Part 18 (1/2)

While he sat there on the berth, panting from his unnoticed exertions, the boat quivered in all its timbers, the noise of escaping steam reached his ears, and then he knew that the steamer was under way.

This was the worst thing that could happen to the boy, and he knew it.

The steamer might go to Cuba, or to the upper reaches of the Missouri or the Mississippi, separating him from his chums for weeks. If Red really was a robber, he would not take the chance of releasing him, for that would give him an opportunity to warn those on board the _Rambler_, as well as to report to the police the illegal seizure of the motor boat!

”I'm going to find out about this!” Alex. declared, springing off the berth. ”I'm going to do an English suffragette stunt and smash windows!”

As his whole mind was set on making a noise so as to attract the attention of the man he had followed on board, the boy was by no means conservative in his next move.

First he took the light-framed chair which stood by the berth and smashed it against the fancy metal work which protected the gla.s.s panel. The chair went to pieces without touching the gla.s.s, so Alex.

took up a slender leg and, poking it through in between the metal work, punched out the pane.

It fell back into the cabin with a rattle, and then Alex., putting his face close to the opening, let out a yell which would have done credit to an Apache Indian on the warpath! In the meantime the steamer was backing out into the current.

”I guess that will let 'em know they have a cabin pa.s.senger!” Alex.

grunted, as he began tossing the fragments of the chair out on the cabin floor.

The boy was just considering the firing of his automatic, which had not been taken from him by the negro, when a heavy voice near at hand broke into a hearty laugh, and the face of the red-headed man appeared before the opening, half-s.h.i.+elded by an arm, for the boy was still looking for things to throw through.

”What seems to be the difficulty?” the man asked, and Alex. thought he saw a twinkle of humor in the blue eyes fixed upon him.

”No difficulty at all,” Alex. answered, with a touch of irony in his tone. ”I'm just doing this for exercise, and to make business for boat builders!”

”Of course,” laughed the man, ”you wouldn't come out if I should unlock the door?”

”Oh, I don't know,” Alex. replied. ”I've got a good deal of work to do in here yet, and I might bring back an axe to help out.”

”You'll find that the berth is of steel,” the red-headed man said.

”You can't chop that up. How long will it take you to finish the dresser? I might come back and let you out as soon as you have got through with that!”

”All right!” grinned the boy, ”anything to oblige,” and he went at the dresser with the leg of a chair!

The giant unlocked the door, stepped inside, and, taking Alex. by the ear, marched him out of the wrecked room. Once in the cabin he let go of the ear and walked toward the stern with a hand on the boy's arm.

”You wasn't so giddy the last time I saw you!” declared the boy.

The man laughed, opened the door of a large stateroom toward the stern, pushed the boy inside, and stepped in after him. This was a handsome room, elaborately furnished. Alex. dropped into a chair and looked about.

The steamer now seemed to be making fast time down the river, and Alex. looked out of a window in the hope of seeing the location of the _Rambler_.

”Say,” he finally asked, wrinkling his freckled nose at the man, ”what is the answer to this? I give it up!”

”What was it you boys put in the deposit box at the bank?” asked the man.

”I didn't put anything in; I didn't go to any bank.”

”But your chum did. You met him at the bank entrance, and brought him back to look at me! You know what he put in the vault box. What was it?”