Flynn came down the companion way and entered the cabin. His eyes were glittering, and he grinned as he looked his captive over. “It’s a fine night for my plan,” he said, gleefully. “The wind is northeast, and the tide is turning.” As Frank knew nothing of the man’s purpose, he remained silent. Flynn sat down and took out a pipe, which he proceeded to fill and light. He puffed away a short time, and then settled back in a comfortable position, scanning Merriwell. “It won’t take more than two hours to run down to York Island,” he said. “Then it’s only a short run out past the Eastern Ear and The Horses. Steve says there won’t be anything but the open ocean outside when we get there.” Frank wondered what the man was driving at, and Flynn grinned when he saw the look of curiosity on Merry’s face. “Outside The Horses,” he went on, “the wind has a clean rake down across from the Bay of Fundy. It’s rising every minute, and a small boat won’t stand much show in the seas there will be out there, especially without so much as a pair of oars in her.” Frank began to see a light; he fancied he understood what the man meant. “You stand a fine show of piling the _White Wings_ on a ledge long before you get out past The Horses,” said Merry, who remembered The Horses as two ledges he had observed on his chart located to the south of York Island. “Not much danger of that,” said Flynn. “Steve knows every inch of the bay. He can tell where every rock lies.” “But it is dark.” “Not so dark but he can run her out to open sea. The tide is high, too, so there’s not much danger of striking a ledge. Oh, don’t worry for the yacht! We’ll take care of her. You can think about yourself a little.” Frank felt a sensation of rage rising within him. “I will come out all right,” he declared. “You won’t think so after a while, young man.” “I have been in worse scrapes than this.” “I doubt it.” “I have, and I’m here now. I’ll tell you something, Mr. Flynn. The time will come, and it is not very far away, when you and I will settle our account.” “That’s right,” nodded Flynn. “That time will come to-night. I shall put you into an open boat and set you adrift with the tide running out to sea and the wind northeast. You will not see daylight, for the tide and the wind will take care of you.” There was a look of triumphant satisfaction on the evil face of the man, and Merriwell knew that he would carry out his dastardly plan. He would not kill Frank outright, but he would set him adrift with not one chance in a hundred for him to escape drowning. It was not a pleasant prospect, but Merriwell kept his nerve and looked his enemy straight in the eye, quietly saying: “If you want to make a sure thing of it, take my advice and hit me over the head with an ax before putting me into the boat. If you do not, just as sure as fate, I’ll escape, and hunt you down!” Despite the coolness with which the boy uttered those words, they caused Flynn to pale a bit.