“She’s gone adrift,” one of them exclaimed.  “Why didn’t ye tie her?” and he turned angrily upon his companion.

“It was as much your business as mine,” was the retort.  “Ye always blame me fer everything.  But it’s no use wranglin’ over it now.  We’ve overslept ourselves, and a pretty mess we’re in.  If we don’t get that boat we’re stuck on this island.”

“Maybe she’s drifted along the shore somewhere,” the other suggested.  “There’s been no wind, so she can’t be far away.”

“There’s a tide, though, which is just as bad.  This is a mess, sure.”

“Well, talkin’ won’t do any good,” his companion replied.  “I’m goin’ to hunt along the shore.”

He had taken but a step when a deep voice from above startled him, causing him to pause and look quickly up.  As he did so, his face underwent a marvellous change of fear and rage, for there was the captain, looking calmly along the barrel of his rifle.

“Stay jist where ye are,” was the imperative order.  “If one of yez move, I’ll shoot quicker’n blazes.  Yer boat’s all right, so don’t worry about her.”

A stream of angry oaths now leaped from the robbers’ lips, as they realised the helplessness of their position.  They did not dare to move, as they were too close to the frowning muzzle of the over-shadowing rifle.

“It’s no use to talk that way,” the captain warned, “so jist shet yer dirty mouths.  I’ve heard sich gab before, and it doesn’t jar me in the least.”

“Who are you, anyway?” one of the men demanded, “and how dare ye hold us up?  Ye’ll pay dear fer this.”

“Is that so?  It doesn’t matter who I am; ye’ll find that out soon enough.”

“What d’ye mean?” was the reply.

“Never mind.  I’m not here to argue with the like of you.  There’ll be others who kin do that better.  All that I want yez to do now is to behave yerselves, and do as I order.”

“Well, what d’ye want us to do?  Spit it out, and don’t be long about it either.”

“Don’t git on yer high-horse,” the captain warned.  “I’m not used to be talked to in that manner.  I never allowed it when I was aboard the Flyin’ Queen, and I guess I’m too old to change now.  What I want yez to do is to strip off yer duds, that is, yer pants and jackets.”

“Do what?”

“Didn’t ye hear me?  Git out of yer duds, but keep yer faces this way.  Don’t lower yer eyes, or I’ll shoot.”

At this strange order the foiled men stared in amazement, and for once their tongues were silent.

“D’ye hear me?” the captain roared.  “Strip at once, or I’ll blow yer measly carcasses to pieces.  Never mind the reason; I’ll keep that to myself.”

Seeing that their captor was not to be fooled with any longer, the prisoners did as they were commanded, and soon they were standing in nothing but their underclothes.  They suspected now the purpose of this move, and their hearts filled with rage.