Even though but a few seconds had passed, the racket aboard the boat had become tremendous by now.  The men were shouting at each other as they groped around in the dark for the boy.

Frank knew that the very sounds they made were apt to assist him in his escape, for they helped to drown what little noise he was compelled to make in his quick and positive work with the paddle.

Then one of them must have reached the conclusion that the boy had been kidnapped by some unseen visitor, coming in another boat.

“Keep still, you fools, an’ listen!” he shouted.

They seemed to guess his reason, for the chorus of loud voices ceased.  Frank also stopped paddling, momentarily.  He hoped the listening spongers would be unable to locate him in the darkness.

“Have they any small boat?” he whispered in the ear of the cowering boy.

“No.  It broke loose three days ago, in a squall,” came the reply.

“Bully!”

That one word expressed all the gratitude that was in Frank’s heart.  It seemed as though fortune was acting mighty kindly toward the rescuing expedition.

Just then there came a flash and a sharp report.  One of the men had fired in the direction he believed the passing boat to be lying.

The bullet splashed in the water, and seemed to go humming over the surface of the lagoon.  Then a shout came from the sharpie: 

“I seen ’em then!  Hey!  You thar!  Come back with that kid, or it’ll be the worse for ye!  D’ye hear?”

But Frank, instead of wasting his breath in replying, was once more paddling industriously.  He had changed his course, in the hope that should a second bullet follow the first, it might not touch either himself or his charge.

Just as he anticipated, there was a second shot, followed by half a dozen more, seemingly fired at random.

No damage resulted, and Frank believed the incident was closed, at least as far as immediate results went.  He now headed directly for the motor-boat, the swinging lantern guiding him.

Those on the sharpie could be heard talking loudly, as though endeavoring to get the truth of the affair, and doubtless making terrible threats as to what they would do to the audacious invader later on.

Frank gave the signal agreed on with Jerry, and in another minute he was lifting his charge aboard the anchored boat.

“Don’t ask questions now, fellows,” he said, realizing that the others were all agog with excitement, and both Bluff and Will consumed with curiosity.  “We must douse the glim, and in the dark change our anchorage.  Then, if they come poking over here to-night, looking for us, they won’t find anybody at home.”

“Hear! hear!” muttered Jerry, who in an emergency always looked to Frank to do the right thing.

He immediately extinguished the light.

“Don’t make the least noise, if you can help it.  Get the anchor off the ground, but don’t attempt to bring it aboard,” continued Frank in a whisper.