“Now, just to make sure, we’ll leave Doright on guard and he’ll have a gun in his hand.  He likes to shoot, too.  And he knows how.”

Never had the voice of the outlaw sounded so coarse and disagreeable as now when hope seemed gone.  His villainous face lighted with evil triumph as he surveyed the plight of his captives.

“Looks like old times,” he gloated, “only now you boys are wearing irons that have graced the leg of many a slave.  And there’s a black boy guarding the white boys now.  That’s funny.”

Throwing back his head he gave vent to peal after peal of laughter.

“What are you expecting to do with us?” inquired Arnold, who was longing to get at the throat of his jailor.

“Well, Wyckoff hasn’t decided yet,” replied Lopez.  “He has found out that it’s a mighty uncomfortable job keeping prisoners and feeding them.  He couldn’t keep this other boy on the schooner for it was too public.  When you came chasing into port, he got scared.  I was uncomfortable, too.  If you had hailed me then, I guess I’d have let you take the boy off the schooner.  When we got Wyckoff, though, he said it wouldn’t do.  Youall will never have a chance at the Treasure.”

“No?  Just wait and see what happens,” taunted Arnold.  “They say there’s many a slip between the cup and the saucer.  Watch us.”

“You are right, I’ll watch you,” declared the outlaw.  “When we let you go this time, you’ll say Good Bye for keeps.”

“You can’t let things come any too swift for us,” boasted Harry.  “We are from Chicago, and if you’ve ever been on a Halsted street trolley at six o’clock of an evening, you’ll know what we live on.  Send along your hard times.  We eat those things.”

“Maybe,” gritted Lopez.  “You boys better sharpen your teeth.”

With this he left the cabin with instructions to Doright to watch the boys and not permit any talking or communication.

Doright was at least faithful to his trust.  After one or two attempts the boys gave over trying to engage the negro in conversation.  Becoming cramped in their sitting positions, they shortly stretched themselves on the floor and presently were fast asleep.  Awakened later by a rough hand on their shoulders, they sat up in bewilderment.  The chains on their legs soon apprised them of their location and surroundings.  Lopez stood over them.

“Unlock ’em, Doright,” he commanded.  “Get the hand irons on ’em first and watch out, for they’re tricky.  They may get you.”

The boys were marched out of the little cabin and down to the river, where they boarded a boat under the direction of Lopez.

Doright at the oars had plenty of work to pull the craft with its heavy load.  At last they approached a vessel lying at anchor in the stream.  Lopez’s hail brought an answer immediately.

“Up you go,” commanded the outlaw to the boys, as Doright loosened the shackles.  “Over the rail with you now and no monkey work.”