“You can’t bluff us, Tom Swift!” went on the largest of the three scoundrels. “We got you dead to rights now and you’ll tell us what we want to know before we let you go.” “Oh, so you’re after information, are you?” asked Tom, hoping to draw the men out. “Yes, we are.” “What kind?” Tom inquired, trying to wring some of the water out of his coat. “You’ll find out soon enough when we get to the island.” “What island?” the young inventor wanted to know. “You ask too many questions. You’re as bad as Torpy—you talk too much!” complained one of the two in the bow. Tom glanced down at Ned and, guessing how his friend must be suffering, bound and gagged as he was, decided on a new plan. “All right,” he seemed to agree, “I’ll stop asking questions. But as long as you’ve got me safe, as you seem to have, there’s no object in keeping my chum trussed up as he is. Why don’t you loosen him and take that rag out of his mouth? Be decent, can’t you?” “We might as well let up on him a bit,” said the big man. “As he says, we got him now and the other can’t do any harm if he does yell. We’re out of the way now—soon be at the island.” “Sure,” assented his companion, and they at once loosened Ned’s ropes and removed the gag, for which relief he was very grateful. “What happened, old man?” asked Tom in a low voice, as he sat down on the bottom of the boat beside his now unbound chum. “We’ve been all upset over you.” “I’ve been a bit upset myself,” admitted Ned, whose tongue was thick from the effects of the gag. “But, in brief, I was set upon that night after I left your laboratory, a cloth was thrown over my head at a dark corner, not far from your place, and, before I knew what was happening, I was gagged, bound, and bundled into an auto. I was taken some distance and brought to that old farmhouse. The men hustled me out of there a little while ago, and after a wild ride put me in this boat. You know the rest.” “Have you been kept in the old Smith place ever since you were kidnapped up until a little while ago?” asked Tom. “Yes, they held me a prisoner there. But it didn’t take them long to find out I was the wrong man. They mistook me for you, and thought they were kidnapping the great inventor.” “I had begun to suspect that,” said Tom. “Well, what happened?” “Oh, they were pretty much upset when they learned who I was,” chuckled Ned. “They asked me a lot of questions about your inventions, and wanted to know how the new talking-picture projector worked. But of course I was as mum as an oyster.” “Did they ask specifically about my new patent?” asked Tom, somewhat excited by this news. “That’s what they did.” “How did they know about it? I supposed that was a dead secret from all but you, dad and me.” “So did I,” responded Ned. “But there must be a leak somewhere around your shop. Perhaps a spy.” “I believe there is!” exclaimed Tom.