take care of," was the short reply. "He don't look like a revenue." "Worse than that. Ridgely will tell you when he comes," was the indifferent retort. "Have you a place to keep him tight and safe?" "I guess so," laughed the other, "a dozen of them." "One will do." Dave was led through several rooms. Then they came to a partition formed of heavy timbers. In its center was a stout door with an immense padlock. "Get in there," spoke the most ferocious of his captors, giving Dave a push. Then the door was closed with a crash that showed how heavy it was. Dave could hear those outside securing the padlock. "A prisoner, eh?" mused Dave, looking about him. "Yes, it is, indeed, tight and safe." Dave's prison place was gruesome in the extreme. On three sides was solid rock, forming a semicircular back to the room. The partition, closed the entire front. Near its top in several places were cut out apertures, admitting air and a little light. There were some broken boxes in the place and a heap of burlap. Dave decided that it had been used at some time or other as a place of storage. He did not yet feel normal, so he sat down on one of the boxes and felt about his head.