He caught a glimpse of something plunging through the bushes, and he followed fearlessly. A moment later he came out to open ground, and ahead of him he saw a misshapen figure running with wonderful speed toward the head of the cove. Perhaps for the first time since the creature had been seen on the island the order of things had changed and it was the pursued instead of the pursuer. "Stop!" shouted Frank. The monster looked back over a twisted shoulder, and snarled like a wild animal, but ran faster than ever. "Stop, or I shall shoot!" Frank flourished the revolver, running as hard as he could in pursuit. The command was not obeyed. In an attempt to frighten the creature into obeying, Frank fired two shots into the air. Still the thing ran on. "Well, I see I must catch him," muttered Merriwell. He set his teeth and made wonderful speed over the uneven ground. Never in any college sprinting match had he made such speed. He was determined to overtake that hideous thing and solve the mystery of the island. Frank soon saw he was gaining. The creature looked back and saw the same, whereupon it seemed to increase its efforts. But, although the monster was a swift runner, it could not get away from Merriwell. The cove was passed, and the race continued up the rise toward the big building above. Frank was drawing nearer and nearer. He reached out a hand to grasp the shoulder of the hunchback, for there was a large hump on the back of the fugitive. At that moment the panting thing whirled and grappled with him suddenly. Frank was taken by surprise by the movement, and in a twinkling he was flung to his knees. The monster snarled with satisfaction and sought to clutch his throat with those clawlike hands. Summoning all his strength, Merriwell fought his way to his feet and obtained a better hold on the thing, keeping those twisted fingers away from his throat. Then there was a fierce struggle for the mastery. During that struggle the tushes in the mouth of the being with whom Frank was battling suddenly fell out and dropped to the ground. They were false teeth, made to look as hideous as possible. And now Merry could see that the man's face was made up to appear twisted and deformed, and, a moment after the teeth fell out, the shaggy wig of tangled hair was torn away, showing that also was false and a part of the make-up. Now Merriwell recognized the man before him. It was the hunchback of Green's Landing--Put Wiley! "Really, Mr. Wiley, this is quite a surprise!" exclaimed Frank, triumphantly. "You had a splendid make-up, but the cat is out of the bag now." "Curse ye!" grated the hunchback. "You'll pay for this with your life!" "Oh, I don't know!" "I do." Wiley's voice did not utter these two words; they were spoken by another person, and Frank was clutched from behind. Strong hands closed about his neck, and hard fingers crushed into his windpipe, so that his breath was shut off in a moment.