“Funny thing, I can’t find any blood at all!” declared Tom.  “It’s a peculiar thing, too, for if he was hit hard enough to knock him down the bullet must have entered his body!”

“That’s a strange thing, isn’t it?” spoke up Arnold.

“Strange is no word for it!” Tom asserted.  “I’m just all at sea literally as well as figuratively.  This is the strangest part of our queer experiences during the past few hours.”

“Let’s get his clothes off and examine him closely,” suggested Arnold.  “Maybe the bullet hit him from a ricochet.”

“Wise little Scout!” commended Tom.  “You’ve got a great head on those shoulders!  I’m glad we brought you along.”

Before he had ceased speaking, Tom had begun to divest Jack of his upper clothing.  With the assistance of Harry and Arnold, he removed the jacket and shirt in a short time.

“There’s nothing here at all!” he cried in amazement.

“What’s that bruised looking place over his heart?” asked Harry.  “Seems to me it is discolored somewhat there.”

“Sure enough!” cried Arnold.  “Give him first aid for drowning.  That may start his heart action.  He isn’t shot after all!”

“Hurray!” responded his chums in chorus, quickly putting into action the suggestion of Arnold.  They worked quickly and effectively, their training standing them in good stead at this time.

Before many seconds had passed, Jack opened his eyes, gasped weakly and then sat up on the edge of the bunk.  Blinking his eyes, he put his hand over his heart.  Arnold shouted for pure joy.

“Hurrah, Frank!” he cried up the companion-way, “Jack is coming to!  What do you think of us for life-savers?”

“You can’t mean it!” incredulously protested Frank.

“Well we just do mean it and I for one am awful glad!”

“So are all of us glad!” declared Tom.  “I was worried for a while.  It looked as if you were going to stay out, Jack!”

The boys were capering about in glee over Jack’s recovery though his smile was still a trifle wan and drawn.  Slowly, however, his strength returned.  He accepted and drank with eagerness the cup of steaming coffee proffered by Arnold as a restorative.

“Thank you, Scout!” smiled Jack.  You’re a master hand at the cooking!  What hit me?  I felt quite a blow.”

“You were shot,” declared Harry.  “The pirate schooner shot at us, you remember, and then they had to shoot you, but we can’t find any hole where the bullet went in.  You’re only bruised.”

“Ha!” exclaimed Jack.  “I see it now!  The bullet hit the automatic I had put in my breast pocket.  I never carried it there before and don’t know why I should have put it there this time.”

“Well, it’s a lucky thing you varied from your habit!”

“Let’s see if the bullet is in the pocket yet,” Harry said.

A search of the jacket revealed a hole, in the outer cloth where the bullet had entered.  Inside the pocket were the automatic and several slivers of lead, fragments of the shattered missile.