.. -*- encoding: utf-8 -*-

.. meta::
   :PG.Id: 33968
   :PG.Title: The Academy Boys in Camp
   :PG.Released: 2015-06-19
   :PG.Rights: Public Domain
   :PG.Producer: Al Haines
   :DC.Creator: \S. \F. Spear
   :DC.Title: The Academy Boys in Camp
   :DC.Language: en
   :DC.Created: 1909
   :coverpage: images/img-cover.jpg

========================
THE ACADEMY BOYS IN CAMP
========================

.. clearpage::

.. pgheader::

.. container:: frontispiece

   .. vspace:: 4

   .. _`"One dive, and then you must come out"`:

   .. figure:: images/img-front.jpg
      :figclass: white-space-pre-line
      :align: center
      :alt: "One dive, and then you must come out."

      "One dive, and then you must come out."

   .. vspace:: 4

.. container:: titlepage center white-space-pre-line

   .. class:: xx-large bold

      THE ACADEMY BOYS
      IN CAMP

   .. vspace:: 2

   .. class:: large bold

      BY \S. \F. SPEAR

   .. vspace:: 3

   .. class:: medium

      LONDON, EDINBURGH,
      DUBLIN, & NEW YORK
      THOMAS NELSON
      AND SONS
      1909

   .. vspace:: 4

.. class:: center large bold

   CONTENTS.

.. class:: noindent white-space-pre-line

I.  `The Roll-call`_
II.  `A Costly "Yes"`_
III.  `Off for Whaleback`_
IV.  `In Camp`_
V.  `The Swimming-pool`_
VI.  `The Fog-storm`_
VII.  `The Wreck`_
VIII.  `Anemone Pool`_
IX.  `A Day of Freedom`_
X.  `Boys in a Trap`_
XI.  `The Escape`_
XII.  `The Missing Boys`_
XIII.  `On Board the "Una"`_
XIV.  `Tribulations`_
XV.  `The Little Cabin`_
XVI.  `A Wretched Night`_
XVII.  `A Surprise`_
XVIII.  `The Greeting`_
XIX.  `Improving the Time`_
XX.  `The Two Matches`_
XXI.  `A Full Day`_
XXII.  `Tents Down`_

.. vspace:: 4

.. class:: center large bold

   LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

.. vspace:: 2

`"One dive, and then you must come out"`_ . . . . . . *Frontispiece*

.. vspace:: 1

`"It was a fellow about your size"`_

.. vspace:: 1

`He pushed open the door and fell upon Joe`_

.. vspace:: 1

`Away went the basket to the wreck`_

.. vspace:: 1

`"There, Ben, how does that sound?" he asked`_

.. vspace:: 1

`The two boys watched the sport`_

.. vspace:: 1

`Ralph put his hand in the outstretched palm of the teacher`_

.. vspace:: 1

`"Now!  All together!"`_ (missing from book)





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`THE ROLL-CALL`:

.. class:: center x-large bold

   THE ACADEMY BOYS IN CAMP.

.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER I.

.. class:: center medium bold

   THE ROLL-CALL.

.. vspace:: 2

Groups of excited boys were gathered in the school-room
of Massillon Academy one morning in June, near
the end of the term.

So busy were they with their conversation that
the bell had sounded twice before they began to
disperse, and even then the last words were exchanged
as they went to their seats.

"Order!" was the stern command from the teacher's
desk.

Quiet at once followed, and the roll was called as
usual, followed by morning devotions.

Then Mr. Bernard came forward to the edge of the
platform, and said quietly, "The leaves containing the
lesson for the day have been torn from my 'Anabasis,'
and a rumour has reached me that all the class-books
have been similarly mutilated.  Let those who have
thus lost portions of their books stand up."

Fifteen boys, the entire class, sprang to their feet
as if they had been waiting for the signal--some
with a laugh, as if they considered it a good joke;
others indignant; and all with an air of excitement
and expectation, knowing that the offender was sure
to be called to account.

Mr. Bernard glanced from face to face with short,
sharp scrutiny, and said, without further comment,
"Be seated."

Taking the large school ledger from the desk, he
said, "I will call the roll.  Let each boy answer on
his honour.  If you say 'No,' I shall understand that
you had nothing to do with planning or executing
this mischief."

There were eighty-five boys in the Academy; and
as their names were called, each and all, from Adams
to Warden, answered with a ringing "No!"  After
the last name there was a silence.

Mr. Bernard put aside the ledger, and surveyed the
school.  A slow, sweeping glance of the keen gray
eyes searched every boyish face.

The most guilty-looking lad in the room was Joe
Chester--"Little Joe" as every one called him; and
Joe Chester was above suspicion.

Mr. Bernard did not for a moment suspect that Joe's
confusion was the result of guilt; but knowing the
boy so well, he felt sure that he had some knowledge
of the offender, and that the knowledge was a burden.

After another glance along the seats where the
older boys sat, the teacher said, very soberly, and with
a peculiar look in his searching eyes: "Is it possible
that we have a liar amongst us?  A LIAR!"

The boys shrank visibly from this plain speaking,
but the teacher repeated it slowly, "A LIAR!"

A lie was a deadly sin with Mr. Bernard, and the
boy who would tell a deliberate falsehood he considered
mean enough and bad enough for any wickedness.

He was a "liar," and no other word would describe
him, even if he wore the finest broadcloth, or stood
at the head of the class.  The word had been spoken
almost in a whisper, but with such emphasis that it
seemed to ring through the school-room, and to come
echoing back from the four walls.

Every honest boy felt thankful that the word could
not apply to him; and some who had never considered
an untruth a very shocking thing felt they would
never be guilty of another.

To the astonishment of all, after another silence,
in which the echo of the terrible word seemed still
sounding through the room, Mr. Bernard said quietly,
"You are dismissed."

The matter was surely a serious one when they
were dismissed so early in the day with lessons
unheard.  The boys passed out in silence, most of them
forgetting to be glad of a holiday.

Not till they were out of the building did any boy
venture even to whisper to his neighbour.

Some retired at once to their rooms; but most of
the pupils gathered in knots on the playground, to
talk over the subject uppermost in the minds of all.

Joe Chester was not ready to discuss the question,
and was not intending to join the crowd of talkers;
but as he passed there was a cry: "Chester!  Ho
there, Chester!"

He waved his hand towards them, and was passing
on, when one of the older boys seized him roughly by
the collar, and straightway pulled him into one of the
groups.

Joe struggled bravely to release himself; but being
one of the smallest boys in the class, he stood small
chance of escaping his assailant; so laughing
good-naturedly, he allowed himself to be drawn into the
centre of the crowd of eager talkers.

"That's right!  Don't let him off till he gives a
guess as to the scamp!" shouted several boys.

"Perhaps he did it himself," said the tall youth
who had appointed himself policeman to collar Joe
and bring him to the conclave.

"See here, Ralph Drayton, if I had been mean
enough to play such a miserable trick with the books,
I wouldn't be mean enough to deny it," said Joe
stoutly, throwing his head back proudly, and looking
the other straight in the eye.

Drayton laughed derisively, and said with a sneer,
"Oh, I forgot; he is 'Saint Bernard's' pet billy-goat.
*He* never would do anything bad, would he?  Oh
no."  Then in a change of tone, he added in a
conciliatory way, "Never mind me, Chester; of course I
am funning.  No one suspects *you*."

"No, I suppose not," said Joe coolly.

This he said with his honest blue eyes fastened
searchingly on Ralph Drayton's small black ones.

The black eyes fell beneath the glance, but Drayton
quickly recovered himself, and loosing his grasp on
Joe's collar, said with a laugh, "I'll bet anything that
the janitor did it!"

"Oh, pooh!  The janitor!" said a half-dozen boys
derisively.

"What did *he* care about the lesson?"

"Well, who then could it be?  If I could find out,
I'd thrash him for spoiling my book.  I'll get a lecture
from father at home when he sees that torn book.
You see my brother Nelson is coming next year, and
he will take my books as I leave them.  My copy
was new too!" and Ralph's tone was one of righteous
indignation.

Joe Chester was too impatient to listen longer, and
turned to go; but Drayton shouted, "Hold on,
Chester! where are you going?"

"In," answered Joe shortly, motioning with his
head towards the commons.

"Wait for me; I am going in too.  It's no use to
stand here and guess who did the mischief."

Joe Chester walked straight on, but Ralph Drayton
overtook him with three strides.

As soon as they were out of hearing of the group
on the playground, Drayton turned suddenly and said,
"See here, Joe Chester, what do you know about this
fuss?"

Joe walked on and made no answer.

"You know something.  I saw it in your eye
just now back there, and I saw it in your red face
when old Bernard called the roll.  You can't cheat me!"

"Well, Drayton, I am sure I don't want to cheat you.
Yes, I do know something about it."

"What! do you know who tore the books?"

"Yes."

This Joe said steadily, with his eyes upon Ralph's
face.

Both boys paused in their walk; and Joe, leaning
back against the fence, folded his arms.

"Who was it?"

"You want to know, really?"

"To be sure I want to know."

"Well, Drayton, it was a fellow about your size;
and the sooner he goes to Mr. Bernard and owns it,
the better for him and for all the rest of us."

.. _`"It was a fellow about your size"`:

.. figure:: images/img-018.jpg
   :figclass: white-space-pre-line
   :align: center
   :alt: "It was a fellow about your size."

   "It was a fellow about your size."

Drayton turned pale, and said, "Chester, do you
mean that I did it?"

"I do mean just that."

Drayton's fists doubled up threateningly, and he was
about to assume a fighting attitude, when he changed
his plan, and tried to coax Joe.

"Oh come, Joe, you know better.  You are only
chaffing.  I thought at first that you were in earnest."

"You thought right then," added Joe dryly.

Drayton made no reply, but tried to stare
indignantly at Joe.

The effort failed; his own eyes dropped before the
steady, honest eyes that looked him through.

"How do you know?--what made you think I did
it?" added Drayton hurriedly, fearing that he had
admitted his guilt.

"I saw you burning paper in the garden last
evening, and although I had no idea then that you
were up to mischief, I felt sure of it as soon as I
found the fellows all complaining about their books."

"Pooh! those were letters I was burning--some I
didn't want to carry home."

"They were not letters, they were book-leaves.  I
saw them plainly."

"Spy!" hissed Drayton furiously.  "You hung
around and watched."

"I did not.  I was passing along that way because
I left my geometry under the big tree, and I had to
finish my lesson before bedtime."

"Oh yes," sneered Drayton.  "You had time to
take special notice of the size of the paper.  You'd
no business there; and I have a good mind to thrash
you within an inch of your life."

Joe laughed at this furious threat.  "I didn't know
you owned the garden, or I would have kept out of it.
As for thrashing, you know I don't thrash easy, even
by a boy of your size.  You tried it once.  If you
think it will help you out of your scrape, you can
try it again."

Drayton looked amazed.  Here was little Joe
Chester not only defying him, but actually laughing
at his threat as if it were a joke.

"Well, I'll tell you what it is, Chester: if you breathe
a word about this I will have my revenge somehow."

Chester began to look fierce now himself.  "Come,
Drayton, you have blustered and fumed long enough.
You had better change your course.  I am not easily
frightened."

Drayton had reached the same conclusion, and,
changing his tone, said almost pleadingly,--

"Chester, if I am found out in this I'll be sent
home, and my father would be awfully cut up if I
had to leave this school.  He is in a hurry to get
me into college, and this would put me back if I
get expelled.  Don't you tell what you know, will
you, Joe?"  Then he added hurriedly, "I was an idiot
to do it!  I knew it as soon as I tore out the first
leaf, which happened to be from Mr. Bernard's book.
After that was gone, I was in for the business, and I
just rushed it through."

"What put such a silly joke into your head?"
asked Joe, curious to have that explained.

"Oh, Ben Carver and I planned it together.  We
thought it would be fun to get up a fuss over the
books; but Ben backed out."

"Then Ben Carver knows it too?" asked Joe, with
a sigh of relief, as if his burden were lightened by
this assurance that some one else shared the secret.

"Yes, Carver knows, but I can trust him.  He will
just as soon lie as not, though he hadn't the pluck to
carry out the plan.  It all rests with you, Chester: if
you will stand by me I shall come through all right."

"Well, Drayton, I'll do anything I can, except lie,
for you.  You needn't ask that."

"What if Bernard asks if you know?"

"If he asks me that question plump and fair, I shall
have to say yes."

Drayton looked frightened and pale.

"Then it is all up with me, for he *will* ask as sure
as fate."

"Now, Ralph, take my advice," said Joe, putting
his arm over Drayton's shoulder.  "Go and tell Mr. Bernard
the truth.  It isn't too late.  Come; I will go
with you."

The boy shook off Joe's arm, and said, "Nonsense,
Joe; he might forgive the mischief, but he never
would overlook the lie.  I would be expelled at once.
No, Joe, my only hope is in you.  If you won't lie
for me--"

"And you do not expect me to do that?" interrupted
Joe proudly.

"No.  I suppose you wouldn't lie to save yourself,
and I can't expect you to for me, but I hate to go
home in disgrace.  The fact is, though I have been
bragging around here, my father has pretty hard work
to give us boys an education.  Oh, such an idiot as I
was!"

"Well, Drayton, I am sorry for you.  I really am;
and you may depend on me never to expose you.  I'll
let you do that yourself."

Drayton brightened up.

"Then you will keep mum?"

"Of course I will."

"Lie or no lie?"

"I didn't say that at all.  If Mr. Bernard asks if I
know, I shall be obliged to say yes, but he can't make
me tell who did it."

"Not if he should threaten to expel you?"

Joe hesitated for a moment, and then said, "He
would hardly do that, but if he should,--no, not even
then."

"Joe Chester, you are a good fellow!  Give us
your hand!  Now mum is the word!"





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`A COSTLY "YES"`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER II.


.. class:: center medium bold

   A COSTLY "YES."

.. vspace:: 2

It was near the close of the summer term, the end of
the school-year, and the boys were looking forward
with brightest anticipations towards the camping
season.  Provided their school reports had averaged well
throughout the year, the boys were given a fortnight
of camp-life before scattering to their several homes.

Sometimes they had gone to the mountains with
their tents and accoutrements for hunting and fishing;
sometimes to Lake Myrtle; and last year they had
explored Barrimore river from the mouth to the source.

This year Mr. Bernard had obtained permission to
take his boys out to Whaleback, an island containing
about a hundred acres, uninhabited save by the family
of the lighthouse-keeper.

There they would be "monarchs of all they surveyed,"
and no one would be disturbed by their noise--consequently
no one to complain of "those dreadful boys."

This excursion was the great treat of the year for
the Academy boys, and through the spring months it
was the favourite theme for conversation.

Some ten or fifteen of the boys had forfeited their
right to join the excursion by bad conduct or
incorrigible laziness with lessons; but those who had
reason to expect to go were already collecting and
putting in order fishing-tackle, guns, bows and arrows, and
all the things that boys consider essential to camp-life.

The rifle barrels were polished till they shone like
steel mirrors; and under the careful supervision of
one of the teachers, the owners practised with them
two or three times a week.

The archery club had their targets set in the
playground, and were in daily practice, the members
considering themselves rivals of the rifle club.

Joe Chester was one of the most eager of all for
the fun of camp-life, and he, with some four or five
other boys, had ordered a boat to be sent to the
landing where they were to take the steamer for the
island.

Two or three other boats had also been engaged for
the use of the scholars--row-boats; for Mr. Bernard
absolutely declined the responsibility of sail-boats, even
for those who were accustomed to manage them.

During the forenoon following the summary dismissal
of school, the boys were anxiously discussing
the probable effect of this mischief upon their vacation
trip; and, after all, their conjectures ended in a
return to the same question, "Who can the mean
fellow be who made all this trouble?"

In the midst of the discussion the great bell
sounded, and the boys returned to the school-room.

There were no laggards now; every boy was in
his seat before the desk-bell had been struck.

Mr. Bernard stood in the desk with his hand on
the open ledger, while the other teachers were seated
near by.

The room was so still that a pin dropped would have
sounded loud, and the boys almost held their breath
while they waited for Mr. Bernard to speak.

He was evidently in no haste; lessons could wait.
After a silence that seemed very long to the boys, he
began to speak.

It was a short, sharp lecture upon the meanness of
falsehood and all deceit, without a word in regard to
the original trouble--the mutilation of the books.

I think it doubtful if a lecturer ever before had so
attentive and awe-struck an audience.  At the close
he said, "Boys, I will call the roll once more.  Let
each answer on his honour--if he have any honour--whether
he mutilated the books of the class in 'Anabasis.'"

Again from the beginning to the end of the roll
the names were called, and again every voice
unhesitatingly answered, "No."

Joe Chester's face was crimson; he dared not look up.

Some of his school-mates noticed his confusion, and
whispered to their neighbours, "Look at little Joe!
Do you suppose he did it after all?"

"Is it possible?" exclaimed Mr. Bernard in a
despairing tone.  "Have I been harbouring a liar
among my boys all the year?"

With a sigh he opened the book again, and said,
"On your honour, boys, answer me this question: Do
you know who did the mischief?  Although I confess
I almost forget *that* in my regret that one of my boys
has told a direct lie."

Once more the boys answered to their names, "No."

Joe listened almost heart-sick, hoping that Carver
would say yes; but his negative was a decided one.

Then followed "Cheney."

"No."

"Chester."

The whole burden was to rest on him after all.

Joe blushed to the very roots of his hair, and
without glancing up, answered bravely, "Yes, sir."

There was a little pause, followed by a suppressed
buzz of surprise; then Mr. Bernard proceeded with
the roll.

Again Drayton's name was called; and, as before,
he answered boldly, "No."

No one but Joe Chester in all the school knew
aught of the mischief-maker.

The ledger was returned to its place in the desk,
and leaving the room in charge of Mr. Andrews, one
of the head-teachers, Mr. Bernard retired to his study,
and summoned poor Joe for an interview.

The boy turned as pale as he had been rosy, as he
passed up the room and across the platform to the
door of the study, and disappeared.

"Little Chester, after all!" said some.

