‘I’m going right on past ’em,’ he announced. ‘They won’t be looking for us to come this way, and they won’t suspect, I guess, when they see the name on the bow isn’t the same! You get down and cover yourself up, Gladys Evinrude. You see that she don’t show, Tim. Harmon, you scrooch down on the bottom and stay there. You sit up here with me, Tim. Make-believe you’re asleep. Put your arms on the――That’s it! Here they come! Every one keep still and, no matter what happens, don’t say a word or make a sound!’ The two launches drew nearer and nearer, Minger’s boat in mid-stream, the _Jolly Rodger_ close to the bank. Pud leaned carelessly against the gunwale, trying to express drowsiness by his attitude. Now he could see that the approaching boat held three forms, one seated and one erect at the bow, another standing near the middle. Then a strong flash-light swept across the few yards of intervening water and a hoarse voice hailed. ‘_Hi, there! Slow down!_’ it commanded. CHAPTER X FISH-HAWK CREEK The other boat slowed, stopped. Pud pretended not to understand, and the _Jolly Rodger_ went chugging on, the skipper waving a friendly hand. But the ruse didn’t work. ‘_Hi, you! Stop that launch!_’ was the order. Pud shook his apparently slumbering companion. ‘Wake up, Tim,’ he shouted. ‘Take the wheel!’ Tim groped sleepily for the wheel, yawning loudly, and Pud stepped to the engine and pushed up the throttle. With the other hand he threw the clutch out. By the time this was accomplished some forty feet of river separated the two boats, and the _Jolly Rodger_ was still floating slowly with the current. The light from the electric torch passed searchingly along the launch, from stem to stern and back again, to come to rest finally on Pud. And while it passed the low voices of the men sounded plainly. ‘That isn’t the one. Look at the name, _Jolly Rodger_.’ ‘Well, no, but it looks like it, and――’ ‘Besides, there were three of them on the other.’ ‘Might be another one somewheres about,’ said the second speaker. Then a third voice, evidently that of the boat’s owner, spoke. ‘’Tain’t the craft I seen awhile back. _Vengance_ that was called. It was goin’ up-river, too.’ ‘Say,’ called a voice then, ‘did you pass a white launch with three fellows and a girl in it a while ago?’ ‘I saw one farther up the river,’ answered Pud. ‘Notice the name of it?’ ‘Why, I don’t know as I did. Did you, Tim?’ ‘Yes,’ answered Tim, with another yawn. ‘_Vengance_.’ ‘How far up?’ was the next question. ‘Maybe two miles. It was going sort of slow. Well, I’ve got to be getting on. Good-night.’ ‘Good――’ began the voice from the darkness. ‘_Ker-chew!_’ It came from beneath the tent canvas, muffled yet startlingly loud for all of that! There was a moment of silence on both boats while the eye of the electric torch raced back and forth suspiciously. And then: