“Well, anyhow, she’ll get to shore and they’ll be all right,” reasoned Tom. Then he gave thought to his own situation. “Well, we’ve sure got him now!” chuckled one of the three men. “You said it!” echoed another. “We didn’t make no mistake this time!” Tom almost fell on the gagged and bound body of another young man, and it needed but a glance to show him that here was Ned Newton, a prisoner like himself. Ned could not speak and could hardly move, but his eyes flashed a greeting to Tom. “They’ve got us both!” said Tom in a low voice to his chum, as he crawled alongside of Ned. “But they won’t keep us long. Are you hurt, Ned?” A shake of the head in negation was the only way Ned could reply. Then further talk on Tom’s part was stopped, for one of the men, standing over the two captives with an automatic in one hand, growled: “Shut up down there!” CHAPTER IX ON THE ISLAND NOT one to submit tamely to indignities, Tom Swift, instead of complying with the command, struggled to his feet and advanced toward the two rough men standing in the bow of the boat. The third member was at the wheel and, Tom noticed, was heading the boat out toward the wider part of the lake. “Look here!” said Tom boldly, for his nerve, somewhat shaken by his sudden plunge into the water, was coming back to him. “What’s your game, anyhow? What do you mean by keeping Mr. Newton and me on this boat? I demand that you set us ashore at once!” “Oh, you do, eh?” chuckled one of the men. “Yes, I do! And if you do it within a reasonable time I may overlook what you’ve done. But if you don’t at once release us I’ll cause your arrest, and it will go hard with you!” “Listen to him!” sneered one of the scoundrels. “You’d think he was chief of police or something like that!” “Ha! Ha!” chuckled another. “We’ve got Tom Swift right where we want him this time. No mistake now!” Tom was beginning to understand some things in connection with the kidnapping—things hitherto a mystery to him. He looked at the men. They were burly, brutal fellows and Tom knew that even if Ned were free to help him, they would not be able to fight these fellows. Perhaps subterfuge and craft were better than a show of force. Tom decided on other tactics. “Look here!” he said again. “I don’t know what your game is, but you’re bound to lose out in the end. My friends will soon rescue us and you’ll be jailed for this. Kidnapping is a serious offense.” “We took one chance and we got the wrong man,” said one of the fellows, thus confirming Tom’s new suspicions. “Now we have the right one—that’s you—and we’re going to hold on to you. We don’t worry none about getting jailed.” “We’ve rich friends that’ll soon get us out,” said the man at the wheel. “Shut up, Torpy!” commanded one of the two in the bow. “Close your trap! You talk too much!” “Aw, you make me tired!” complained the one addressed as Torpy.