"Ain't I glad I am not Joe Chester?" and similar
expressions, were exchanged by the boys, until
Mr. Andrews began to distribute black marks, which had
a tendency to restore order, as a certain number of
these marks would prevent participation in the summer
gipsying, and some of the boys were alarmingly near
the limit.

The eighty-five tongues were stilled, but twice
eighty-five eyes were continually straying towards the
study door behind the desk.  In the meantime, Drayton
could only conceal his anxiety and alarm by
pretending to be very much engaged looking up a
Latin translation, while all the time he was saying
over and over to himself, "Joe promised to be mum!
Joe promised to be mum!" and the minutes seemed
hours.

"What could teacher and scholar be doing?"

The boys were all asking themselves that question,
as they studied, or tried to study, in obedience to
Mr. Andrews's orders.

It was a full hour before Joe appeared and came
across the platform.

He did not glance up as he came down the room,
and hastily seated himself, bending over his book,
with both hands thrust through his short curls.

Mr. Bernard did not appear at once, and the lessons
went on as usual.

When the usual hour for closing came, Mr. Bernard
addressed the school again:--

"I am aware that among boys there is a code of
honour in regard to information that will implicate a
companion, and I have respect for it; but in this case,
if the boy who is guilty will not confess, I deem it
my duty to the school to hunt him down, and it seems
to me that ordinary scruples ought not to prevent
justice.  This lie rests like a cloud over the whole
school.  Chester refuses to tell me what he knows."

A murmur of applause followed, but a heavy rap
on the desk silenced it, and Mr. Bernard continued:--

"I am sorry to add, that unless the guilty boy is
manly enough to save him by confessing his guilt,
Chester must lose his fortnight in camp."

An audible "Oh no!" followed this.  But Joe's
voice did not join in the murmur; he only bent a
little lower over his book, and looked steadily at the
page without seeing a word upon it.

"You are dismissed."

The bell gave the signal for each class, and the
boys passed out in an orderly way; but once outside
there was a shout, "Chester!  Chester!"

As soon as he appeared he was seized by the crowd
and borne on the shoulders of his comrades to the
centre of the playground, where all began cheering
and scolding him in the same breath.

"If any fellow is mean enough to keep still and
let you bear the punishment, he ought to be told on!
I wouldn't keep his secret for him!" exclaimed one of
the older boys.

"I declare I didn't know we had such a mean
fellow among us!" said another.

"He must feel about the size of a dried pea about
this time."

"But he won't be mean enough to let you stay
behind and go himself to camp out," said Fred
Wurden, one of the quiet boys.

Some of the more impulsive boys cried, "If Joe
can't go, we won't any of us go!"

Joe said little, and went away to his room as soon
as possible with David Winter, his room-mate.
Drayton had not joined the indignant crowd.  He and
Ben Carver had an errand at the village, and hurried
away; and during the remainder of the term these
two boys held themselves aloof from the other boys,
who were, however, too busy with their plans for
vacation to remark upon it.

Only once did Ralph and Joe meet alone, and then
Ralph said, "I don't know how this affair is to end,
old boy; but I would rather be in your shoes than
mine."

"So would I!" exclaimed Joe heartily.

At length the examinations were over, and the last
day of school was about closing, when Mr. Bernard
said, "To-morrow morning at six we are to start for
the Cape to take steamer for our island camp-ground.
Several boys will be left behind, having forfeited their
pleasure.  Unless the boy who was guilty of the
mischief, and the far greater crime of hiding himself
behind a lie, will confess, Joseph Chester must stay
behind."

There was a pause long enough to allow the guilty
boy time to speak.

"There is time now for the guilty boy or boys to
speak."

No voice answered, and the silence grew painful.

Then Mr. Bernard said, "Chester, my boy, unless
you receive other orders you will remain behind.
This, I think you know, gives me more pain than it
does you, and I am sure you understand why I deem
it necessary."

Chester bowed, and made a desperate effort to bear
the sentence bravely, but soon resorted to the old
attitude, and sat staring blindly at his book, with both
elbows on the desk and both hands buried in his hair.

The boys passed out of the room when dismissed,
and only Chester remained behind with the teachers,
who waited to speak with him; but finding that he
could not well bear their pity, and that his quivering
lips could not frame a reply, each expressed his regret
at the disappointment, and presently Joe occupied the
room alone.  Still he showed no sign of moving after
a half-hour had passed.

Presently the door opened and some one peeped in;
then Joe heard a step inside, and with the pretence of
looking up a book on the different desks, he stood a
moment at Joe's side, and dropped a note on his open
Virgil, and then hastily retreated.

Joe unfolded the note and read:--

.. vspace:: 2

"JOE, I hate to go.  I only go to keep my father
from finding out.  You can't hate me any more than
I hate myself.  \D."

.. vspace:: 2

That evening Joe kept his room; he could not bear
to hear his friends saying continually, "Poor Joe!"
"Oh, if Joe could go!"





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`OFF FOR WHALEBACK`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER III.


.. class:: center medium bold

   OFF FOR WHALEBACK.

.. vspace:: 2

In the early morning Joe heard the shouts of the
merry crowd as they went down through the Academy
grounds to the river where the steamer was waiting
to take the party out to the island.  The boys were
laden with blankets, fishing-rods, guns, or other warlike
implements; while tents and cooking utensils were
taken along in a waggon.

David Winter remained behind with Joe until the
whistle sounded, feeling sure that the culprit would
confess at the last moment, and that Joe would go
after all.

Finding that the hope had been a vain one, he gave
Joe a parting hug that would have done credit to the
most affectionate bear in the world, and without a
word darted out of the room.

As soon as Joe was alone he opened a little note
that he had been holding tight in his hand--one
that Mr. Bernard had put there himself when he came
to the door to say good-bye.

It was a short note, but it gave Joe a great deal of
pleasure,

.. vspace:: 2

"DEAR BOY,--I am sure you know that I am more
than sorry to leave you behind.

.. vspace:: 1

"It seems to me the only way to reach the offender,
and I hope he will yet confess.  Be sure I shall send
for you at once if he should do so.  Meanwhile don't
go home.  The summons may come at any time.
Yours with affection, \J. \W. BERNARD."

.. vspace:: 2

The boat was gay with flags that streamed from
every available point, and the band was playing the
liveliest airs as the boys stepped on board.

"Are we all here?" asked Mr. Bernard, as he stood
on the top of the saloon and glanced over the crowd
of lads.

"All but little Joe!" said one or two boys a little
spitefully.

"Carver isn't here yet, sir!" said another.

"Sure enough; where is Carver?" asked the teacher.

"Blow the whistle again!" shouted Mr. Bernard.

"Drayton is missing too!" exclaimed Mr. Andrews.

"O father, here's a note one of the chambermaids
gave me for you.  I forgot all about it," cried Max
Bernard, the teacher's little son, who was to make one
of the party.

Mr. Bernard opened the note hastily and read:--


"MR. BERNARD,--I can't go with you.  Let Joe
Chester go, please.  I did the mischief, and was afraid
to tell.  Ben Carver knew about it, but did not do it.
We are going off together.  Please send our fathers
word that we are safe.  RALPH DRAYTON.

"*P.S.*--I was never sorrier in my life, Mr. Bernard."


Mr. Bernard read the note again carefully, and then
said to the waiting crowd,--

"Drayton and Carver have gone, they do not say
where; but in this note which they leave behind,
Drayton confesses that he is the guilty person."

A murmur of astonishment passed around the
throng of boys, which was changed to a cheer when
Mr. Bernard added,--

"Who will go back for Chester?"

A score of eager voices shouted, "I, sir!" and
before he could speak again a dozen boys had leaped
ashore, led by David Winter, and were scampering
like a herd of wild deer across the fields towards the
Academy boarding-house, each determined to be first
in announcing the good news to Joe Chester.

It was at least a mile from the shore to the house,
and the boys raced as they had never raced before,
Dave, Joe's "chum" and room-mate, keeping the lead
all the way, but with such an effort that he only
reached the head of the stairs as one or two of the
other boys reached the foot.

Without stopping to knock, he pushed open the
door, and fell upon Joe, who, hearing the rush of feet,
had come forward with eager expectation.

.. _`He pushed open the door and fell upon Joe`:

.. figure:: images/img-034.jpg
   :figclass: white-space-pre-line
   :align: center
   :alt: He pushed open the door and fell upon Joe.

   He pushed open the door and fell upon Joe.

"What's the matter, Dave?" Joe cried in real
alarm, as the boy, too breathless to speak, incoherently
gasped, "It's all right!  You are to go.  Come on,
old boy!"

The other boys were in the room now, and as all
were panting and holding their sides, it was rather
difficult for Joe to make out the story they had come
to tell.

But he was to go to the island after all; he knew
that, and that was good news enough.

He gathered, also, that Drayton had confessed and
was missing.

"Where did you say they are gone?"

"Nobody knows."

"Nobody cares!" added another.

"I care," said Joe boldly.  "I wish I had time to
hunt him up!"

"You, of all fellows!  You hunt him up!" exclaimed
Frank Furman.

"The idea of your troubling yourself about him!"
cried Dave angrily.  "You make me mad, Joe!"

"But I know something how he was feeling, and
what a hard thing it was for him to confess."

"Never mind him!" said Dave impatiently.  "The
boat is waiting!  Where's your baggage?"

"I'll take your rod," said Ned Gould, taking Joe's
fishing-rod from the hooks.

"No, not that one.  Ralph left his for me.  The
janitor brought it around; he said he found it in the
hall.  Poor Ralph!" said Joe, examining the paper
tied to the rod with the address, "For Joe Chester."

"Humph! that's the least he could do!" grumbled
Dave.  "Come, get your things together quick!" and
he pulled Joe's valise from under the bed.

Joe was too excited to help much, but among them
all they soon had the valise filled; and with a whoop
that would have delighted the heart of a red Indian,
the boys dashed downstairs, nearly crushing the janitor,
who was labouring slowly up to investigate the noise
coming from Room 8.

The race back to the steamboat was not quite so
brisk as that to the house had been, but they were
not long on the way.

They were hailed by the throng of boys on the
boat with cheer after cheer as they came in sight,
and most of the boys leaped ashore and rushed to
greet the hero of the occasion, who was quite overcome
with congratulations and expressions of delight.

Mr. Bernard had gone to make inquiries about the
two missing boys, and the boat was kept waiting till
nearly noon, when he came with the tidings that
Drayton and Carver had sailed that morning in a
fishing-smack from that very wharf.

Mr. Bernard had also written to the boys' parents,
giving a brief account of the trouble, with information
in regard to their sailing, the name of the vessel, and
the time when it might be expected to return to port.
At the close he had expressed his regret that he must
decline to receive the boys again as pupils.

"Gone in a fishing-smack!"--"Such high-toned
fellows, too!"

These were some of the exclamations of the boys.

The delay was over at last.

The boat swung around from the pier and steamed
away; the band played "Bonnie Dundee," and the
boys' shouts quite drowned the music.

The day was beautiful and bright, and every one
was in high spirits, as the little boat puffed its way
out between the capes and towards Whaleback, which
lay within sight, and among scores of white sails, from
that of the tiniest wherry up to the broad canvas of
the huge ships sailing proudly away to foreign ports.

They passed one fishing-smack on which somebody
thought he espied two boys who looked about Drayton
and Carver's size; but when they passed it no one
but the captain and his one helper could be seen.

"I'll bet Drayton and Carver are down in that
cabin.  I just know I saw them dodge; besides, I
saw the twinkle in that old fisherman's eye," said
Dick Wooster.

The orders were for the steamboat to land its
passengers on the southern side of Whaleback; and
as they steamed past the lighthouse on its rocky
perch, and the long line of jagged coast against which
the waves were dashing furiously, the boys wondered
how they were to get ashore.  On rounding the
southern end, a fine pebbly beach, sheltered a little by
projecting points of land, offered a comfortable entrance
for boats.

The steamboat anchored outside, and four boats
were lowered and speedily filled with boys, who were
almost ready to jump overboard and swim ashore in
their eagerness to land.

The landing occupied some time, as the boats made
many trips before all the boys, tents, bedding, stove,
cooking utensils, and, last but not least, the provisions
for the hungry crowd, could be put on shore.

Jonas Brown, the cook, and his man Freitag (conveniently
translated by the boys, "Friday"), attended
to that part of the labour, and long before the boxes
and barrels were all ashore, the boys were demanding
something to eat.

Some started off on an exploring tour; others
helped to put up the tents; and some of the hungriest
went grubbing in the clam-beds,[#] still wet with the
receding tide.

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: noindent small

[#] Clams are shell-fish, used for food.

.. vspace:: 2

"Here are clam-forks, boys," shouted Jonas.  "Glad
to have your help.  You dig the clams, and I'll build
up my fire and get ready for a bake.  I reckon that
will taste as good as anything."

"A clam-bake! a clam-bake!  Who will dig clams?"

More boys volunteered than could find forks to dig
with; but not to be outdone, some of them worked
with sticks, prying in the mud wherever the little
holes indicated the presence of the shell-fish.

Jonas showed those who had forks how to strike
them deep into the beds, and the boys were apt
scholars; so that by the time the rocks were well
heated, and the sea-weed gathered, there were clams
enough piled up on the shore to furnish a feast even
for such a crowd of boys.

While the clams were slowly baking under their
sea-weed cover, Jonas and his Friday pitched their
cook-tent, set up their stove, and baked biscuits to be
eaten with the clams.

Long before the roast was pronounced "done," the
boys were on hand waiting for the sea-weed to be
removed, and a hungrier pack of young savages never
danced around a clam-pile.

A barrel of biscuits had been opened on their first
arrival at the island, and the boys had "taken the
sharp edge off their appetite," as they said, by eating
them; otherwise Jonas would never have been able to
bring those clams to the stage of perfection that he did.

"Come, Jonas! they are done to a turn!" cried the
impatient boys.

"They will lose all their goodness in that good
smell," said Joe, sniffing the air.

All noses went up, and fifty boys gave a prolonged
"Ah!  Isn't that gul--orious?"

It did seem that Jonas was provokingly slow in
testing those clams; but at last he said, in his
drawling way, "Well, now, I reckon them'll do!"

The boys cheered this remark, and hastened to
offer their assistance in removing the sea-weed; but
Jonas declined their offer in a most decided way.

"Now, you just move off, every boy of you! or you
shan't have a clam.  Off with you, till I get 'em out
in piles, and give every one a fair chance!"

The boys knew by experience that it was policy to
keep Jonas good-natured; so, with a good deal of
pushing and whooping, they widened the circle, and
contented themselves with watching the operations
and exhorting Jonas to "hurry up."

"Now, that there pile belongs to the gentlemen!"
said Jonas, pointing to the first heap that he threw
down on the clean pebbles.

"O Jonas! aren't we all gentlemen?" asked Walter
Martin, and a chorus of groans followed from the other
boys.

Jonas vouchsafed no reply, but continued to shovel
out clams and divide them into a half-dozen piles
along the beach; while the boys danced around,
awaiting the signal of the bell.

Freitag presently appeared with the great bell, and,
although the summons was wholly unnecessary so far
as the boys were concerned, as they had been at the
scene of action for nearly an hour, it brought the
teachers from their work of tent-raising.

After a blessing asked by Mr. Bernard, permission
was given to the hungry crowd to attack the shellfish.

There were three courses provided--roast clams,
then warm biscuit, and finally a dessert of gingersnaps,
a barrel of which stood open from which all
helped themselves.

Fortunately the boys were not difficult to suit, and
they pronounced it a meal fit for a king.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`IN CAMP`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER IV.


.. class:: center medium bold

   IN CAMP.

.. vspace:: 2

After the dinner Mr. Bernard said, "There are two
dozen hatchets, and I want two dozen boys to use
them."

"Oh yes, the fir-boughs to be chopped!" said a dozen
voices.

"I'll chop!"

"I'm the boy for a hatchet!"

In a minute the two dozen hatchets were seized, and
as soon as the boys received their directions about the
bushes they were allowed to cut, they started off for
the pasture, followed by a crowd to drag the boughs
back to camp, where others of the party, who had
done the same work before, were to lay them down
for beds.  The pasture where the boys had gone for
the fragrant fir-boughs extended across the end of
the island and stretched back a half-mile to the
woods,--a dense growth of hemlocks, junipers, firs, oaks,
beeches, wild cherries, thorn trees, and hazel bushes.
Along the course of a stream running from a spring
grew rows of alders, over which ran the clematis; and
along the edge of the water-course grew clumps of
ferns and patches of velvety moss.

These woods extended for a mile, thinning at the
other end of the island into a bush-covered pasture
that, a little later in the season, would furnish all the
blueberries and whortleberries the boys would want,
and, later still, would be a garden of golden-rods and
wild asters.  All around the shore of the island,
except at the southern end, was a border of rough
boulders and cliffs, upon the highest of which was
perched the lighthouse, with its revolving lantern.

While the boys were at work in the pasture, Jonas
and Freitag were putting up their long tables of
matched boards and covering the whole with oilcloth,
"to look more civilized-like than bare boards," Jonas
said.

Then the great baskets of tinware were unpacked,
and the table set for the next meal; for Jonas had
camped out before with Mr. Bernard's school, and he
knew that they liked to see signs of the next meal as
soon as one was disposed of.  Moreover, he had
discovered that they were less likely to be around
sampling the crackers if they saw the table set.  He
may have been deceived in this, but Jonas was a
pretty keen observer, especially in the line of his
profession.

Seeing some of the boys idle, Jonas called, "Here,
you fellows, catch me some fish for supper.  There's
plenty of chances along the shore yonder.  I saw 'em
when we came past.--You go along too, Freitag, and
help 'em."

The boys were all eager for the sport.

"Here's bait, and a big pile of fishing-rods all
rigged.  Take that there big basket for your fish,"
continued Jonas, as if he were giving orders to a
group of fishermen.

The boys, however, followed his directions
good-naturedly, each seizing a rod, but leaving "Friday,"
as they called the man, to bring on the bait and
fish-basket.

