sh which Frank had caught earlier in the day, the elder of the Chester lads called what he terme

id as it would make wearisome reading; but, aft

land unguarded to-night. Daniels and his son have had a taste of that wire fence and they may h

r proposal?" inqu

's not more than a mile or so all round it, and it ought t

dge, "I thought this was to be a sort o

n assumed a graver ex

r malicious people to injure that I wouldn't feel justified in lea

sly; "we've got to keep a sharp lookout. I nominate myself and Pudge for the first wat

could. As a matter of precaution, when they came to the island, the boys had brought along a revolver, and Harry was armed with this when he went on duty. He was not, of course,

g the rocks toward the beach. A mild current had been turned on in the fence, enough to give an uncomfort

hed the beach,

te directions," he said, "and then we ca

, "but-pirates and parach

ut me," rejoined

p in the lighted hut, with his companions around him, it had seemed a very remote possibility to the boy that any attack should be made on the island. But pacing along under the st

s moored, and where a blacker patch on the dark sand showed him the beached dinghy, "it's no use getting shivery and

t sky there was no light. The night was so pitchy dark, on the beach under the shadow of the trees, that he could hardly see with certainty a yard ahea

hat it was well above tide water. Having completed this, he paced on, and in due time heard footsteps approaching him which he knew must be those of Pudge Perkins. A minute later the two young senti

er a few words both boys once more star

, being rather tired, he decided to sit down on the beached dinghy and take a rest.

lf, as he trudged about on his quest, "it must be close at

further painstaking search he was fain to confess-what he really believed from the fi

lf. "Yes, it must be," he went on, answering his own quest

t showed him very plainly that the dinghy could not have drifted away from the beach. What he had

light which followed he saw plainly enough what had occurred-the rope had been slashed through. The boy had just made this

uick exclamation of impatience, as if the rower, wh

self, as, listening acutely, he caught the sound of footsteps proceeding, seemingly, by their hollow ring, from

Then, leaving his pistol on the beach, he slipped noiselessly into the bay and struck out in the direction of the schooner. The water was bitterly cold, as

ghter darkness of the sky on the horizon. He fancied, but could not be certain that it was not an illusion, that for an instant

the motor boat. As silently as he could he drew himself up into it, and then, casting himse