In high rage the former bully of Putnam Hall strode forward and without warning struck the defenseless Dick a heavy blow on the cheek.

“That, for your impudence,” he snarled.  “You keep a civil tongue in your head.  If you don’t —­” He finished with a shake of his fist.

“You had bettair make up your mind to pay ze monish,” said Captain Villaire, after a painful pause.  “It will be ze easiest way out of ze situation for you.”

“Don’t you pay a cent, Uncle Randolph,” interrupted Dick quickly.  Then Baxter hit him again, such a stinging blow that he almost lost consciousness.

“For shame!” ejaculated Mr. Rover.  “He is tied up, otherwise you would never have the courage to attack him.  Baxter, have you no spirit of fairness at all in your composition?”

“Don’t preach —­ I won’t listen to it!” fumed the bully.  “You have got to pay that money.  If you don’t —­ well, I don’t believe you’ll ever reach America alive, that’s all.”

With these words Dan Baxter withdrew, followed by Captain Villaire.

“You think za will pay?” queried the French brigand anxiously.

“To be sure they will pay.  They value their lives too much to refuse.  Just wait until they have suffered the pangs of hunger and thirst, and you’ll see how they change their tune.”

“You are certain za have ze monish?”

“Yes; they are rich.  It will only be a question of waiting for the money after they send for it.”

“I vill not mind zat.”

“Neither will I —­ if we are safe here.  You don’t think anybody will follow us?”

“Not unless za find ze way up from ze rivair.  Za cannot come here by land, because of ze swamps,” answered the Frenchman.  “And ze way from ze rivair shall be well guarded from now on,” he added.

CHAPTER XIX

WHAT HAPPENED TO TOM AND SAM

Let us return to Tom and Sam, at the time they were left alone at Binoto’s hostelry.

“I wish we had gone with Dick and Uncle Randolph,” said Tom, as he slipped into his coat and shoes.  “I don’t like this thing at all.”

“Oh, don’t get scared before you are hurt, Tom!” laughed his younger brother.  “These people out here may be peculiar, but —­”

Sam did not finish.  A loud call from the woods had reached his ears, and in alarm he too began to dress, at the same time reaching for his pistol and the money belt which Randolph Rover had left behind.

“I —­ I guess something is wrong,” he went on, after a pause.  “If we -”

“Tom!  Sam! look out fo’ yourselves!” came from Aleck, and in a second more the negro, burst on their view.  “Come, if yo’ is dressed!” he added.

“Where to?” asked Tom hurriedly.

“Anywhar, Massah Tom.  De others is took prisoners!  Come!” And Aleck almost dragged the boy along.

The Rover boys could readily surmise that Aleck would not act in this highly excited manner unless there was good cause for it.  Consequently, as Sam said afterward, “They didn’t stand on the order of their going, but just flew.”  Pell-mell out of the hostelry they tumbled, and ran up the highway as rapidly as their nimble limbs would permit.