"Remember your promise, boys, not to go into
dangerous places," called Mr. Bernard.

"Yes, sir, we will be careful," answered the boys.
They were soon perched on the rocks, dropping
their hooks into the water and pulling them out,
exclaiming, "I've got a bite!"

"So have I."

"My! ain't they plenty!"

"There's one!  Hold on, my beauty!  Let go my hook!"

It was lively work, as they said, and presently
they had enough to do to bait hooks and take off fish
without much talking.  Jonas gave a grunt of
satisfaction as Freitag came dragging the heavy basket
and exclaiming, "Py, but dat was a pig pizness!"

"Now, I can get a supper as is a supper!" exclaimed
the cook.--"Freit, you just get them fish
ready, and I'll cut up the pork.  It ain't nigh
supper-time, of course; dinner isn't much more than over, so
you boys go off somewhere.  Why don't you go see
the lighthouse?"

Now Jonas was very cunning in making this suggestion,
for he knew the lighthouse was at the other
end of the island, a mile and a half away, and if the
crowd would only start on that pilgrimage, he could
have peace and quiet, and get supper at his leisure.
His suggestion seemed good to the boys, and they
cried, "Oh yes, the lighthouse!"

"Hurrah for the lighthouse!"

"Mr. Bernard, may we go to the lighthouse?"

Mr. Bernard was in his tent; but hearing his name
called, he came outside.

"We want to go to the lighthouse.  Can we go?"

"Yes, if Mr. Andrews is ready to go now; he has
an errand there to see about a supply of milk.  Now,
boys, I have not found out the dangerous places on
the island, and until we have explored a little
ourselves, I want you to use extra precautions.  Remember,
no bathing except on the beach where we landed;
that slopes very evenly, and I think there is no
under-current."

"We will be careful, sir."

"We will remember," said the boys.

"Come on; who wants to go to the lighthouse?"

"Ho, for the lighthouse!"

The choppers and bough-layers were at leisure
again, and many of them joined the party.

Others said, "Oh, I am too tired to go so far!"

"Wait till to-morrow!"

But the first speakers were already hurrying across
the pasture with Mr. Andrews, stopping here and there
to pick strawberries or raspberries, and to look for some
blueberries that had ripened before their fellows.

The walk was longer than they expected, and the
way through the tangled underbrush of the woods
was no easy one; but they at length came out into
the pasture-land at the northern end of the island, and
from there the path was smoother.

The light-keeper gave them a gruff but hearty
welcome, and his wife invited as many to come into her
nest of a house as the little room would hold.

The two boys belonging to the family were shy but
radiant at the prospect of something to break the
monotony of their island life.

"I suppose you want to go up and see the lantern,
boys," said Jacob Kramer, the light-keeper.--"Here
you, John and Jerry, go up with 'em, and tell 'em all
about how it works."

John made no reply save to run up the steps leading
to the lighthouse, and Jerry, with the crowd of
other boys, followed, or as many as could enter at
once.

After the lantern had been examined, John led the
way down the side of the cliff where they could see
the surf-bell rung by the waves.

"That sounds like somebody's funeral!" exclaimed
Joe Chester, shrugging his shoulders.

"Doesn't it keep you awake at night?" asked Ned
Gould.

John shook his head.

"Nothin' keeps me awake, only the storms when
the big waves strike 'way up against the house and
spatter the top windows."

"Do you have such storms as that, really?" asked Dave.

John nodded, and added with frankness,--

"When them come Jerry and I get scared, and
crawl down to father's room."

"Don't you get lonesome here?" asked Joe, glancing
around at the rocks and water forming the landscape.

"Not very.  We don't get lonesome at all in the
summer."

"What do you do for fun?"

"Oh, we build towers on the cliff.  We've got a big
one now.  Come over and see it;" and both boys
scampered off over the rough rocks with their bare feet,
leaving the others to pick their way more carefully.

The tower was as high as Jerry's head, and large
enough for four boys to stand upon comfortably.  In
the centre was a fir-tree from which the boys had
trimmed every branch, until it was like a flag-staff.

"Some time we are going to have a flag of our own
to fly atop there," said Jerry with pride.

"I've got a good-sized flag over in camp that you
may have; it will do till you can get a bigger," said
Walter Martin.

"What else do you do besides build stone things?"
asked Dave curiously.

"Oh, lots of things."

"You fish off the rocks, I suppose."

"Yes, plenty of fish round here.  We go off in the
boat with father, too, to tend the lobster-pots."

"Lobster-pots! what are they?" asked Joe.

"What you catch lobsters in.  Didn't you ever see
a lobster-pot?  There's some there on the grass."

"What! these cages?  How do you catch them with these?"

The boys gathered around the "cages" and examined them.

"See, this hole grows small at the back of it, and
the lobster is so anxious to get the bait inside that he
squeezes through; but after he is in he doesn't know
how to double his claws back and get out, so he just
don't; he stays."

"And you catch him?"

"He catches himself," laughed John.

"All we do is to set the pot,--that is, we bait it,--and
then we anchor it off somewhere, and after a while
we go back for it and get the lobsters."

"How do you get them out?"

"See these little doors up above?  We open them,
and reach in there."

"Don't they bite?" asked Dan.

"If you don't know where to catch 'em they nip, I
tell you."

"Of course you swim like fish, both of you," said
Joe, who was quite a famous swimmer himself.

"Can't swim."

"Can't swim?  What fellows you are!  Why don't
you learn?  What if you should tumble
overboard? what would you do then?"

"Go to the bottom," answered John with a broad
smile, as if that were a funny thing to do.

The boys exclaimed over this lack of knowledge,
and Joe finally said, "See here, you two fellows; get
your father to let you come over to our camp every
day, and before our camp-life is over we will teach
you so you can swim like fish."

This was a delightful proposal to the boys, not only
because they wanted to swim, but because it would
take them among other boys.

As soon as the party returned to the lighthouse,
John and Jerry whispered the invitation to their father,
and asked if they might accept.

He consented willingly.

"May we learn to swim?"

"Well, yes, I suppose so.  I want ye to learn.  I
suppose it's time you did; and there ain't no chance
at this end o' the island."

"There is a good beach where we are camping, and
we shall fasten a rope across to show the boys how
far they can go safely."

During the boys' absence Mr. Andrews had been
negotiating with the light-keeper for all the milk he
could spare, and also for a supply of lobsters; and it
was now arranged that John and Jerry were to bring
milk every morning to camp, and remain as long as
they liked during the day.

"Come, boys; it will be nearly dark before we get
back!" said Mr. Andrews, bidding the keeper's family
good-bye.

"And we shall lose our supper.--Good-bye, John
and Jerry.  Come over early."  As if there were any
need to tell the eager boys that.

They kept near the shore on the way back; and
though it was a rocky road to travel, they saved a
half-mile thereby, and arrived with very keen
appetites just as their comrades had finished supper.

"I'm so hungry I could eat a whale, Joe," exclaimed
Dave.

"A whale! why, I could eat a brick house," was
the quick response.

"Jonas, did you save us anything?" asked a chorus
of voices.

Jonas waved a frying-pan for answer, and presently
set before them fried fish, crisp and brown, bread hot
from the oven, and warm gingerbread, all of which won
the unbounded approbation of the famished boys.

After supper the various events of the day were
recounted, and all united in declaring that it had been
the jolliest twelve hours they had ever known--a
remark that Mr. Bernard had heard every summer on
the first day in camp.

"Now, boys," said Mr. Bernard, "you are tired and
will want to retire early.  Come into my tent, and we
will have prayers together."

This tent was divided unequally into two parts;
the larger devoted to general assemblages--for
morning and evening devotions, and for a resort in wet
weather; for sleeping-tents were crowded with beds
and baggage.

Besides the large apartment in Mr. Bernard's tent,
there was one smaller--a tiny affair, where he slept
and wrote or read.

The boys gathered now in the large tent, and sat
down on the ground while Mr. Bernard read the Bible
to them and explained the portion selected in a brief
and interesting way that held the attention of the
listeners.  After the reading he offered a prayer,
asking a blessing upon them all, and praying that
none but good influences might prevail with any of
them.

Then the "good-nights" were exchanged, many of
the boys crowding around the teacher to thank him
for the pleasure they were having; and as they
scattered to their tents, many boyish words of hearty
admiration were spoken of the teacher who had
planned this vacation treat for them.

"I tell you, Dave, there ain't many teachers like
him!" exclaimed Joe Chester, as he and his friend
crept under their blankets on their mattress of
fir-boughs.

"No, *sir*, not many."

The boys were too tired to talk much, and they
were soon lulled to sleep by the dash of the ocean
against the beach, and the rattle of the pebbles as
they followed the receding water only to be tossed up
by the next incoming wave.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`THE SWIMMING-POOL`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER V.


.. class:: center medium bold

   THE SWIMMING-POOL.

.. vspace:: 2

No bell was needed to awaken the boys in the
morning; and one tent after another was thrown open to
the breeze as the boys in undress ran down the
beach for a plunge.

"Colder than Greenland's icy mountains," shouted
Joe, as he met some of the boys on their way to the
water when he was returning to his tent.

"Yes, colder than the north-east side of the pole,"
added David, who followed close behind.

"But jump in all of a sudden and it isn't bad,"
continued Joe.

The boys returned one after another, racing and
jumping and exclaiming over their icy bath; and
presently all were rosy and glowing with the exercise,
ready for anything in the line of work or fun.

They found it hard to calm down at once, as they
gathered in Mr. Bernard's tent for morning prayers;
but at the first quiet reminder of the teacher the boys
ceased their joking and listened to the Scripture
reading and the fervent prayer that they all might be
helped to live noble, Christian lives.  He asked that
they might not be contented to go through life selfishly,
seeking only their own comfort and happiness; but
that they might watch for opportunities to be helpful
to others, and that they might be kept from all
meanness of word or act.

When they came from the tent the savoury odour
of breakfast was wafted to them from the cook-tent.

Jonas and Freitag had been fishing off the point as
soon as daylight, and now the victims of their
hooks--only an hour ago swimming in the broad ocean--were
served up on tin trenchers, set at intervals along
the table.

John and Jerry arrived in time to furnish the milk
for the coffee, and room was made for them at the
table, although they had already eaten breakfast.

During the meal the boys were discussing plans for
the day, and probably the fishermen in their vessels
a mile away heard the noise, and wondered at the
babel of voices sounding across the waters.

The archery club announced that they intended to
set up their targets in the pasture and practise.

The rifle club were asking permission to use their
rifles in the woods, knowing that they were only to
do so under the supervision of one of the teachers.

Some wanted to fish, and were discussing the relative
advantages of the different shores of the island.

"If you want rock-cod I'd advise ye to go out on
the point that juts out alongside the beach," said
Jonas, throwing in a suggestion as he brought a fresh
supply of bread.

"I am going to hunt for crystal quartz; who wants
to go with me?  I found quite a lump yesterday.
See here," and little Fred Wurden displayed his
treasure.

"My! where did you find that?"

"Oh, I've seen plenty of that!  I know where
there's plenty of it--a big hole in the rocks, where
them shiny things are all hanging down!" said John,
the light-keeper's son, with shining eyes.

"Where?"--"Show us!" cried a number of voices;
and even Mr. Andrews made inquiries, and said he
would go to the place after breakfast.

"As soon as the tide is right, I move we have a
swimming match," said Joe Chester.

"When *will* the tide be right, I'd like to know?"
asked Dave.

"It is on the ebb now, and by the time our breakfast
is done it will be quite low," said another
grumblingly.

"Don't you worry; there's water enough in the
ocean for you to swim in, if the tide is down!" said
Jonas.  "Yes, water enough, forty fathoms deep!"

Jonas shook his head knowingly.

"I've been out on the point more than once, and
sometimes the water is still, and I can see bottom.
I sounded with that long fishin'-rod o' mine, and,
allowing for the tide, I reckoned there must be about
as nice a pool left there at low tide as you'd want to
see."

"Good!"--"Good for you, Jonas."

"Mr. Bernard, did you hear Jonas?" asked Joe.

"I think I heard, but there are so many talking at
once I am not sure.  If it is about a swimming-place,
I assure you I will investigate the matter this morning,
and find a safe place for you to go."

"Thank you, sir," answered Joe for himself and the
others.

"I shall stretch ropes across, showing how far I
am willing you should go out; and I expect you to
obey me strictly.  You know we have promised your
parents to run no risk.  We have camped out three
summers, and have never met with an accident; and I
sincerely trust our record may not be changed through
any carelessness of ours."

The boys agreed to follow his wishes in every
particular.

Then, having finished their breakfast, they scattered
about the island, some going to the rocks to fish, some
to pick berries, and others to practise with bows or
rifles.

Mr. Bernard and two other teachers went to the
beach with drills, iron staples, cement, and ropes, to
make the bath-beach as safe as possible.

As it was ebb-tide, it was easy to see by the wet
sea-weed on the sides of the little cove the height of
the water when the tide was in; so there was no
delay in locating the position of the first rope to be
used at high-water.

Holes were drilled in the rocks, and strong iron
staples cemented in, in which the rope was fastened.

After that was accomplished they sat on the rocks
and watched the sea, or read until the tide was at its
lowest, and the boys began to gather around, anxiously
questioning whether there was "a chance yet."

"That looks like a first-rate swimming-pool, Mr. Bernard,
just as Jonas said," remarked Joe, coming to
stand by his favourite teacher.

"So it does, Joe; but wait till I make sure.  The
water is much deeper than it looks.  I will get my
bathing-suit and try."

"Hurrah! be all ready, boys; Mr. Bernard is going
to try the water."

Led by Joe, the crowd scampered away for their
trunks, and returned before Mr. Bernard appeared.

He came at length from the bath-tent, and went
down into the water amid the cheers of the boys;
and probably their applause prevented a hasty retreat
when he learned from experience the temperature of
the water.

"I am not taking this plunge for my own pleasure,
boys!" he said, shivering and laughing.  "I hope you
will appreciate the act, for I am a martyr in your
behalf."

The first six or eight feet from the edge sloped
gradually from one to three feet in depth; beyond
that the water deepened rapidly until he was floated
from his feet and forced to swim; but everywhere
the gravelly bottom could be seen, and he was sure
there were no treacherous holes to trap the unskilful.

"Is it all right, Mr. Bernard?" asked Joe, standing
on the rocks and swinging his arms, impatient for the
leap.

"Yes, I think it is."

"May I come?" and Joe's body was thrown into
a diving position.

"Any of you who are accustomed to dive may
come here.  The others must come in by the beach,
where the water is shallower."

Before he had finished the sentence, some dozen
boys dropped or dived into the pool, and presently
he found himself surrounded by a circle of seal-like
heads as the young swimmers came to the surface one
after another.

"It is too cold for me," he said, as the boys challenged
him to swim a match.  "I must get dressed and
warmed.--Mr. Andrews, look out for the boys.  I
will send Freitag and Jonas to drill the rocks for the
other staples," and Mr. Bernard hastened away,
inwardly determined that he had taken his last plunge
in that pool.  The more timid boys and those who
could not swim at all stood at the edge, thrusting in
a foot, and then dancing and shrieking at the cold.

John and Jerry stood looking on in open-mouthed
amazement or admiration, Joe could not decide which.

"I promised to teach you to swim, didn't I?" cried
Joe, coming through the water towards them,
grasshopper fashion.

"But you needn't," said both boys retreating, as if
fearing that he would seize them and force them in.

"But it's fun!"

John shrugged his shoulders.

Joe swam to and fro with his mouth open at the
surface of the water, and blowing like a young sea-lion;
then suddenly, to the horror of the two brothers,
he disappeared beneath the waves.

"Oh, he's drowned!" shrieked both boys.

No one paid any attention to their cry, and John
fairly danced into the water in his fright.

"He's gone under! can't somebody get him?"

"Who?" asked one of the swimmers, looking
around.

"Why, that boy Joe.  I saw him go under!"

"Oh ho, Joe Chester!  You couldn't drown him if
you should try.  There he is away over there by the
rocks.  He's a regular water-rat."

And the speaker disappeared under the waves
himself.

"I mean to learn to do that myself, Jerry," said
John in a confidential tone.

Jerry nodded, as if to say, "So will I."

It seemed to the boys that they had hardly got
into the spirit of the sport, before Mr. Andrews, with
watch in hand, shouted, "Time's up, boys!"

"Oh no," groaned the swimmers.  "Give us one
more dive!"

"Well, one dive, and then you must come out."

The boys swam to the rocks, climbed up like
dripping monkeys, and in a minute the pool was full
of eddies where the divers had gone down.

As they came to the surface, Mr. Andrews shouted
again, "Come; time's up!"

As soon as his words were spoken every head disappeared,
and it was useless to call them again until
they were obliged to come up for air.

"Come on, boys; we agreed to mind!" said Joe.
"Let's go ashore;" and following his own advice, he
swam in, and ran up the beach to the bath-tent,
followed by his companions, all giving whoops and
cries, to help to warm them, they said.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`THE FOG-STORM`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER VI.


.. class:: center medium bold

   THE FOG-STORM.

.. vspace:: 2

There were two or three more days of pleasant
weather, with boating and fishing and target-shooting;
and then a fog crept in, hiding the ocean from view,
and even shutting down like a thick curtain between
the tents.

"Thick enough to bite," Joe said.

Everything was wet, and Jonas was cross; so there
was not much comfort, although most of the party
were cheerful and good-natured.

The table was taken apart and set up in the large
tent; but Jonas and his Friday had further to travel
with the meals, and they grumbled accordingly.

"No knowin' how long this fog will hang around,"
growled Jonas, as he set the tin plates down with a
clatter.

"I've known it to last a week," said Frank Furman.

"A week! what are you thinkin' of?  It about
always lasts a week!  I've known it to last a month!"

"O Jonas!" chorused the boys, glad to see any
signs of good-nature, "have you really?"

"Humph!  I camped out with a party once, and
we never saw the sun after we landed till the day we
left, and that was three weeks; for they were hardy
fellows, and they said they were bound to stay till
that fog cleared out, if it took all the vacation."

"Did they?" asked Joe, as Jonas paused in his
story to count plates.

