Frank and Andy Afloat Part 38

"I'll just close my eyes for a half minute," he told himself. "Just for a few seconds. I--I'll--"

Andy was asleep and in the shelter where the prisoner lay bound there was a movement. Eager and cruel eyes watched the lad on guard. Both Andy and Frank were slumbering now.

"It's my only chance," murmured the man as he heard their heavy breathing. "My only chance." Then he began rolling over and over on the sand, out of his shelter.

CHAPTER XXIX

"SAIL HO!"

Frank, in the heavy slumber that had come to him as soon as his watch was over, seemed to smell something burning. It was like the mingled odor of charred rope and scorched leather and came pungently to his nose.

At first he paid no heed to it, but turned restlessly in his slumber to compose himself more comfortably on the bunch of seaweed that served as his bed. Then the odor became stronger.

"Andy must be too near the fire, and is burning his shoes," he thought in a sort of hazy way. "He ought to be more careful. I guess--"

Frank was wide-awake in a moment, for he heard some one exclaim aloud as if in pain.

"What's that?" cried the lad, sitting up. The smell of burnt leather and rope was even more noticeable. Frank peered out of the shelter toward the campfire.

A strange sight met his eyes. There was Andy fast asleep, and there was the mysterious man, lying at full length on the sand, holding his rope-bound feet as near to the blaze as he dared. He was burning off the cords that bound his legs that he might be free, and it was the smell of charred rope and leather that had awakened Frank.

The explanation came to him in an instant. The man had seen Andy fall asleep. He had rolled from his shelter over and over on the sand and had gotten near enough to the blaze to nearly, accomplish his purpose.

Frank dashed out.

"Andy! Andy!" he called. "Wake up, our prisoner is trying to get away!"

The man, with a snarl of rage, tried to burst the ropes that still held his legs, but they were not yet burned enough to break. He had not risked loosening his hands in that way.

Frank, in another instant, was beside their prisoner. He had a spare piece of rope, and this he quickly pa.s.sed about the man's ankles, for fear some of the other strands had become weak.

"What's the matter?" demanded Andy, rubbing his eyes and leaping up.

"Did I fall asleep? Did he get away?"

"You were asleep all right," replied Frank, "But he didn't escape. I guess we'll have to both watch after this."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," said the younger lad contritely.

"That's all right," spoke Frank kindly. "You couldn't help it. We had no sleep last night. Now you get back where you came from," he ordered the man.

"Aren't you going to help me. I can't walk."

"Then roll in the same as you rolled out."

There was no help for it, and the prisoner, muttering threats against the lads, was forced to roll over and over on the sand until he was back in his shelter. Thereafter Andy and Frank both stayed awake until morning came.

They resumed work on the raft immediately after a hasty breakfast. In order that their prisoner might be taken to the mainland, or out as far as they might go before a ship picked them up, they made a sort of platform, on which he could sit. They also improvised a mast on which they stretched a piece of canvas they found in the wrecked motor boat.

By noon their rude vessel was completed.

"Now for the launching," exclaimed Frank. "It's nearly high tide, and if we can work it a little farther down the beach the tide will do the heaviest work for us. Then we'll go aboard."

"I'm not going on that thing!" snarled their prisoner.

"Yes, you are, if we have to carry you," declared Frank.

"But I may be drowned. You ought to take off these ropes if you're going to do such a fool-hardy thing as to sail on that raft."

"Not much!" exclaimed Frank determinedly "We've had enough of your tricks. You'll go on that raft, and you'll stay tied up."

"But if I give you my promise?" whined the man, who seemed to have lost much of his bravado.

"Nixy on _your_ promises," exclaimed Andy. "Come on, Frank, let's work the raft down to sh.o.r.e a bit."

It was not without much labor that the boys succeeded in getting the heavy ma.s.s of driftwood down where the tide would float it for them.

The man watched them with a scowling face, occasionally muttering to himself.

"Better take something to eat along with us; hadn't we?" asked Andy, when they were waiting for the rising tide.

"Sure," a.s.sented Frank. "We may not be picked up until along toward night. And we'll want water. Lucky we've got some empty cracker tins to carry it in."

They put the food and water aboard, rigged up their rude sail, and then carried their prisoner aboard, as it would be awkward to handle him after the raft was afloat.

Meanwhile they had looked eagerly for any sign of an approaching sail, but had seen nothing.

"Well, I guess we can get aboard," spoke Frank at length. "It's been quite an adventure for us, and I'm glad it's about over. Paul Gale will soon know who he is."

"We'll see," sneered the man.

The raft was afloat. With their paddles the boys began to work it slowly from sh.o.r.e. The wind caught their small sail.

Suddenly Frank, who was seated ahead of his brother, uttered a cry.

"Sail ho! Sail ho!" he shouted.

"Where?" demanded Andy.

"Right over there and she's headed this way," said Frank, pointing.

"It's a big motor boat. I believe it's coming to rescue us, Andy!

Let's wait a bit!"

Eagerly they looked to where a speedy craft was plowing over the waters of the great bay. Frantically they shouted and waved anything they could find until answering signals told them that theirs had been seen.

CHAPTER x.x.x