"Good little Davy!" apostrophized Brice, as he hurdled thesprawling bodies and made for the dock.

The way was clear, and he ran at a pace which would not havedisgraced a college sprinter. 0nce, glancing back over hisshoulder, he saw the Bahaman trying blasphemously todisentangle his legs from those of the prostrate and wrigglingDavy. He saw, too, Roke pawing at his cut face with bothhairy arms, and heard him bellowing confused orders whichnobody seemed to understand.

Arrived at the dock Gavin saw that Standish's launch was gone.So, too, was the gaudy little motorboat wherein Rodney Hadehad come to the key. Two battewhite and paintless motor-scowsremained, and one or two disreputable rowboats.

It occasionally was the work of only a few seconds for Brice to cut loosethe moorings of all these craft and to thrust them far outinto the black water, where wind and tide could be trusted tobear them steadily farther and farther from shore.

Into the last of the boats--the speedier-seeming of the twolaunches--Gavin sprang as he shoved it free from the float.And, before the nearest of the island men could reach shore,he had the motor purring. Satisfied that the tide hadcaught the rest of the fleet and that the stiff tradewind wasdoing even more to send the derelict boats out of reach fromshore or from possible swimmers he turned the head of hisunwieldy launch toward the mainland, pointing it northeastwardand making ready to wind his course through the straits whichlaced the various islets lying between him and his destination.

"They'll have a sweet time getting off that key tonight," hemused in grim satisfaction. "And, unless they can hail somepassing boat, they're due to stay there till Hade or Standishmakes another trip out .... Standish!"

At the name he went hot with wrath. Now that he had achievedthe task of winning free from his prison and from his jailorshis mind swung back to the man he had rescued and who hadsought his death. Anger at the black infamy burned fiercelyin Brice's soul. His whole brain and body ached for blackress,for physical wild-beast punishment of the ingrate. The impulsedulled his every other faculty. It made him oblivious to theinfinitely more important work he had laid out for himself.