"No, they didn't.  They got enough of it; and
when the third week was ended, and the fog was
packed down tighter than ever, one of 'em said, 'Come,
boys, I'll give it up.  I am completely mildewed now,
inside and out.  We have eaten and drunk and
breathed fog for twenty-one days, and for once I've
had enough of one thing.'"

"Well, Jonas, go on; what did the rest do?" asked
David.

"Why, they all said 'Amen,' and packed up as
quick as they could, and got into the yacht, and
started for the nearest shore.  We had to go by the
compass, because we'd no idea where the sun was.
Part of the way we rowed, and part of the way we
drifted, and by-and-by we got ashore.  Once in a
while I see one of them fellows, and they laugh about
it now, and call it a good joke; but they didn't laugh
much then."

"You didn't neither, I'm sure," said Freitag, shrugging
his shoulders.

"You are right there.  I felt like I could bite a
board-nail, for I had to work around, good weather
or bad.  No, there was only one fellow that called it
funny, after the first two or three days; and that
man nearly killed himself laughing about it!  That
fellow would have found a queer side to his own
tombstone.  He laughed about the fog, and he laughed
at the way the other fellows took it; and he laughed
so when he left the island, that the others threatened
to throw him overboard.  I've never seen him but
once since, and he began again as soon as he spied
me; and he dragged me into a shop and bought me
a nice pipe, laughing all the time the shopman was
doing it up.  'That was a jolly trip, Jonas!' says he;
and I heard him chuckling after I left him.--But
goodness, Freitag, ring that bell! the breakfast will be
stone-cold."

"You don't suppose this will last," said Max Bernard
disconsolately.  "Our tent is dripping now.  We'll all
be sick!"

"Sick! nonsense!  You won't get cold in a salt
fog," cried Walter Martin.

"It will most likely end in a big storm," exclaimed
Jonas croakingly, feeling quite safe in making such a
prophecy.

The boys groaned at the suggestion, and one of them
remarked that "there was nothing so consoling in
dull weather as making toffy."

Joe, remembering that Jonas had lost his jackknife,
slipped his own into his hand as a bribe, and
got his unwilling consent to give them butter and
sugar and a chance to boil it.

Joe Chester and David Winter were chief cooks on
the occasion, with a large crowd of advisers and
tasters; and when the toffy was boiled they poured it
into a baking-pan to cool, and took it to the large tent.

Although Jonas had given them a generous supply
of sugar and butter, there were so many boys the
toffy was eaten before it was thoroughly cool.

They had a great deal of fun over it, and the
pleasure helped to while away the dull day.

They could not have toffy-making every day, and
the fog still remained.  Some days the fog did not
lift at all, and at other times it would disappear for
an hour or two, giving them a glimpse of bright
sunshine, then it would return to wrap them in as
closely as ever.

One day they had the good fortune to see a fog-bow,
which is like a rainbow in very subdued colours--"a
Quaker rainbow," Joe called it.

After a week had passed, and the boys had exhausted
their resources for indoor amusement, the storm
predicted by Jonas commenced in the night.

Joe waked his friend Dave by pulling his hair,
words having failed to arouse him.

"Let go there!" growled Dave.

"Wake up, boy! wake up!  There's an awful storm!"

"What d'you say?" asked Dave sleepily.

"There's an awful storm, I tell you!  Don't you
hear the rain pelting on the tent?  The wind blows
like fury.  I expect our tent will be down in a minute.
The water is all running in under the canvas."

"Dripping through it, too," cried David, thoroughly
awakened by the great drops that fell fast upon his
upturned face, to avoid which he sprang from bed
only to alight in a pool of water deep enough to splash
under his feet.

Both boys laughed in spite of their discomfort, and
just then Mr. Bernard came to the tent and rapped
on the canvas.

"Boys, how are you getting on?"

"Oh, *swimmingly*."

"Yes, I presume so.  It is a fearful storm!  You are
fortunate to have your tent standing.  Several have
blown down.  You had better come over to the large
tent.  We have been strengthening the stakes around
that.  Wrap yourselves in your blankets and run."

The boys got on their rubber boots, and covering
themselves with their red blankets, they opened the
tent, stood a moment to watch the sheet of rain as it
descended, and then ran across to Mr. Bernard's tent,
which was about two rods away.

"Let us in!" cried Joe, bumping his blanketed head
against the canvas curtain.  Some one opened the
tent, and the two boys stumbled in.

"Joe and Dave!"

"Oh, got drowned out, too!"

"Did your tent go down?"

"For once Joe Chester's got water enough!"

And the boys inside made room on the table where
most of them were perched.

The teachers, with Jonas and Freitag, were driving
stakes inside and fastening the tent to them to help
to anchor it; and it seemed to need it, for sometimes
the wind would sweep in beneath the canvas and
swell it like a big balloon, as if it must either burst or
go up in spite of ropes and stakes.

"God help the sailors!" exclaimed Mr. Bernard
solemnly, as one of the sudden gusts died away.

"Oh, Ralph and Ben!" cried Joe.  "Where are
they?  Do you suppose they are out in that little
vessel, Mr. Bernard?"

"God forbid!  I trust they are in some safe
harbour.  Fishermen are wise in such matters."

"But if they *are* out!" continued Joe anxiously.
"Ralph will be frightened!  You know he is a coward,
and afraid of the water, anyway."

"I don't see how they happened to go in a vessel,"
said Frank Furman.

"They went to get away from us all, poor fellows;
they didn't know what else to do," said Joe pityingly.
"Besides, the weather was pleasant then, and the water
didn't look as if it ever could be rough; don't you
remember?"

"I think they have been sick enough of it before
this," suggested another.

"Oh, very likely they are safe in their own homes,
and pitying us poor wretches.  They would be likely
to get that fisherman to put them ashore at the first
port they made," added Ned Gould.

Still Joe worried about them, and Mr. Bernard was
very solemn; he had been anxious about the two
absent lads ever since the storm commenced.

The wind continued till morning, but the rain ceased
soon after midnight, and the boys, wrapped in their
damp blankets, lay across the long table with legs
dangling down the side, packed very closely together, and
trying to sleep; but the roaring of the sea, and the
rattle of the stones tossed by the waves, the creaking
of the tent as it swayed to and fro as far as the ropes
would allow, all combined to keep them awake.

Some gave up the effort to go to sleep, and tried to
while away the time by telling doleful stories of
shipwrecks and other disasters; and then, growing sleepy
at daylight when the others went out to see the havoc
of the storm, they were sound asleep when Mr. Bernard's
bell summoned the boys for prayers, and they
had no time for a morning toilet.

The thanksgiving for shelter and safety in the
fearful storm found an echo in every heart; and when
he prayed for their two companions that they might
be returned to their friends in safety and with the
determination to be true and noble boys hereafter,
Chester felt like uttering a loud amen.

The sun was shining brightly again, and every trace
of fog was gone, but the wind was still blowing, and
the sea a perfect witch's caldron.

After breakfast the bedding was taken out to dry,
and anchored with large stones to the ledge to keep it
from flying away.

The tents were once more pitched, and they all felt
that with the return of the sun there was also a return
of pleasure in camp-life.

Even Jonas seemed in a fair way towards good-nature
again, and that made them all more cheerful.

During the fog-storm he had been crabbed enough;
and Joe said if he saw a boy come within five yards
of the cook-tent he would growl like a bear.

He was improving now, and when one of the boys
suggested doughnuts for a variety, Jonas announced that
the next job he "tackled" should be to fry doughnuts.[#]

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: noindent small

[#] Small, roundish cakes.

.. vspace:: 2

"Twisted fellows, Jonas," suggested Joe.

"Yes, twisted."

"And will you give us one while they are hot?"

"Ye-es; go 'long with you, every one of ye."





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`THE WRECK`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER VII.


.. class:: center medium bold

   THE WRECK.

.. vspace:: 2

John and Jerry were late coming with the milk, and
they were in a state of great excitement.

"Did you hear about the wreck?"

"Wreck!" cried the boys in chorus, as they gathered
around the news-bearers.

"Yes, a wreck."

"Where?" was the eager query.

"Right on that reef near the surf-bell."

"Tell us about it!"--"Anybody lost?"

"Yes, one fellow.  Father's been talking with 'em.
He can't but just make out what they say.  She's just
keeled up on that ledge.  I tell you she looks awful!"

"She?  Is there a woman there?"

"I don't know."

"Oh, he means the vessel when he says 'she,'"
exclaimed Frank Furman.

"Wasn't it an awful storm?"--"Wasn't it!"

"I tell you we was scared, Jerry and me!  I thought
sure the old lighthouse was going over, and our house,
too.  Everything was creakin' and groanin', and the
surf was flyin' up against the windows."

"Father stayed by the lantern all night; he
afraid the light might go out," added Jerry.  "We
didn't know nothin' about the wreck till daylight."

"John, tell me what kind of a vessel it is," said Joe,
pale with some sudden apprehension.

"It's a schooner."

"Were they fishermen, do you think?"

"I think so.  They are trying to get her off before
she breaks up.  They think if they get her over to
the Cape she can be mended."

Joe had already darted away to Mr. Bernard's tent,
and rapping on the canvas, he asked hurriedly,
"Mr. Bernard, may I come in?"

"Come."

"O Mr. Bernard, John and Jerry are here, and they
have been telling us about a wreck over there on the
ledge."

Mr. Bernard threw down his book and listened.

"One fellow was lost.  The boys think it was a
fishing-vessel.  What if it should be the *Una*,
Mr. Bernard?"

The teacher arose hastily and put on his hat.

"Did they know the name of the vessel?"

"I didn't ask, Mr. Bernard; I didn't dare to,"
answered Joe, still very pale.

"I will go over there at once."

"Oh, may I go too?"

A reluctant consent was given, and Joe boldly
asked,--

"May we all go--Max and all?"

"Yes, you may all go.--Max, come with me."

Joe hastened back to the boys, shouting, "Come on!
Mr. Bernard says we may go over to see the wreck!"

"Good for him!  Hurrah, boys! we are off for the
wreck."

"What did you say about a wreck?" asked Jonas,
as John and Jerry delivered the milk at the cookhouse.

The boys enlightened him, and Jonas, turning to
his man Friday, said, "Come on, Freit--we'll let the
dishes go;" and seizing his hat he hurried after the
boys, who were scampering off towards the lighthouse
with the teachers.

They attempted to go by the shorter route over the
rocks on the shore, in spite of John's warning, but
after some of the party had been drenched by the
surf they retreated to the woods.

Joe kept close to Mr. Bernard's side, without
speaking a word, and some of the boys behind whispered,
"They are afraid it is that vessel that Ralph and Ben
went in."

This sobered them all, and there was very little
conversation as the crowd hurried on.  They could
hear the "boom-boom" of the sea against the cliff long
before they reached it, and Joe's heart felt heavier
than ever.

Ralph had never been a favourite among his schoolmates,
and Joe, especially, had never been attracted
toward him.  Their acquaintance had developed during
the last weeks of the school, while the search was being
made for the offender; and in helping him then he
came to pity him, and feel an interest in him, quite
sure that the boy had received a lesson that would
make him hesitate to speak an untruth again.

At length John ran through the bushes out on the
top of one of the high boulders, where he pointed to
the dismantled vessel with the men working at the
pumps.

"What's the name on the stern?" asked Joe, straining
his eyes as the waves now and then left the end
of the vessel.

No one could tell, but it was plain to all that the
word was a long one.

"It can't be the *Una*, then!" cried Joe with a sigh
of relief.

"No--thank God for that; but these poor fellows
are having a hard time," said Mr. Bernard.

"Bad enough!" exclaimed the light-keeper, who
had joined the party on the rocks.  "They think they
can save the vessel; but unless she is off before noon
she's gone!  She will break up fast in this sea."

"Is there no way for us to help them?" asked Mr. Andrews.

"No; it would be nonsense to try to get to them with
my boat.  The landing here is bad at the best; and
I never think of going out except in fair weather."

"What kind of boats have you?"

"Nothing but a common sail-boat and a couple of
skiffs, and they wouldn't stand a sign of a chance in
this sea."

"What will the men do if the vessel goes down?"

"They've got their boats all ready to launch, and
their boats are much better than mine."

"They are calling you, father!" cried Jerry, pulling
his father's coat.

"Who?"

"The men over yonder."

"Yes,--hear them!" said the boys excitedly.

"Keep still, all o' ye!" said the light-keeper.  Then,
making a speaking-trumpet of his hands, he shouted,
"Ship ahoy! what's wanted?"

Converting his speaking-trumpet into an
ear-trumpet, he listened intently.

"She's filling fast!  Is there anything there to
fasten our rope over?"

The light-keeper glanced quickly around, and
shouted back, "Yes!"

Then the boys saw the sailors draw something
forward near the taffrail.

"What are they going to do, Mr. Kramer?" asked Joe.

"Fire us a line."

There was a little delay, then a puff of smoke, and
a line fell across the island.  There was a great rush
and scramble for it, and some of the boys in their
eagerness fell over each other, doing more harm than good;
but the line was secured, and pulled in with a will.  At
the end of this line was fastened a rope, and this, in
turn, brought a double cable.

"A long pull, and a strong pull, and a pull all
together!" said the light-keeper.

There were hands enough to pull, but after all it
was hard work; and there was a cheer when they got
hold of the double cable and ran with it to an old
oak stump.

The light-keeper sent John for some heavy spikes,
which he drove into the stump, in a circle above the
cable, to prevent its slipping up when it began to
move.

"Pull tight now!" shouted Kramer.

The boys could see the rope tighten.

"What are they doing now, Mr. Bernard?" asked Dave.

"That's what I should like to know," said Joe.
"They are coming ashore, I think."

"Coming ashore!  What! on that rope?"

"Astride of it, or hanging on by their hands?
That's what I'd like to know!" and there was great
confusion among the boys, all talking at once.

"Boys, keep quiet!" said Mr. Bernard.  "The captain
is calling."

"All ready there?"

"Ay, ay,--all ready!" shouted the light-keeper.

"They can't hear," said Mr. Bernard; "the wind is
this way."

"All ready!" shouted Kramer again, beckoning
with his hand.

"Oh, they are launching a big basket!" cried Ned
Gould.

"They are coming in that?  Whew!" cried Frank
Furman, fairly dancing with excitement.

"Ready, there?" was shouted again from the vessel.

"All ready!"

"Steady, then--pull!"

"Now, boys, stand off!" said Kramer, motioning
the crowd away.  "I only want the men now; steady
pulling is what we want."

Mr. Bernard, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Wiseman, Jonas,
and Freitag began to pull with the light-keeper, who
timed them with a monotonous, "There she comes! there
she comes!" while the boys watched the basket
in breathless excitement as it moved on, swaying
frightfully at times as it hung over the seething mass
of water.

At length a loud cheer from the boys, and a "Hold,
there!" from the occupants of the basket, announced
its safe arrival with its precious freight.

The vessel's cook and the captain's little son, a boy
of eight years, were the passengers, and a cheer, loud
and long, as they were helped ashore, announced their
safety to the anxious father on the wreck.

The basket was speedily returned to the vessel, and
once more it started on its shoreward trip.

"That's the mate," said the cook.  "The captain
vowed he'd be the last man to leave."

"Take that child to the house, and tell mother to
get him warmed, John," said the light-keeper.

The boy refused to go until his father should get
across; so Joe wrapped him in his overcoat, and they
stood together watching the advancing basket.

"How did it seem coming over in that basket?"
asked Joe.

"I don't know; I was too frightened to think; I
kept my eyes shut, and just curled down in Jim's lap."

Another cheer presently announced the arrival of
the basket the second time, as the mate landed safely
and waved a signal to the captain.

"I tell you, friends, that cheer you sent up when
the basket got across with the captain's boy was the
most welcome sound I ever heard; and poor captain,
he almost broke down with joy.  Now if we can get
him over safely we shall give thanks in earnest."

Away went the basket to the wreck as fast as the
men could pull the rope, every foot of which the mate
examined carefully as they pulled.

.. _`Away went the basket to the wreck`:

.. figure:: images/img-066.jpg
   :figclass: white-space-pre-line
   :align: center
   :alt: Away went the basket to the wreck.

   Away went the basket to the wreck.

The captain was below, when the basket reached
the vessel, and it was some minutes before he reappeared.

"He has got Jingo, Bertie," cried the mate.

"Oh, has he?  I thought Jingo would have to
drown.  Are you sure, Mr. Osmond?"

"Yes," said the mate, looking through his field-glass.
"He is going to stow everything into that basket that
he can.  I am afraid he will get it too full."

"Ready!" shouted the captain.

"Steady!" cried the mate.  "If we spill that load
we lose the best man that ever trod the deck of a
vessel!"

Again the light-keeper's monotonous chant, "There
she comes!  there she comes!" commenced, and slowly
and steadily the basket advanced.

Suddenly, when it was about two-thirds of the
distance over, the rope ceased to move, and the basket
hung motionless over the rough sea.

"What's the matter?" shouted the light-keeper,
looking at the mate.

"The cable must have caught on the rigging, with
no one there to keep it clear.  We thought we guarded
against that," said the mate.

"Oh, father can't get ashore!" cried the child, pale
with terror.

Joe tried to comfort him, assuring him that they
would find some way to save him.

Another pull, long and strong, but the rope did not
yield.

"What will be done?" asked Mr. Bernard, losing
all his ordinary calmness.  "Can he help himself at
all?"

"He can if anybody can," answered the mate gruffly.

"Hark, he is calling!"

Every ear was strained to catch the words.

"Let go there! let's see if I can move."

They all left the rope and crowded near the edge
of the rocks, watching the slow and dangerous transit
as the shaky basket was pushed along step by step,
with a jerky motion that tipped the basket from side
to side in a frightful way.

"Hold on there; I'll sling a line, captain," as the
basket came near enough to make it possible.

The man seemed too exhausted to pull a foot
further, and he crouched down in the basket as low
as possible, with hands outstretched to catch the line.

A dozen attempts were made in vain, as the wind
would blow it out of its course; but at last the coil
dropped into the basket, and was easily clutched and
made fast.

