He shivered at the terrible grimace Neil turned on him.

“Had they slipped the leashes when we escaped, we would have been with poor Schredder now, Captain Plum.  By the way—­” he stopped a moment to wipe the water and mud from his face, “—­three days after they covered Schredder’s bones with muck out there, the elder took Schredder’s wife!  She was too pretty for a fisherman.”  He started on, but halted suddenly with uplifted hand.  No longer could they hear the baying of the dogs.  “They’ve struck the creek!” said Neil.  “Listen!”

After an interval of silence there came a long mournful howl.

“Treed—­treed or in the water, that’s what the howling means.  How Croche and his devils are hustling now!”

A curse was mingled with Neil’s breath as he forced his way through the bog.  Twenty rods farther on they came to a slime covered bit of water on which was floating a dugout canoe.  Immense relief replaced the anxiety in Nathaniel’s face as he climbed into it.  At that moment he was willing to fight a hundred men for Marion’s sake, but snakes and bogs and bloodhounds were entirely outside his pale of argument and he exhibited no hesitation in betraying this fact to his companion.  For a quarter of a mile Neil forced the dugout through water viscid with slime and rotted substance before the clearer channel of the creek was reached.  As they progressed the stream constantly became deeper and more navigable until it finally began to show signs of a current and a little later, under the powerful impetus of Neil’s paddle, the canoe shot from between the dense shores into the open lake.  A mile away Nathaniel discerned the point of forest beyond which the Typhoon was hidden.  He pointed out the location of the ship to his companion.

“You are sure there is a small boat waiting for you on the point?” asked Neil.

“Yes, since early morning.”

Neil was absorbed in thought for some time as he drove the canoe through the tall rice grass that grew thick along the edge of the shore.

“How would it be if I landed you on the point and met you to-night at Obadiah’s?” he asked suddenly.  “It is probable that after we get Marion aboard your ship I will not return to the island again, and it is quite necessary that I run down the coast for a couple of miles—­for—­” He did not finish his reason, but added:  “I can make the whole distance in this rice so there is no danger of being seen.  Or you might lie off the point yonder and I would join you early this evening.”

“That would be a better plan if we must separate,” said Nathaniel, whose voice betrayed the reluctance with which he assented to the project.  He had guessed shrewdly at Neil’s motive.  “Is it possible that we may have another young lady passenger?” he asked banteringly.

There was no answering humor to this in Neil’s eyes.

“I wish we might!” he said quietly.

“We can!” exclaimed Nathaniel.  “My ship—­”