Part 36 (1/2)
”See here, don't you get funny, young man. Please remember you are in our power.”
”And we'll do some shooting, if we have to,” added Tad, bombastically.
”Tad, I guess I can do the talking for this crowd,” said his uncle.
”You were afraid of the ghosts, Tad,” said Sam. ”You must have run about a mile!” And the youngest Rover grinned in spite of the predicament he was in.
”You shut up!” roared Tad Sobber, and exhibited some of the brutality that had made him so hated at Putnam Hall by raising his foot and kicking Sam in the side.
”Stop!” cried the youngest Rover, in pain. ”What a brute you are!”
”Leave my brother alone!” came from Tom. ”A fine coward you are, to kick him when he is a prisoner! You wouldn't dare to try it if he was free.”
”I wouldn't, eh? I want you to understand I'm not afraid of anybody,”
bl.u.s.tered Tad. ”I am----”
”Tad, be quiet,” cried his uncle. ”I am fully capable of managing this affair. Don't kick him again.”
”Yes, but look here, Uncle Sid, they----”
”I will take care of things,” cried Sid Merrick, and so sharply that his nephew at once subsided. But on the sly he shook his fist at both Tom and Sam.
”Maybe we had better make sure that n.o.body else is around,” suggested Sh.e.l.ley, who had been Merrick's best aide in the capture.
”All right, look around if you want to,” was Merrick's reply. ”I am pretty certain these boys are alone here--although more persons from the steam yacht may be ash.o.r.e.”
They looked around, but, of course, found n.o.body else. Then d.i.c.k, Tom and Sam were tied in a row to three trees which were handy. Merrick took possession of their single weapon.
”I don't want you to hurt yourselves with it,” he said, grimly.
”Merrick, this is a high-handed proceeding,” said d.i.c.k, when the gag was removed from his mouth.
”No more so than was your statement of owning the isle,” was the answer.
”What are you going to do with us?”
”Nothing.”
”I must say I don't understand you.”
”What should I do with you? I don't enjoy your company. I am here solely to get that treasure, as you must know. I am going after that and leave you where you are.”
”Bound to these trees?”
”Certainly.”
”Supposing we can't get loose?” remonstrated Tom. ”We may starve to death!”
”That will be your lookout. But I reckon you'll get loose sooner or later, although we've bound you pretty tight.”