The boys commenced to cheer, but Mr. Bernard
hushed them, saying, "Not now, boys,--wait!"

Steadily on came the basket now, and in a few
moments the mate seized it and steadied it as the
captain stepped ashore.

"O father!" cried his son, throwing his arms
around him.

"Thank God for his great goodness!" he said
reverently, as he held the child close.

The basket contained dry clothing for the party,
and among it little Herbert's rat-terrier, almost lifeless
with fright.

The light-keeper hurried the rescued party to the
house, where his wife had hot coffee and a bountiful
meal ready for them.  The men were too much exhausted
to talk, and were glad to accept the offer of
a chance to sleep off their fatigue.

"Now, boys, we must go back and leave it quiet
here; these men need rest."

"Come on, then, John and Jerry; show us the
spouting-horn," cried Joe.

"Will it take us far out of the way, boys?  I am
too tired to waste steps," said Mr. Bernard.

"No, sir; we can go to camp right up that shore,"
and John led the way, running like a young deer.

"There she spouts!" he shouted as they came
within sight of it.

Loud were the exclamations of surprise and delight
as the column of water shot up into the air with a
boom like a cannon.

"What makes it?" asked Maurice Perry.

"I don't know, I'm sure," said John.  "This one
always does so after a storm; and one on the other
side there spouts and bangs at low tide--the lower the
tide the louder she bangs."

Mr. Bernard and the rest of the party had arrived
now, and as if for their benefit the horn spouted full
eighty feet, dropping the spray in a shower all around
them.

"What makes it bang so, Mr. Bernard?" asked
Maurice again, not satisfied with John's answer.

"The air driven by a rush of the water, Maurice.
There is a hole in the side of that rock, extending up
to the surface, and the air rushes through, followed
presently by a mass of water, and the escape of the
air from its pursuer causes the loud report."

"It is simply a big pop-gun," said Joe, "and it
works itself, without any boy's help."

"Oh, I see a rainbow," said Lewis Germaine.

"Where, where?" asked the others.

"Right there in the spray."

"Oh, so there is! just as bright."

"Isn't that fine?"

After they had exhausted the list of adjectives
expressing their admiration and delight, John said,
"I'll show you somethin' else some time when it's low
tide."

This he said with a very proud air, as if he owned
all the wonders of the island.

"Show it now."

"Can't; it only shows at low tide."

"Oh, the other spouter!"

"No; somethin' else."

"What is it?--tell us."  And the boys gathered
around him.

"Why, right down there, where you see that big rock
with a sharp pick--see it?  Well, right down behind
there is a place where the tide leaves a big puddle
when it goes out, and that puddle is full of live things."

"What are they?" asked Joe laughing;--"not whales?"

"Oh, nothin' like that.  Flowery kind of things,
awful pretty, that shut up if you look at 'em very
hard, or leastways if you poke 'em ever so easy."

"Those are sea-anemones," said Mr. Bernard.

"Then there are crowds of little things with pricks
all over their backs, and if you turn them over they
stick out those splinters sideways, and make 'em
long-like, and pull themselves right side up again," said
John, trying to imitate, with his own arms, the
sea-urchin's movements with his spines.

"There's more than that there, too," piped Jerry.
"There's five-fingers, plenty of 'em--big ones, and
baby-fellers, too, no bigger than your finger-nail; nor
so big."

"Sometimes fish get in there, too," said John.  "I
tell you it's an awful pretty puddle."

"I should think so, indeed," said Mr. Andrews.  "It
certainly is a 'puddle' worth seeing.--When will the
tide be low, Jonas?"

"About five o'clock, I reckon, though the fog has
been too thick to tell whether there has been any tide
or not," answered the cook, who had come with the
others to see the "spouting-horn."

"Very little doubt of that, I should judge from
appearances," said Mr. Lane, one of the teachers.

"I am too tired to come over again to-day, boys,"
said Mr. Bernard, turning to take little Max's hand.
"But you can come at low tide, if you like.  I suppose
John and his brother will be willing to meet you."

"Oh, they are going to camp with us!--Aren't you, John?"

"No; we want to see what becomes of the
wreck--we don't have one every day."

"No, I hope not," said Joe.  "Well, good-bye till
to-night."





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`ANEMONE POOL`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER VIII.


.. class:: center medium bold

   ANEMONE POOL.

.. vspace:: 2

"By the time we get over there, Mr. Andrews, the tide
will be down.  Are you ready?" called Joe, rapping
on the tent occupied by that gentleman and Mr. Lane.

"Yes; we will come directly.  You need not wait."

"All right, sir.--Come on, boys.  They'll come
after.  Who wants to race?"

"I do," cried Walter Martin.  "Race open for all!
No handicapping either.  One, two, three!  Luck to
the fellow that happens to start ahead!"

Away went two score boys over the pasture, like
a herd of wild deer, clearing the hillocks and patches
of hemlock at a bound.

Dave got the lead, and, with Joe close at his heels,
he reached the woods; and there discovering that they
had the race to themselves, and the other boys calling
"Time! time!" at the top of their voices, they both
cried "Quits," and dropped together by a blueberry
patch, where, as soon as they recovered breath, they
began to pick and eat.  They waited there until their
companions came up; and then, tired of racing, the
party sauntered lazily along, picking berries by the way.

"No John or Jerry here yet?" said Maurice Perry,
as they came near the rendezvous.

"We can find the place easy enough though," said
Ned Gould.  "It was near that rock with a peaked
top, John said."

The whole troop of boys leaped down from rock to
rock along the boulder-strown shore, until they reached
the rock spoken of as a landmark.

"I don't believe the tide is low enough," said Joe,
peering into one pool after another.  "Hullo! there
are John and Jerry.--Hullo there!  Come, find your
'puddle.'  We can't."

"Good reason why.  It's covered up with water.
The tide isn't low enough.  There it is, right there;
but you've got to wait till the tide is down, and the
water in the 'puddle' settles."

After a while, a standing-place on the outer edge
of the pool was free from water, and as many of the
boys as possible crowded upon it.

"You'd better get off that.  A big wave will come
and give you a duckin'," said John laughing.

The boys were hesitating whether to heed the
advice, when a shout went up from the crowd higher
up on the rocks.

"Jump!  Quick!  You'll be ducked!"

The shout gave the warning to some in time, and,
leaping across the pool, they clambered up to a safe
place; but others, stopping to look around and see
what was the matter, were drenched by a huge
incoming wave, that fairly took them from their feet
and hurled them into John's "puddle," among the
"live things" he had told them of.

There was a great shrieking, and sputtering, and
splashing, as the boys emerged from their bath, wiser,
if not sadder, for the experience.

When the teachers arrived, they found some half-dozen
boys dressed in an exceedingly primitive style,
while they wrung their clothes, and hung them to dry
on the boulders.

"I told 'em not to go there," said John.  "You
can't hurry the tide out; it takes its own time, no
matter how many folks is waitin'."

"'Time and tide wait for no man,'" suggested
Maurice.

"Well, the rest of us will take warning, and keep
where it is safe," said Mr. Andrews, striving to peer
into the troubled waters of the pool.

After a few more waves had swept over, making
the crowd run back in a lively way from the edge,
John announced oracularly,--

"There, that's about the last.  There won't be any
more come over that strip of ledge on the other side;
but you can't see nothin' till it gets settled."

He was right in his prophecy: no more rude waves
chased them from their position, and gradually the
water of the pool grew clearer and clearer, until some
of its wonders could be plainly seen.

"I see an anemone!" cried Mr. Andrews.

"Yes, dozens of them.  How beautiful--purple
and yellow in every shade!" added Mr. Lane.

"What! those filmy-looking things against the
sides?" asked Joe, lying flat on the rocks to see
better.

"Yes; those are sea-anemones."

"See 'em shut up when I poke 'em," cried John,
coming with a stick to show them off.

"No, no, John; not yet," cried Mr. Andrews,
motioning him away.  "We want to see them open.  See
them wave their tentacles in search of food!  Ah,
one fellow has a periwinkle eating!"

"You don't mean to say that soft-looking thing
can eat that winkle!" exclaimed Dave.

"Yes, indeed, and very much larger things than
that.--Let me take the stick, John."

Then touching one of the anemones with it in the
gentlest way, he caused it to draw in its tentacles and
shut up like a puckered bag, all beauty gone.

"Oh, leave the rest open!" cried the boys.

Mr. Lane stooped down, and, working carefully and
perseveringly, detached one from the side of the rock,
and offered it to Joe.  But it was not an inviting-looking
object out of its element; and Joe, shrinking
back, said, "Thanks,--no jelly for me."

"Now look at the sea-urchins and star-fish," said
Mr. Andrews, picking up a specimen of each.  "See
these spines, how stiff and unyielding they look."

"Only put him down bottom upward," interposed
Jerry, setting one down that he held in his hand.

The boys crowded around and watched the curious
creature as he slanted his spines until he brought
them into position where he could move himself on
them, and gradually bring himself right side up
again.

The boys experimented with them and with the
star-fish for a long time, and tried to spread the latter
out to dry on the rocks; but by the time they had
smoothed out the last ray the first would be curling
up, conscious that it was in an unfriendly place.

"We will take some over to camp and pin them on
a board," said Mr. Lane, collecting specimens of various
sizes from that of a penny to that of a hat-crown.

"Pin them down?  You wouldn't stick pins into
them, Mr. Lane!" said Joe, horrified.

"In the cause of science.  Besides, they have no
brains, and consequently no feelings to hurt."

"They may not have brains; but if they have no
feeling, why do they twist up when you bother them?"

"I've seen 'em growing a new finger when one's
been pulled off," piped Jerry.

"Yes; they can readily supply any such loss."

"Wasn't I right in saying it was a pretty puddle?"
asked John proudly.

"Yes, indeed; but it deserves a better name.  Let's
call it Anemone Pool."

"That's it.  That sounds first-rate," answered the
boys.  "Anemone Pool it is."

The wet clothes were still damp, but the owners
dressed themselves, and were proceeding to hurry
away, when John said, "Hold on!  I forgot to tell
you something."  The boys stood still and looked
back, waiting for the speaker to come to them.

"Those men from the wreck said they spoke a
fishing-smack just off yonder the night before the
storm, and they had aboard two of the scaredest
fellows you ever see."

The boys were all attention now, and crowded
around John.

"The captain of the smack said the boys had been
sea-sick ever since they shipped, and as soon as the
fog came on they had been so frightened he didn't
know what to do with 'em."

"Well, what did he do?" demanded Joe impatiently.

"He wanted Captain Melrose to take them off his
hands; he thought there was goin' to be a storm, and
he really hadn't room for 'em.  He said they just
stayed around and moped."

"Poor fellows!" said Joe soberly.

"Captain Melrose couldn't take 'em; he was bound
out.  The other cap'n said somethin' about the two
belongin' on an island with a campin'-party; and
afterwards when he came ashore here and see all you
fellows he concluded this was the island."

The boys exchanged glances with Mr. Lane and
Mr. Andrews, but not a word was spoken for several
minutes; then Mr. Andrews said, "Boys, go on to
camp, and Mr. Lane and I will go back to the lighthouse
and interview these men to see if we can get
any further information."

The boys went slowly away, feeling very sober over
John's news, and the two teachers hastened in the
opposite direction.

"What do you suppose has become of them?"
asked Dave, in a low tone, of his friend Joe.

"I wish I knew; and yet I don't either.  That
awful storm came after Captain Melrose spoke the
smack.  Oh, I wish they would come sailing by now!"

"What would you do?"

"I would fly over to Mr. Bernard and beg him to
let them land.  I think they've been punished enough,
and I think he thinks so too, and would forgive them."

"Who wants to go out in the boat?" shouted Ned
Gould, looking back towards Joe and Dave, who
owned part of the little craft.

"I," said Joe; "but it's too rough yet from the
storm.  Look at the white-caps."

"Who cares for white-caps?  It's all the more fun
when the boat dances."

"Well, fun or no fun, you won't get Mr. Bernard's
permission to go before to-morrow, and very likely
not then."

"Oh, bother!  Mr. Bernard is always tying us up
so.  We can't go here, we can't go there," said Ned
angrily.

"That's so.  I should think we were old enough to
do as we choose.  My father doesn't want me to be
made a Miss Nancy; he wants me to rough it,"
growled Walter Martin.

"I've managed a boat ever since I was out of
petticoats," continued Ned, "and father knows it; but I
suppose Mr. Bernard would be horrified if I should
ask leave to borrow the light-keeper's boat for a sail."

"I don't think Mr. Bernard is a bit too strict," said
Joe boldly.  "Just remember that he has the care of
a big crowd, and feels responsible for our safety.  I
believe most of our folks would say he couldn't be too
careful in such a place as this."

"Oh, of course you would stand up for him!"
sneered Walter, "you and he are such friends."

Joe laughed good-naturedly.

"Well, if we can't use our boat we might as well
set her adrift.  What's the use of having a boat?"
growled Walter.

"Bite off your nose to spite your face!" whispered
Dave.

"I'll tell you what we'll do.  I'll get Mr. Bernard
to let us go off to the other end of the island down by
the place John told us about, and we'll bring our
lunch and have a high time!" exclaimed Joe.

"Can't go without a teacher along to look after us,
just as if we were infants out with their nurse,"
grumbled Walter.

"I will ask Mr. Bernard to give us liberty for once,
and trust us to take care of ourselves," laughed Joe,
determined to restore Walter to good-nature.

"He won't do it."

"I'll ask, anyhow.  I believe he will."

"There's the supper-bell!" shouted Dave, dashing
away toward camp.

The rest of the crowd quickened their steps to a run,
and were soon gathered around the table, having
returned from their long walk with keen appetites.

Joe gave Mr. Bernard the story told by Captain
Melrose and repeated to them by John Kramer; and
added that the two teachers had gone on to the
lighthouse, hoping to hear something that would give them
a clue to the whereabouts of the fishing-smack.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`A DAY OF FREEDOM`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER IX.


.. class:: center medium bold

   A DAY OF FREEDOM.

.. vspace:: 2

The next morning, directly after breakfast, Joe was
reminded of his promise, and approaching Mr. Bernard,
he said, "I want to ask a favour, sir."

"Very well, Joe."

"We boys, the whole crowd of us, want to go off
on a lark."

"That is frankly said, Joe," said Mr. Bernard
smiling.

Joe laughed, and continued, "We want to go over
to a fishing-place John tells about, where the fish are
extra big and quick to bite."

"I am willing, Joe, perfectly willing."

"But that isn't all, Mr. Bernard," said Joe reddening,
and finding it harder to ask the favour than he
expected.  "We want to go on our own hook, and not
have any one to look after us."

"That would be sorry fishing, to get on your own
hooks, Chester," was the laughing reply.  "But I
understand: you object to the company of the teachers.
Is that it?"

That did not sound just right to Joe, but it was the
truth; so he laughed and admitted the fact.  "What
have you against us, Joe?  Are we too strict?" asked
Mr. Bernard good-naturedly.  "Have we offended your
majesties in any way?"

"Oh no, sir.  The teachers are very nice; but
some of the boys think they are tied up too much,
and get kind of uneasy."

Mr. Bernard glanced over the crowd of boys gathered
round to hear the decision, and seemed to be studying
the question.

"We would be just as careful as if the teachers
were there," interposed Lewis Swift; and many other
voices added a like assurance.

"Very well, boys.  If you will all be careful, I will
agree to your going without a leader.  I think myself
that it is much wiser to have one of the teachers with
such a troop of boys.  When men gather in companies,
they always appoint a leader, and consider it no
disgrace to them."

"That's so," said Joe Chester.  "I never thought
of that; did you, Walt?"

"No, but I'm for a day of freedom!" replied Walter
in a low tone.  Then aloud he said, "So we may go,
Mr. Bernard, may we?"

"Yes, you may go.  Success to you, and a safe return!"

"Three cheers for the teachers!" cried Ned Gould,
waving his cap, and adding in a low tone to Walter,
"Nice fellows--at a distance!"

Jonas grumbled a good deal at having so many
lunches to put up.

"It's worse than getting dinner for you!  It will
take all my bread and gingerbread."

"Put in plenty; we'll be hungry as sharks," said
David, bringing along a good-sized basket.

"Put in some potatoes, Jonas, and we'll make a fire
and cook some for dinner ourselves.  I can fry fish
on a stick," said Joe.

"Now, you youngsters, save all the fish you catch,
and Freitag and I'll come over and fetch 'em back."

"All right, Jonas; we'll have a big load for you."

Mr. Bernard gave them numerous cautions; and,
promising to remember them, the boys hurried away,
laden with baskets of lunch, fishing-rods, and bait.

They were in high spirits, and Mr. Bernard could
hear them, long after they were out of sight, singing,
"Cheer, boys, cheer."

"This is something like--don't you say so, boys?
It seems good to be our own masters.  I'm sick of
hearing 'Don't do this,' and 'You'd better not do
that.'  It spoils all the fun of camping out."

"Well, Walt, we are free for once.  Let's enjoy our
liberty, and not grumble," said Joe.

They made a second breakfast of blueberries on the
way, and arrived at the fishing-place in the best of
spirits.

They found the sport, as John had told them, the
liveliest kind imaginable; and all were soon engaged
with hook and line.

The tide was quite low, but coming in steadily, and
they found it necessary to retreat before it continually.
Sometimes the advancing waves would overtake them
in their eagerness for one more bite, and as a result
it was necessary now and then to remove their rubber
boots and empty out the water.

"I guess there'll be more fish than Jonas and his
man Friday will want to carry," said Dave, as he
began to gather the fish from the rocks to put them
in the basket.  "Let's have a lunch."

"So say I," said Donald Parker.  "There's plenty
of drift-wood close at hand."

The fires were soon built, the potatoes were put to
roast, and the fish were hung by the gills on sticks
over the coals.

There was a great deal of laughing and shouting
over the preparation for "Lunch No. 1," as they called
this, intending to save enough food to have several
more during the day.

