"If you try it, by the Lord Harry! I'll fill you full of lead!" came hoarsely from Hodge, who was fingering the gun in his hands as if he longed to shoot Cooler anyhow. "Ah, me!" sighed the little man. "How rude you are, young gentlemen! Is it possible you are in your right minds?--or have I fallen in with a lot of lunatics? Why, I wouldn't run for anything! It's not necessary to threaten me. I wish you would tell me what I have done to arouse your ire." "Where is Frank Merriwell?" "Hey?" "Where is he?" snarled Diamond, showing his white teeth. "Don't lie, man! Don't try it! If you do we will put you where you will lure no other person into a trap!" "Goodness me!" said Mr. Cooler, somewhat mockingly. "You are very much excited, young man. I do not know what you are driving at." "Don't lie! I tell you it is dangerous! We are desperate!" "You really seem so." "Where is he?" "How do I know?" "You do know! He followed you, and you trapped him some way. What have you done with him?" "He! he!" chuckled the little man. "Followed me, did he? Why did he do that? It seems to me he should have been more careful." "There it is!" burst from Hodge. "That is the same as a boast! Now we know you have done something to him!" "You are a very knowing young man." Now the manner of the man in gray aroused the anger and resentment of the boys. He seemed to be taunting them. "Shall we shoot the snake, Bruce?" asked Diamond, his face purple with passion. "Shall we avenge Frank?" "Not just yet," said Browning. "We will give him a chance for his life." "You are very kind!" murmured Mr. Cooler. "If he will tell us what has become of Frank--if he will lead us to Frank, we will spare his life." "What if I don't know where he is?" "You do know. You dare not deny it!" "You are very much mistaken, for I do deny it. I give you my word of honor that I do not know where Mr. Merriwell is at this moment. I do know he followed me. He thought he was doing a very shrewd thing, and I must confess that I rather admired his skill at it, but I knew all the time that he was behind me." "Ha!" exclaimed Hodge. "Then you know what became of him?" "No. He followed me over to the other side of the island, and then he started to return by coming straight back through the woods. That is all I know. I am here to learn if he returned safely. If he did, I intended to warn him that his life was in danger if he should go about the island alone. You must see that I am serious now." "Oh, yes, we see!" came scornfully from Diamond. "It is too thin! It will not work, Mr. Cooler. You know too much not to know more. If you wish to keep your skin whole, just lead us straight to Frank Merriwell--that's all!" "I can't. I would do it if I could. But I give you my word to do my best to save him if he is in trouble. That is the best I can do."