Some began to eat their fish before they were half
cooked, and others found theirs burned or smoked;
but all were merry over the gipsy meal, when Joe,
standing up and looking around, said, "Where are
Walt and Ned?"

"Sure enough, where are they?" asked Dave, dropping
his fish into the fire.  "I haven't heard their
voices for ever so long."

"Nor I," said several boys.

"Not since we first got here."

"Walt Martin!  Ned Gould!"

"Ned!  Walt!" shouted the crowd, making
war-whoops with their hands over their mouths.

"Shout again, all together!"

Again they all shouted, loud enough to frighten the
mermaids in the sea.

"Ho, Walt!"

Only a prolonged echo came back, and seemed to
mock them.

"Now it's mean for those fellows to go off and
frighten us!" cried Joe indignantly.

"I say as much.  They've hid somewhere to make
us hunt them up.  I move we let them wait, and eat
our lunch."

So they began eating again, talking meanwhile of
their missing companions.

No one remembered anything about them after they
reached the rocks.

Each boy had been busy selecting his place, baiting
hooks, and pulling in fish, with the frequent shout,
"Look out there!  Big wave coming!"

Then would be a rushing back, and dragging of
lines, as the tide pursued them further and further
back.

"Perhaps they've gone up to the lighthouse,"
suggested Dave.  "I'll go up and see."

"Hold on, Dave; I'll go too," said Joe, disposing
hastily of a large piece of gingerbread.  "One of you
fellows tend my fish."

"All right!  Eat it, too, if you want us."

Joe and David met John and Jerry coming rapidly
down over the rocks.

"We heard an awful yelling, and thought we'd come
and see what the matter was."

"We were calling Walt and Ned.  We thought
perhaps they had come up here.  Have you seen
anything of them?"

"No; they haven't been near us.  Perhaps they've
tumbled into the sea."

"Cheerful suggestion!" said Joe, shrugging his
shoulders.

"They'd hardly be likely to do so without one yell
at least; and both of them together would make a
considerable noise.  No; I suppose they are hiding
somewhere to frighten us."

"What are you doing--fishing?"

"Yes; you see we are over here by ourselves--no
teachers with us," said Joe.

"Wish there was now!" added Dave.

"So do I.  If one of the teachers had come, those
boys wouldn't be playing their pranks this way."

"What's the matter?" shouted Mr. Kramer, coming
out on the ledge before his door.  "What are you
youngsters howling about?"

"We can't find two of the boys."

"Can't find 'em!  Where were they when you see
'em last?"

"They came over from camp with us, and we all
began to fish; that's the last any of us saw of them."

"Humph! that's a nice business," said the light-keeper
thoughtfully, knocking the ashes out of his
pipe, and tucking it in the pocket of his monkey-jacket.

"We didn't miss them until we made our fires and
were cooking our fish."

Jacob Kramer said nothing, but started across the
ledge that paved his yard.

"How long have you been over there fishing?"

"Oh, we got there by nine o'clock."

"And now it is about eleven," said Kramer, looking
at the sun.

"Yes, sir," replied Joe, referring to his little silver
watch; "it is five minutes past."

"If they went around the cliff just beyond the
fishing-place, and didn't watch, the tide would soon
cut them off."

Joe and Dave looked frightened.

"Where would they be now? can they get over the
cliff?"

"Over the cliff?  Not much, unless they can walk
up a wall like a fly.  It isn't less than forty feet high
in any place right there, and part o' the way it's sixty
and seventy, straight up and down.  I'll go and look
over."

He led the way to the brow of the cliff, about
twenty yards off; and, lying down flat, looked over
the edge.

The boys held their breath until he spoke.

"Yes; there are the young scamps!"

Joe and Dave threw themselves upon the ground
and crept to the edge also.

"Keep back there, you rascals!  This is no place
for you."

The boys crept back until it was safe to stand again,
saying, "I saw them!"

"So did I!  What a place!"

"Hullo, down there!" shouted Mr. Kramer.

Ned and Walter looked up in evident surprise and
relief.

"O Mr. Kramer, can't you get us off?" they screamed.

"I don't think I can."

"The tide is coming higher and higher, and we have
climbed as far as we can.  Will we have to drown?"

The light-keeper looked down some time before
answering--it seemed an hour to Joe--then he said
in a tone the boys below could not hear, "The tides
are so much higher now, and the sea so rough since
the storm, there's no knowin' how high it will get."

The boys below, tired of waiting for an answer,
screamed, "Mr. Kramer, do something to help us.
Bring a boat around here and take us off."

"That's the worst place on the island to take a boat.
The water drives in furiously, and then sucks back
enough to drag the solid cliff after it, if it wasn't
anchored very strong."

This the light-keeper said to the two boys near him;
and Ned and Walter, in their perilous position under
the cliff, waited breathlessly for an answer, nearly
frantic at the delay.

"Mr. Kramer, O Mr. Kramer!  How high does the
tide come here?"

"I can't see.  Can't you tell by the looks of the
rocks?"

"No, we don't know how."

"You can tell how high it comes generally by the
seaweed and barnacles.  I think it won't come up to
you," he said at last.

This was sorry comfort.

"But you are not sure!  Oh, come round in the
boat, please."

"I shan't risk my boat in there unless it's a case of
life or death, for she'd be smashed in a moment, and
no one could save himself in that whirlpool."

"But can't you go out in the boat and be near, so
you could get to them if the water got too high where
they are?" asked Joe eagerly.

Kramer hesitated.

"Oh, do, Mr. Kramer," urged Joe.  "We boys will
make up a purse and pay you."

"Nonsense, boy!  If I do it at all it won't be for
money.  I tell you a boat would get smashed there
very quick.  It would go against the rocks in spite of
me.  I'll get some of those wrecked fellows waked
up, and go out.  I suppose the youngsters will feel
better to see the boat."

"Oh yes," said Joe; "we shall all feel easier."

"It is almost half an hour yet before the tide is
high," said the light-keeper meditatively as he looked
below again.

"Here, you down there!  I'll come around in the
boat.--John, you run to the house and wake up a
couple of those men.  You needn't disturb the captain.
I only want two.  Fetch 'em along quick down to the
boat-landing!"

John was off in a minute, and Joe and Dave ran
down to the boat with Kramer, who, now he had
made up his mind, seemed inclined to hurry.

The two men from the house soon followed, and
the boat was quickly launched.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`BOYS IN A TRAP`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER X.


.. class:: center medium bold

   BOYS IN A TRAP.

.. vspace:: 2

Meanwhile the other boys, having disposed of their
lunch, and hearing nothing from Joe and David,
became more anxious, and set off for the lighthouse.

There they learned from Mrs. Kramer that John
had reported Walter and Ned surrounded by the tide,
and that the boat was to be launched to go to the
rescue.

In great excitement the crowd of boys rushed down
over the rocks to the place where the men had just
pushed off in their boat.

There were two pairs of oars and two strong boat-hooks
in the skiff, and the three men were ready to
do all they could for the castaways.

The boat was soon out of sight beyond the spur of
the cliff that helped to form the trap in which Walter
and Ned were caught, and the crowd rushed back to
their lunch-place, to see if they could get a glimpse of
the boat there; but another spur, around which the
boys had gone to hide, shut off the view.

When they reached their fishing-ground, they found,
to their disgust, that the tide had risen over much of
their lunch, and had carried off many of their nice,
jointed rods, that were still floating provokingly near,
but just out of reach.

The baskets had been tipped over by the waves,
spilling all the fine fish they had caught in the
morning.

"Did you ever see such luck?" cried Clifford
Davis--"everything at sixes and sevens."

"This is the result of too much freedom, eh?"
asked Don.

"That's so, Don," said Joe.  "I wish we were all
safe out of this scrape."

Some of the boys had taken the precaution to throw
their rods well up on the rocks, and with these they
tried to rescue the floating baskets and rods, but with
a limited success; only a few could be recovered.

It was a great temptation to Joe and Dave, knowing
of the look-out on the edge of the cliff and yet keeping
away from it; but they understood too well the risk
that would be run by a crowd of careless, venturesome
boys, who would never believe that they could come
to harm by just looking over the edge of the cliff,
however steep it might be.

The time seemed very long as they waited for Mr. Kramer's
return, or some tidings from the missing boys.

"Pretty near high tide," exclaimed Joe soberly, as
he held his watch for Dave to see.

"The boat is around there by this time, and the
question is now whether they are to be taken off that
way or left to wait for the tide to get as low as it
was when they dodged around that place."

"Why, isn't Mr. Kramer going to take them off
anyway?" asked Lewis Germaine.

"Not if he finds they are safe without it.  He
won't risk his boat in there if they can be saved any
other way.  The water rushes in there like a
mill-race, and sweeps out again the same way."

"Then we may have to wait two or three hours
yet before we can see the boys!" exclaimed Don.

"Yes," said Joe, "all that time."

He presently whispered to David, "I can't stand it,
boy.  You stay here, so the others won't suspect.  I
am going to look, if I can steal off without their
knowing it.  Don't you say that I'm gone."

"All right," said Dave.  "Get back as quick as you can."

Joe began skipping stones lazily, and, moving slowly
away from the rest of the party, disappeared behind
some rocks, beyond which he dropped suddenly, and
crept on hands and knees up the bank where the
bushes were thickest.

Once out of sight of his companions, he arose and
hurried out to the point on the cliff overlooking the
prison-house of his two friends.  There he crept
carefully to the edge and looked over.

"Good! they are safe, and there's the boat."

"How are you there?  All right?" he heard the
mate of the wrecked vessel shout.

"All right!  No, sir--not by a good deal.  The
water is still coming up," shouted Walter.

As the boat was pulled within speaking distance
the frightened boys became more and more alarmed,
it plunged about so wildly on the rough water; and
they thought, perilous as their position was, it was
preferable to a change to the boat.

"We'll drown getting into that skiff, Walt," said
Ned, paler than ever at the dilemma.

"Yes, if there is any chance here, I would rather
stay till the tide goes down; wouldn't you?"

"Yes, I would."

"Say, Mr. Kramer, just lie off there, and wait;
perhaps the water won't come up here."

"That's just what I'm doing.  You don't catch me
risk my boat in there unless you are ready to go
under."

"When is it high tide?" shouted Walter.

"Five minutes before twelve."

Walter looked at his watch eagerly.  "I believe
it won't reach us, Ned.  It is ten minutes off high
now, and unless the last few waves are extra high we
will have a standing-place in this cleft in the rock."

Ten minutes dragged slowly away, and the angry
waves had not reached them.  They waited a little
longer, to be sure, and then cried joyfully, "It is
twelve o'clock and after, and we are all right."

"Good!  Then all you've got to do is to wait, and
learn wisdom against another time.  The tide will be
down low enough to let you out of that trap in about
two hours and a half, or three, at most."

The boys groaned, and then Ned said dolefully,
"We'll starve to death.  I didn't know I was hungry
until the danger was over."

"You'll be hungrier before you get off," shouted the
hard-hearted Kramer, laughing provokingly.--"A good
lesson for the young scamps.  It seems they made a
fuss about having a teacher go along with 'em to look
after them, so the head man, Mr. Bernard, let 'em off
alone to-day.  That little chap, Joe, he owned they'd
got enough of it."

"I'll lower them something with a line when we
get ashore," said the mate, glancing up at the
perpendicular face of the cliff.  "It isn't long ago that I
was wrecked myself and wanted help."

Joe had seen enough to gladden his heart as he lay
looking over the edge of his high perch.  The boys
were safe at high tide, and the boat was coming back
without them, so he went back toward his companions,
and when within hailing distance, cried, "Come on,
boys; let's go over to the boat-landing, and wait till
Mr. Kramer gets back."

The boys were ready for anything that would help
to pass away the time, and they rushed away in time
to see the boat rounding the rocky point that had
hidden it from view.

"Whew! there they come, but no Walt or Ned,"
exclaimed Cliff Davis.

"What did you find out, Joe?" whispered David,
locking arms with his friend.

"The boys are all right: the water won't come
any higher.  But won't it seem a long time before
they get back?"

When the boat reached the landing the mate
called cheerily, "Boys, your messmates are all right,
but very hungry; have you got any dinner with you?"

"Yes; we saved some for them, but the tide carried
off a lot."

"Well, bring it along, and I'll get a line and lower
it to them."

"Hurrah for you, sir!" shouted the boys.  "Oh how
glad they'll be!"

Joe and Dave ran for the lunch, while John
scampered to the house for a long line.

Going out on the cliff, the mate tied the basket to
the line, and prepared to drop it over.

"Stand back," he shouted, as the boys crowded
forward.  "I shan't do it unless you all stand back."

"Are they down there?  Can you see them?"
asked the boys eagerly.

"Yes, I see them."

"My! just think, we might have been here watching
them just as well as not," exclaimed Lewis.

Joe and Dave exchanged wise glances at this, and
Mr. Kramer said, "Lucky you didn't know it, for a
crowd of you boys jiggling and pushing and fooling,
as boys do, would have gone over.  Stand back there!"

"Hullo, below!" shouted the mate.  "Here's some
food for you."

Walter and Ned, looking up, saw the basket slowly
descending, and the boys listening heard a faint cheer
above the roar of the sea.

"Got it?"

"Yes, all right!" shouted Walter, taking the basket
from the line.

"There! that's all I can do for them," said the
mate, reeling in the line.  "Now, boys, I'll give you
some advice for nothing: Go back to a safer place,
and wait for your friends.  They will be prisoners
for over two hours yet, and if you stay here some of
the rest of you will be pretty likely to tumble over
to keep them company; only I reckon your
company wouldn't be good for much after you got down
there."

"All right, sir," said Joe, glad to have some one
speak authoritatively.--"Come on, boys!  Let's go
back and lie around on the rocks and tell stories."

"Agreed, if you will be the teller," cried several,
knowing that he had Robinson Crusoe and the Arabian
Nights at his tongue's end.

Away went the crowd back to the fishing-place;
and Mr. Kramer and the other two men returned to
the lighthouse.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`THE ESCAPE`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER XI.


.. class:: center medium bold

   THE ESCAPE.

.. vspace:: 2

The time passed much more quickly to the crowd
listening to Joe, as they lay on the rocks in every
attitude imaginable, than to Walter and Ned under
the cliff, with the sea still surging around them.

As soon as their fright was over, they began to
blame each other for the trouble they were in.

"It was your idea, hiding from the boys," said Ned,
as they paced to and fro as far as their prison would
allow.

"Yes; but you were just as willing as I, old fellow.
We were both idiots.  We might have known the
tide would cut us off."

"Won't the teachers laugh at us!  'Serve them
right,' they'll say, plague on them!" grumbled Ned.

"Well, it does serve us right; but I wish the boys
would keep quiet about it though, and not give the
teachers a chance to laugh at us."

"But they won't; they'll say it's too good to keep."

The lunch lowered by the mate restored their
good-nature, and they waited, watch in hand, as the waters
abated around their perch.  Ned even recovered
enough to joke about their misfortune, and Walter
sang,--

   |  "On a lone, barren isle,
   |    Where the wild, angry billows
   |  Assail the stern rock," etc.
   |

At length the tide was so low they ventured out to
the high rock that shut them away from the rest of
the party; and too impatient to wait longer, they doffed
boots and stockings, rolled their trousers above their
knees, and, waiting till the waves rolled back, they
dashed into the water, and were quickly around the
other side of the cliff, and in sight of their companions.

"There they are!" shouted Don Parker, interrupting
Joe's story in its most exciting part.

"Where?"--"Who?"

"Walt and Ned."

"Sure enough, so they are!"

"Hurrah!"--"Welcome to the castaways!" cried
the crowd, leaping to their feet.

"Glad to see you, old fellows!" said Joe; "but you
gave us an awful fright."

"We gave ourselves a greater, I'll be bound," said
Walter frankly.  "That was a mighty uncomfortable
place we stumbled into."

"Yes, and we thought we'd seen the last of you
fellows," added Ned, throwing himself down upon the
rock, and pillowing his head on his locked arms as
he lay on his back.  "That's just as near as I want
to come to Robinson Crusoe's experience.  We were
worse off than he was--he had plenty of room; and
one time when the tide was highest we had the spray
flying over our heads.  My coat is wet now."

"Is it this week, or next, or the year 1900?" said
Walt.  "It seems ages since we dodged around behind
that rock to see if we could frighten you."

"You won't feel complimented, I am afraid," said
Joe laughing, "when I tell you we didn't miss you
till noon.  We were so busy fishing, we thought only
of that, until some one went to cook fish; then we
all got hungry and decided to have a lunch.  When
we got ready to eat we missed you."

"That was when we heard them shouting, Ned."

"Yes, I suppose so."

"Why didn't you answer?"

"We did; we just yelled.  But it was no use, and
we knew it, for we could hardly hear you, the sea
roared so, as it made up into that pocket in the cliff;
and we knew by the sound that you were all shouting
together, though it reached us just as faintly.
Oh! it was awful there.  I thought I was a pretty good
kind of a fellow till then, and I thought of all the
bad things I ever did."

"So did I," said Ned, looking up at the clouds
meditatively.  "I wonder if folks always do when
they get into danger?"

"I think they do.  I've heard my uncle tell how
he felt when he came within an inch of drowning.
He said everything came back to him like a flash,"
said Cliff Davis.

"Well, it's awful anyway!" added Walter.  "I
shall never forget how it seemed to have that water
come at us like wild beasts, roaring and snapping at
us as if it would swallow us whole in a minute."

"Don't talk about it, Walt," said Ned shuddering
"I saw you down below there, when Mr. Kramer
first hailed you," said Joe to change the subject, which
was getting painful.

"You did?" asked Ned, opening his half-closed eyes.

"You did?" echoed the crowd.

"Where were you?"

"Yes, that's what we would like to know."

"Up on the cliff, lying flat on my stomach; but as
soon as I got one glimpse, Mr. Kramer ordered me back."

"Why didn't you tell us, so we could look?"
grumbled the crowd.

"I didn't want you to break your necks.  It was
bad enough to have two fellows down in that trap,
without letting the rest of the party tumble down on
them.  Kramer drove me back, but I went and peeped
once afterwards.  Dave knew I was going.  I couldn't
stand it a minute longer; I knew the men had gone
in the boat, and was afraid you two would drown
before it could get around there, or afraid the boat
would swamp if you tried to get in.  I prayed hard
for a minute."

"Did you?" asked Walter, looking quickly at Joe.
"So did I--harder than I ever did before in all my
life."

Ned said nothing, but lay with his eyes closed;
and the other boys were unusually quiet.

"Wasn't I glad to hear you say, 'It's twelve o'clock,
and we are safe!'"

"Is my hair gray, Joe?" asked Walter, half laughing,
and half in earnest, as he took off his round cap,
and revealed a crop of short black curls.

"Not much that I can see."

"I have heard of hair turning gray from fright,
and I thought perhaps I might be needing hair-dye."

"When shall we go back to camp, boys?" asked Dave.

"It depends on whether you are going to tell about
our scrape, whether I go back at all," replied Walter,
laughing, and yet half in earnest.  "You fellows
promise not to say anything about it, won't you?"

"I am willing.  It's all over now, and no harm
done to any one; but the teachers will hear of it from
Kramer," replied Joe.

"Yes, I suppose so; but don't let's tell to-day."

"Just as you say.  We got a joke on ourselves too.
While we were rushing around looking at the boat,
the tide came up over our baskets of fish and the
lunch, and carried off the very best of the fishing-rods.
So the laugh will be against us all."

"Here is Jonas with his 'man Friday,' after the
fish!" exclaimed Maurice Perry, doubling up with
a fit of laughter, as he glanced at the empty baskets
that had been rescued after much effort.

"Well, boys, had good luck?" called Jonas as soon
as he came within speaking distance.

"First-rate, Jonas," answered Joe.

"Where are the fish, then?" demanded Jonas,
staring at the empty baskets.

"Echo answers, 'Where?'"

"You didn't catch any, after all.  You've been
foolin' around here all day!" cried the cook wrathfully.
"Now you'll get little supper for this, 'cause
I've been dependin' on them fish.  Here, give me
a rod!  I'll catch some for the gentlemen's supper.
You boys can go without.--Come on, Freitag!"

The boys were rolling on the rocks and laughing,
which added greatly to Jonas's wrath.

"Lazy scamps!" he said.

"Now, Jonas," remonstrated Joe, as soon as he could
recover himself and sober his face enough to speak,
"we are not laughing at you; we are laughing at
ourselves.  Don't get mad.  We met with a big
misfortune.  We got fish enough to stock a
market--beauties too; and while we went over to see
Mr. Kramer the tide came up and swept them all out, and
worse still, carried off our fishing-tackle."

"That's so, Jonas."

"Humph! great thing to laugh about!" grumbled
Jonas, somewhat mollified.

"You ought to pity rather than scold us," cried
Joe, pretending to feel hurt.  "We lost most of our
lunch, too.  You'll do as well as you can for us with
supper, won't you?--'cause this has been an awful
hard day on us."

"Oh--oh, hear!" cried the crowd, writhing again
in convulsions of laughter.

Jonas shrewdly suspected that they had not told
all their bad luck; but he had heard enough, and
summoning Friday to get a fishing-rod and hurry
along, he went down where it seemed most probable
to him that the fish would be plenty.

When the boys went back to camp they fully intended
to keep the rest of the story to themselves; but
at the supper-table, when Mr. Bernard asked for an
account of their day's adventures, each looked at his
neighbour to see who would be spokesman, and in
looking they fell to laughing, and there was no one
sober enough to answer.

"You evidently had a very jolly day, boys," said
Mr. Bernard, with a twinkle in his gray eyes.

"Not very, sir," said Joe, feeling that it was
impolite to leave the remark unanswered.  The boys all
laughed again, and Joe said, "The tide carried off our
lunch, and our fish, and ever so many of the best
rods."

"Ah, that was bad, but not half so had as if you
were in danger yourselves."

The boys exchanged glances, and Walter and Ned
reddened very uncomfortably.

Had the news travelled across the island so soon?

Surely Mr. Andrews and Mr. Lane both looked
very wise as they glanced down the double row of
boys.

"It's no use; I am going to tell," exclaimed Walter
abruptly.  "We had a horrid time, Mr. Bernard.
Ned and I got hemmed in by the tide, and had to
stay five hours.  It wasn't much fun."

"I had heard as much, Walter," said Mr. Bernard
kindly.  "Mr. Kramer told Jonas.  We may thank
a kind Providence that you escaped with your lives.
It was a very frightful experience, I am sure.  I don't
see how any of you can feel like laughing."

"O Mr. Bernard," said Joe apologetically, "we
didn't all day, I assure you.  We were wretched
enough while Walt and Ned were missing; but after
they got back safe, and we came to think it all over,
and remember that we were only having our own
way as we wanted to, and what a hard way it had
turned out, it struck us as a pretty good joke on
ourselves."

"Perhaps it was, boys, but the escape has given us
new cause for thankfulness to the good Lord who
holds us in his keeping, and I think our little
prayer-meeting to-night will become a praise-meeting, in
which every heart will join."





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`THE MISSING BOYS`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER XII.


.. class:: center medium bold

   THE MISSING BOYS.

.. vspace:: 2

To take up the story where Ralph and Ben Carver
dropped out, we must return to the evening after the
final examination.

They had come to their room early, as all the
scholars had, to pack for their camp trip.  Ben pulled
out the valises from the closet, and began to stir
up the contents of his trunk to make a selection
of the thickest and oldest garments to take with him.

"There's a jacket in the sear and yellow leaf, but
it's warm; in she goes.  Those trousers, I don't know
about them.  There's a pretty big hole in them; but
yes, they'll do to fish in.  Come, Ralph, get your
clothes together," exclaimed Ben, seeing that his
room-mate had thrown himself down astride of a chair, and
with his head supported by both hands, looked like
a third-rate tragedy actor.

There was no answer, and Ben went on packing
and talking.

"I'm going to take more things this time.  I know
I hadn't anything fit to wear last year.  Camp-life is
very hard on clothes and shoes."

There was no response from Ralph, and Ben,
pausing in his packing, exclaimed,--

"What's the matter, Drayton?  You look as glum
as a catfish with a hook in his gills!"

"I feel just as I look, then."

"Come on, boy, we've got to start right after
breakfast, and there'll be no time to pack then."

"I don't care."

"Nonsense!  Come, here's your valise gaping at you."

"I'm not going, Carver."

"Fiddlesticks! you are too.  There's the foot-ball
and your fishing-tackle.  I'll get your things together
for you."

"No.  I tell you I shan't go.  I've let this thing
go on far enough.  I absolutely haven't courage to go
with the rest of the crowd to that island, where I
can't get away, if I feel ever so much like running."

"The supply of courage has given out, has it?"
asked Ben laughing.  "There has been a pretty
heavy drain on it, I will admit."

"Yes, it has given out," and Ralph laughed in spite
of his melancholy.

"That's bad; but come, old fellow, you'll feel
better after we get off."

"And leave Joe Chester behind?"

Ralph got off the chair that he had been torturing,
and, putting his hands deep in his pockets, paced to
and fro.

"No, Ben; I'm a pretty mean lot, but I declare it's
getting beyond my depth.  The next thing I shall go
all under."

"And drag me too," added Ben, casting a sidelong
glance at his friend.

"Yes, you too.  I have been dragging you along in
the same mire, until, to accommodate me, you've got
in about as deep as I have."

"Don't mind me, Drayton.  It doesn't trouble me
one bit," said Ben carelessly.  "My lies have all been
in the cause of friendship.  Come, cheer up, old fellow.
We'll both reform after this, and never again tell lies."

"If I ever do tell another, I'll be a fool," said Ralph
emphatically.  "It doesn't pay; besides, it is mean
work."

"Yes, but what could you do?  Confess to that
job with the books?  That was enough to expel you;
don't you know it was?"

"I don't care; that would be better than living a
lie here day after day, and seeing those eyes of Joe
Chester's on me day and night.  No, sir!  I'm not
going to the island and leave him behind.  You are
mistaken in me.  I've got to the end of my rope."

Ben whistled dolefully; went and drummed a
funeral march on the window; then coming back,
and dropping into a chair, rested his elbow on the
table, and his cheek on his hand, looking up
meanwhile at his companion.

"What's the next thing on the bill of fare, then?"

"I'm going to cut," answered Ralph deliberately.

"What good will that do?"

"I'll leave a note for Bernard, confessing about the
books, and then Joe Chester can go.  Even if the
master did not get the note till after the boat started,
he would come back for Joe."

"Now, Ralph, if you do this I am set adrift too,
you see.  I have told as many lies as you have, and
if you tell on yourself it will come out somehow,--that
I know."

"No, it won't, Ben."

"It will, as sure as anything.  Anyhow my courage
is gone too.  I don't want to face Mr. Bernard and
the other fellows.  No, sir!  I shall stick by you.
Give us your hand, old fellow.  'Sink or swim, live
or die, survive or perish,' we'll stick together.  What's
the use of a chum that won't stick?  Now, where
shall we go?  That's the question."

"That's the question," repeated Ralph, beginning to
throw things into his open trunk, to be left till called
for, because he expected this was to end his school-days
at Massillon Academy.

"If we start off now on foot we shall be tracked,
for Mr. Bernard will not rest till he gets news of us."

"That's so.  And if we wait and go by train in
the morning, all the town will know it.  That will
never do."

Both meditated a while, and then Ben said, waving
an imaginary hat around his head, "I tell you!  Let's
go over to the Cape and see if we can't find a vessel
bound out.  Father sent me ten pounds for the camp
out, and we'll hire a passage."

"Agreed!--the very thing!  What shall we want
to take?"

"We will wear these school-suits, and pack up some
rough clothes, our blankets, and just about what we
would take to camp, for we may have to work our
way to get the fellow to take us."

Ralph was about to throw his fishing-rod into the
closet with his foot-ball and base-ball, when he
exclaimed, "Hold on; I will make my will, and leave
that rod in the hall for Joe Chester.  Here, give me
a card!  'For Joe Chester.'  There, that will please
the little chap, and let him know I remember him.
Now I must write to Bernard.  Where's my portfolio?
Oh, here.  Well, now, what to say to him?  That's a
puzzler.  Shall I say anything about you, Ben?"

"I suppose you'll have to; but I am not anxious
to be remembered to him," was the laughing reply, as
Ralph dipped his pen in the ink and wrinkled his
brow, trying to think of the proper thing to say.
"Tell him I'm just as bad as you are, and we thought
we had both better get out from such a high-toned
crowd."

"Well, it is a good crowd, Ben--a splendid set of
boys, take them all together.  You know it is.  No;
I am going to do the right thing, and confess without
any nonsense.  He won't think me any meaner than
I think myself.  I'll just say that you knew about it,
and so thought you had better go too."

After dipping his pen and scowling again, he wrote
hastily:--

.. vspace:: 2

"MR. BERNARD,--I can't go with you.  Let Joe
Chester go, please.  I did the mischief, and was afraid
to tell.  Ban Carver knew about it, but did not do it.
We are going off together.  Please send our fathers
word that we are safe.--Respectfully yours,

.. vspace:: 1

"RALPH DRAYTON.

.. vspace:: 1

"*P.S.*--I was never sorrier in my life, Mr. Bernard."

.. vspace:: 2

"There, Ben, how does that sound?" he asked,
throwing the letter across the table to his companion.

.. _`"There, Ben, how does that sound?" he asked`:

.. figure:: images/img-098.jpg
   :figclass: white-space-pre-line
   :align: center
   :alt: "There, Ben, how does that sound?" he asked.

   "There, Ben, how does that sound?" he asked.

Ben laughed as he read it, and said, "Nothing could
be better.  I couldn't have done it so well myself."

"Seal it then, please.  I don't want to read it over."

"Now, shall we start, or go to bed for an hour or
two?" asked Ben, as the arrangements were all completed.

"I am afraid we would oversleep, and not get away
till daylight, if we lie down.  Let's sit up and talk
till after midnight.  We want to start before the first
streak of light."

"All right."

They chatted a while, and then grew sleepy.  So
after finding himself nodding a number of times,
Ralph said, "Let's just take a short nap, Ben."

"So I say."

Folding their arms on the table for a pillow, the
boys dropped their heads upon them, and were
speedily sleeping soundly.  They might have slept
till the rising-bell rang, only Ralph was awakened by
a fearful dream, in which he thought Mr. Bernard had
seized him, and was trying to hold him under the
water as a punishment for lying, to wash off the sin
of it, Ralph thought.  He started up so violently that
he nearly fell over backward.

"What! what's the matter?" cried Ben in alarm.

"Nothing but a dream," said Ralph laughing.
"But it is lucky I had it, for it is getting toward
morning, and we may as well be stealing out.  We
had better take our boots in our hands and just crawl,
those confounded stairs squeak so!"

Taking their valises, the boys, with a parting
glance around the room to see if they had left
anything, opened the door softly, and crept downstairs
cautiously, waiting long after each step; for, as Ralph
had said, they did creak unmercifully, as if in a league
to betray them.

They knew the boys, their schoolmates, were too
soundly sleeping to be disturbed, and if Mr. Andrews,
whose room was at the farther end of the hall, did
not hear them, they were safe.

They were down at last; and, unlocking the outer
door, they stepped outside, and closed it carefully
behind them.

"Good!" whispered Ben.  "Now put on your
boots, and away you go."

The moon was down long ago, and only the stars
gave light to the runaways as they hastened through
the Academy garden and over the fence into the field
leading to the shore, feeling that every bush by the
way might have some one behind to arrest them.

Everything on the Cape was quiet.

There were several vessels at the wharf, but if
manned at all, it was by a sleeping crew.  They
crept under the outside stairs leading to the second
story of a sail-loft, and waited impatiently and
uncomfortably for daylight.

"It seems like a graveyard or a funeral.  I hate
things so still," whispered Ben, as if whispering were
necessary in such stillness.

"It is an hour yet before daylight," said Ralph,
looking at his watch.

"We may as well have a nap."

"If we can get one.  Oh, how cold it is down here!"

The boys crept closer together for warmth, and
with their heads on their knees tried to sleep; and
after much turning and twisting, and grumbling at
the hard seat, and shivering in the cold night air as
it blew across the water, they at last fell asleep.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`ON BOARD THE "UNA"`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER XIII.


.. class:: center medium bold

   ON BOARD THE "UNA."

.. vspace:: 2

It was broad daylight when the boys waked again,
cold and cramped from their uncomfortable position,
and they found the men beginning to stir about on
the vessels at the wharf, washing the decks and
overhauling rigging.

It was some time before Ralph and Ben could find
courage to venture forth from their hiding-place.

"But it is no use to wait.  We must go.  Unless
we can get away before the steamboat comes, we will
have to skulk off and try another plan.  Come on;
I'll ask."

Dire necessity gave Ralph courage; and motioning
Ben to follow, he went on the wharf and hailed the
first man he saw: "Are you the captain of that ship?"

"It ain't a ship, sonny, and I ain't the cap'n by a
long chalk.  Why?"

"I wanted to know when you expect to sail."

"Sail! we are just in; cargo all in the hold,"
said the sailor good-naturedly, relighting his pipe, and
looking curiously at the two boys.  "What d'ye want
to know for?  Don't want to ship, do you?"

"Not exactly; we want to go as passengers on a
sea-voyage."

"Where do you want to go?"

"Oh, nowhere in particular."

"I never sailed to that port," said the sailor, laughing
as well as he could and still hold on to his pipe
with his teeth.

"Is there any vessel going to sail from here to-day?"
asked Ben.

"Well, now, there isn't a very big fleet here.  If
any of 'em was going to start soon, you'd be likely to
see some stirring about.  There's a little smack over
the other side, just goin' out; but that ain't your style,
I reckon."

The boys looked in the direction indicated by the
sailor's tar-stained thumb, and saw the sails going up.

"Let's go over there, Ben," said Ralph, pulling his
companion's arm.

They were soon at the vessel's side, and as the crew
only numbered two, and only one of these was a
full-grown man, it was not difficult to know who was the
captain.

Ralph, cap in hand, asked politely, "Captain, can
you take two passengers?"

"Two what?" roared the captain as he gave a final
pull, and fastened the sheets around a belaying-pin.

"Passengers," answered Ralph meekly, feeling very
much like retreating before the roar.

"Do you take this for a Cunarder?"

Ralph and Ben laughed, and said, "No; we see it is
nothing but a fishing-smack."

"Nothing but--humph, you little land-lubbers,
don't you know this craft will beat anything else
afloat?"

"Will it?" asked Ralph, eying the craft narrowly.
"It looks as if it might.  Will you take us?"

"Humph! you want to go fishing, do you?  Your
clothes look like that business.  Got any overalls
anywhere about you?"

"No, but we have thick old things in our valises."

"If you'll take us, captain, we will pay you just
what you ask.  We'll give you ten pounds," said Ben
recklessly, with his hand in his pocket grasping the
little red pocket-book that contained just that sum,
sent by his father to defray his part of the camp
expenses.

The captain whistled, and said, "Money's plenty!
I ain't quite such a highway robber as to take ten
pounds.  What do you want to go for?"

"Oh, for fun, and for our health!  The doctors
have ordered a sea-voyage for us, we've been studying
so hard."

"There now, Ben!  What did you say last night
about lying?" interrupted Ralph.

"No, captain, we want to go on a voyage, and
we've got the money to pay for the trip.  Won't you
take us?"

"Well, now, I don't know about that.  You are
running away from home, you two chaps; I know you be."

"No, honest!" said Ben.  "We are hundreds of
miles away from home now, and our fathers don't
expect us back for over a month yet.  It's vacation
now, and we want to go somewhere: that's what father
sent me the money for."

"I don't know whether you are tellin' the truth or
lyin', boys."

"That's the truth," said Ben, "every word of it."

"You ain't used to quarters like mine.  Look down
in that cabin!"

The boys looked down, and felt that he was right;
but Ralph answered bravely,--

"Oh, pooh, we don't mind! we can stand anything
you can."

"You can now--eh?  Ha, ha, ha!---Marcus, they
can stand anything I can--ha, ha, ha!"

It was very aggravating to hear the two men laughing
at their expense, but the boys joined in the laugh,
and insisted that they could.

"How about fare?  Like pretty good food, I reckon;
don't you now?"

"Oh, we don't care what it is, if we only get enough.
We expect to rough it."

"Oh, you do!  Well, now, you ain't never sea-sick
nor nothin'; are you?"

"Oh, sea-sick!  No; I've been on the lake many a
time when it was rough enough," said Ben loftily.

"Oh, the lake! yes, I see.--Then of course they
won't be sea-sick in a chop sea here, Marcus; will
they?"

Marcus only answered with a provoking chuckle.

"I declare I've a good mind to take you, just to
take the conceit out of you."

"We don't care what you do it for, if you only say
we can go," said Ben laughing.

"Have you got pork and potatoes aboard, enough
to keep two more, Marcus?"

"Ye-es," drawled Marcus; "they won't draw very
heavy on the food."

"No; that's so, poor wretches!--I tell you, boys, it
won't be fun going in a fishing-smack.  Rough seas
like enough, and rough quarters, and rough fare."

"We know that--we expect that; we'll promise
not to grumble," said Ralph.

"And we'll pay you well, captain," added Ben.

"Well, now, wait till we see how much trouble you
make before you talk about the pay.  I don't believe
I ought to take you; but I'd like to have you get
enough of it for once."

"Then we may come!  Wait till we get our luggage."

"Luggage!" cried the captain in alarm; "how
much have you got?"

"Oh, only two valises;" and away darted the boys
toward the sail-loft, and a minute later leaped on to
the dingy little vessel; and with some misgivings, but
a feeling of relief, they sat down forward of the cabin,
and watched the men push off.

"My native land, farewell,--farewell," hummed Ben
as they moved away from the wharf.

"Oh, hush, Ben!" said Ralph dolefully.

The men were too busy, as they tacked about to
get before the wind, to notice their passengers, and
they talked together about the boys and the commotion
there would be when their absence was discovered.

The *Una* was bound outside for mackerel, and her
deck was covered with empty barrels for their reception.

She was, as the captain had boasted, a swift sailer,
and once before the wind she fairly flew through the
waves, throwing the spray over her deck in a shower;
and, excited by the novelty of their situation, Ralph
and Ben quite enjoyed the sail.

They had followed the captain's advice, and changed
their clothes, putting on the heaviest and warmest
garments they owned.

Marcus, they found, was man-of-all-work on board,
and Captain Dare was a host in himself--more at home
on the sea than on the land, and needing little help
during the summer months in the management of the
little craft, of which he was sole owner.

The breakfast consisted of fried pork, fried potatoes,
and biscuits; and it tasted good to the boys with their
keen appetites.

After a while Ralph and Ben both began to feel like
keeping quiet; and the captain, who was watching
them as he smoked and tended the sails, saw that
Ralph was growing pale.

"There it comes!" he thought.  "Now won't they
wish themselves high and dry on the shore?--How do
you like it, boys?"

"Splendid!" cried Ben, who was wiping the spray
from his face.

Ralph said nothing, but smiled a ghastly smile.

"What's your names, boys?  I haven't heard yet."

"I'm Ben Carver; my folks live in--Why, what's
the matter, Ralph? you look like a ghost!"

"He feels like one too, I'll be bound!" exclaimed
Marcus, who was scraping the breakfast refuse over
the side of the vessel.

"Are you sick, Ralph?" asked Ben, putting his
hand on him.

"A little, but it will soon be gone," said Ralph,
trying to brace himself against the terrible feeling that
had seized upon him.

"P'raps it will, and p'raps it won't," said Marcus
with a laugh.

"Get rid o' them potatoes and things, and then
you'll feel better," said the captain kindly.--"Marcus,
mix him some hot ginger."

Ben was feeling very well still, or he forgot himself
in waiting upon his friend, making him as comfortable
as possible in the bow of the boat, where the breeze
would blow over him, and where he was out of the way.

It was so cool that Ben brought their blankets and
tucked them around Ralph, who was shivering.

"Cheer up, comrade! we are miles away from Saint
Bernard and his cherubs; and after you get over this
bad turn we'll have a jolly time, and no thanks to
them!"

Ralph nodded, and rewarded him with a dismal smile.

Ben had hardly got his friend snugly tucked away
in the blankets, when he glanced back shoreward and
saw the steamboat making straight toward them
apparently.

"Ralph Drayton, there's the steamboat covered with
our boys!  Let's get out of this as quick as we can.
They'll see us!"

Ralph forgot his misery, and throwing off his
blankets, he looked quickly in the direction indicated
by Ben.

Sure enough!  The boat was coming with its crowd
of merry boys, and the band playing gaily.

Without a word the two boys crept along the side
of the cabin away from the steamboat, and disappeared
in the depths below.

The captain saw them, and being keen at noting
signs, he guessed at once that his passengers were
runaways from the party on the boat.  "But it beats me
what they wanted to run away from a good time for!
I ain't got to the core of that apple yet," he soliloquized
with a puzzled look.

Ralph and Ben remained in close confinement until
long after the boat had passed the smack, not daring
to look out themselves, nor to ask either of the men
on deck, fearing that they in turn might ask questions
that would be disagreeable to answer.  At length
Ralph gasped, "O Ben, just look out; I can't stay in
this horrid place any longer!"

Ben went up the steps and peeped around the end
of the cabin.

"Good! they are away off where they can't see us.
Come on; I'll help you up."

"I'd like to know what you two fellows ran down
below for just then?" said the captain.

The boys pretended not to hear the remark; and
just then Marcus shouted, "There's a school!"

The boys turned in alarm, thinking only of their
own affairs and the only school that interested them;
but the captain, turning the vessel's bow, quickly
answered, "Good!  Bring the lines and bait."

The lines were soon ready, the bait thrown overboard,
and the vessel brought-to before the wind.

As they drew near the "school," and could see the
countless multitudes fairly leaping, Ben forgot his
disgust over the ill-smelling bait, and eagerly watched
the fishermen as they dexterously tended the lines and
landed their flapping prey on the deck.

Ralph was too sick to give any more than a passing
glance at the work; but Ben cried, "That's the
fun!--Give me some hooks, Marcus, and let me help."

"Help yourself! there's plenty there.  One will
be all you can manage though," said Marcus, snapping
a fish from one of the hooks with a jerk.

"Come on, Ralph! perhaps you'll feel better to stir
about.  Shan't I get you a line?  I tell you it looks
lively out here!  The water is all alive with fish, just
jumping and turning somersaults--regular acrobats!"

A groan from under the blankets was the only reply,
and Ben proceeded to use his hook and line as he saw
the others do.

It was rare sport, and in his excitement he forgot
that he had felt at all sea-sick.

As soon, however, as the "school" had passed, and
the last fish had been pulled in, Ben felt some of the
disgust returning.  There lay the slippery fish scattered
over the deck, flapping still, and refusing to die.
Beautiful fish they were, banded and mottled with
green and blue and purple; but Ben turned away from
them with a shudder, which was changed into a groan
as the two men began to dress them for packing.

"Want to help, boys?" asked the captain, with a
wink at Marcus.

"Not much, captain."

"Ralph, this is going to be horrid," he whispered,
as he threw himself down by his friend, and put his
head under the blanket with him.

"Going to be?  Isn't it already?  I hope it won't
get any worse," groaned Ralph.  "How long do you
suppose the voyage will last?"

"Oh, I don't know; how long do you?"

"And where are we going?"

"Sure enough, we didn't ask."

"Well, wherever it is, we are in for it now, and
have got to make the best of it."

A prolonged groan was the only answer.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`TRIBULATIONS`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER XIV.


.. class:: center medium bold

   TRIBULATIONS.

.. vspace:: 2

The two men worked steadily and cheerily over the
fish, sorting and dressing and packing them in salt,
only leaving off long enough to eat some bread and
cheese with dry salt codfish.

"Come, boys, dinner's ready.  Step up and help
yourselves," said the captain, with his mouth full of
bread and cheese, which he had made into a sandwich
for convenience and speed.

"We don't feel hungry," answered Ben, looking out
from the blanket long enough to see that the captain
was complacently munching his food as he sat astride
of the board on which he had been dressing the fish.

"Don't feel hungry!  That's queer.  *I* do, now.
This salt air ought to make you eat like a shark,"
exclaimed the captain, as he set his teeth through an
enormous piece of dried cod.  "I'm hungry enough to
eat those mackerel raw, if there was nothing else
handy."

"Oh, don't!" groaned Ralph, crawling further under
the blanket, and feeling his stomach rise up and roll
over uneasily.

All the afternoon the fishermen worked over their
"catch," and the boys did not venture out from their
retreat until a great splashing of water told them that
Marcus was washing the deck.  Then they began to
look around and breathe in the sea air, that seemed
to bring a revival of spirits to the boys.

Before supper-time another school of mackerel came
by, and the lines were again thrown out, and lively
work recommenced.

The two boys watched the sport as the men tended
their lines so dexterously, going from one to another,
and keeping a fish in the air continually, as Ben said.

.. _`The two boys watched the sport`:

.. figure:: images/img-114.jpg
   :figclass: white-space-pre-line
   :align: center
   :alt: The two boys watched the sport.

   The two boys watched the sport.

This was exciting enough to make even Ralph
forget his sea-sickness for the time; but when the
"school" had passed, the work of dressing mackerel
began again, and this was not at all soothing to
disturbed stomachs.

"Let's go to bed, and get out of this, Ben,"
exclaimed Ralph in disgust.

"All right."

They tiptoed by the pile of fish that were still
flapping feebly, and looked down into the cabin.  It
was not an inviting place, and Ralph hesitated.

"Going to turn in, boys?" asked the captain,
thrusting his knife into a fish before he looked up.

"Yes, we thought of it."

"Without any supper?  That will never do.  Help
yourselves in there.  The biscuit-barrel's in the
corner, and the codfish hangs right over it.  Eat a
good meal, and you'll feel better.  There ain't nothin'
equal to dry codfish for turning sea-sickness."

"Thanks; but we don't feel hungry," said Ben.

"That's queer.  It beats me how anybody can be
out to sea and not feel hungry!  Well, a night's rest
will make you better, like as not.  You'll sleep like
a couple of tops; that is, if you've got good clean
consciences afore God."

The boys made no reply.

"I hope you have.  It's bad work being out to sea,
or anywhere else, for that matter, with anything lying
heavy on your conscience.  Now, I don't pretend to
be any guide for any one.  I'm bad enough myself;
but I always says every night, 'Just look me over,
Lord, and if there is any bad in me'--and of course
I know there is plenty of it--'forgive it, and help
me to start better to-morrow.'  It's mighty comfortin'
for me to know that He sees that I *mean* fairer than
I *do*."

After these remarks the captain finished dressing
the fish he held on the board, and the boys disappeared
down the short flight of steps leading into the cabin.

It was a close place there, and filled with odours of
fish; in fact the whole vessel seemed to be stuccoed
with fish-scales.

"Are we first or second cabin passengers, Ralph?"
asked Ben laughingly, "or are we steerage?"

"Steerage, sure enough!"

"Well, it isn't the worst place that ever was.  I'd
rather be here than outside there in the sea, with a
shark after me," continued Ben, who was far more
inclined than Ralph to be jolly under difficulties.

"Bad as it is, I'd rather be here than on the island
camping out, with Joe Chester left behind," said
Ralph.

"Yes, of course you would.  If I had my fiddle
here I'd cheer you up; that is, if I didn't feel kind
of gone about my own stomach."  And Ben sat down
suddenly on the captain's green chest in the corner,
looking very pale.

It was Ralph's turn now to wait upon *him*, and
putting his head out of the door he shouted, "Captain,
where shall we sleep?"

"Oh, anywhere you've a mind to.  Take the bunks
if you want to.  Marcus and I'll look out for ourselves."

Ralph looked sharply at the rough bed, and said,
"It isn't a royal couch, but tumble in, Ben."  Ben
was too sick to care where he went, and letting Ralph
pull off his boots and coat, he literally tumbled in, as
requested.

Whether it was a lack of good consciences that the
old captain had spoken of, or the strangeness of their
situation, or the awful sea-sickness, the boys could
not sleep.  They lay and tossed in their close berths,
listening to the "thud" and "swish" of the waves
against the sides of the little vessel, and the creak of
the yards, as the canvas swung around in the wind.

It was a bright moonlight night, and the fishing
was good, so the noise on deck continued nearly all
night, making it still more impossible for the boys to
sleep, until, their labours being over, Marcus came
below for a nap.  Rolling himself in a blanket, he
dropped down in the corner of the cabin, and in less
than five minutes he was snoring loud enough to
drown the creak of the sails.

Ralph and Ben slept at last, and were only aroused
in the morning by the captain's voice as he hailed
another fishing-vessel.  Marcus was preparing breakfast,
and the odour of the coffee came into the cabin
to tempt the boys.

"That smells good," cried Ben, throwing off his
blanket.  "Let's get out of this pen, Ralph, as quick
as ever we can.  I believe I'm hungry."

"Good!" said the captain, looking down into the
little cabin, having overheard the exclamation.  "How
fare ye this morning?"

The boys answered as cheerily as they could, and
hastening up on deck, they washed their faces and
hands in sea water, and were ready for breakfast.

The deck was scrubbed clean, and the sea air was
pure and sweet.  Even Ralph felt hungry, and the
fried mackerel, with biscuits and coffee, tasted very
good.  The fishing was dull that day; no schools of
mackerel were to be seen, and the men busied themselves
with trolling for cod and hake, or anything that
would bite; and before night a long row of fish was
spread out on the top of the cabin to dry, much to
the boys' disgust.  The second night was passed much
like the first, in trying to become accustomed to their
close quarters; and the third was much like the second.
The only excitement was in running down schools
of fish; but as this was always followed by the
disagreeable work of dressing them, the dainty passengers
were earnestly hoping they might not see any more.

"How long before you go ashore, captain?" asked
Ben, as he walked the deck uneasily.

"Oh, when I get my load."

"But what do you call a load?"

"Now, that's a question I never could answer.  I
never saw the time I couldn't get on one more haul of
fish.  A smack is like an omnibus--it always has room
for one more," said the captain laughing.

"You are pretty full now."

"Bless you, no!  This isn't a trifle to what we
ought to do.  Mighty poor fishing this trip.  Reckon
I've got a Jonah aboard."

"A couple of them, perhaps," answered Ben, with a
wink at Ralph.

"The fog is coming on," continued the captain,
looking off seaward.  "We shan't be able to see our
hands afore our faces to-night, like as not."

"What do you do in a fog?" asked Ralph eagerly.

"Do? why, we make the best of it, boy.  What
do you suppose?"

"I thought, perhaps, you went ashore, or anchored
somewhere," said Ralph hesitatingly.

"Oh, you did?  The fog lasts two or three weeks
sometimes.  No; we go ahead, and catch every fish
we can."

"Aren't you afraid some other vessel will run you
down?"

"It would be about as bad for her as it would for
us," answered the captain, puffing the smoke from his
pipe contentedly.  "I'd rather have it pleasant; but
we don't have the ordering of the weather, and I've
fallen into the way of making the best of things--weather
and everything else.  If it's good weather,
I'm glad; if it isn't, I don't fret.  If the fish bite, I'm
glad; if they don't, I just stay out the longer; and
sooner or later I get a good load.  It don't do no good
to be frettin' and fussin'."

The captain's words did not cheer the boys.  They
felt far from contented at the prospect of a fog at
sea; and when it came rolling in and closing down
around them, hiding not only the strip of shore in the
distance, but also the island and the other vessels
that were near them, they wished themselves on shore
more earnestly than ever.

"We didn't bargain for this," said Ben, making a
wry face at his companion.

"No, nor for anything else we have had.  I'd
rather be in the Rocky Mountains," grumbled Ralph.

"So had I, or on the top of the North Pole, provided
it is planted in solid ground instead of water," was
Ben's laughing reply.

"I'm in earnest.  I hate the sea.  I'm afraid of it
just as soon as it begins to be rough.  I don't see
what possessed us to come to sea," continued Ralph,
peering uneasily through the fog.

"We couldn't help it, if I recollect right," said Ben.
"There wasn't any place to run to on land, so we
took to the water like musk-rats.  But we are all
right.  Captain Dare knows everything about vessels
and fogs.  I am not going to worry myself about it
at any rate, unless a big storm comes; then I suppose
I would be scared enough."





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`THE LITTLE CABIN`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER XV.


.. class:: center medium bold

   THE LITTLE CABIN.

.. vspace:: 2

The captain indulged in an afternoon nap, to be in
readiness for a watchful night; and the fog grew
thicker and heavier as the evening came on.

The great lantern was lighted early, and the wall
of fog reflected the light back in a weird, ghostly way
upon the boys, who sat in the bow, dreading to go
down into the little cabin.

"I feel as if we were shut up in a tomb of fog,"
said Ralph dismally.

"Well, if 'misery likes company,' it may make you
happier to know the other boys are in the fog too,
over on the island," returned Ben.

"Yes, but they have solid ground under their feet,
and are not likely to be run down as we are; besides,
they'll have a jolly time in spite of the fog.  I know
I could if I were on shore and not sea-sick, and that
fog-horn of Marcus's didn't sound so dismal.  I
wonder how many blasts he blows in a minute?"

"Let's go to bed; morning will come quicker,"
exclaimed Ben in desperation.

"If we could only sleep."

"Well, we did pretty well last night."

"Pretty well; but the cabin is so fishy and musty,
and my stomach rolls over so many times in a minute,
I can't sleep," complained Ralph.

"'Hark, from the tombs, a doleful sound,'" said
Ben, and then laughed in spite of his discomfort.
"We sit here and croak like a couple of ravens, and
Marcus toots that everlasting horn; let's go below and
try that," he continued.

Ralph arose and staggered to the cabin steps, said
good-night to the captain and Marcus, and, followed
by Ben, crept into his berth.  Ben tried to sing one
of the school glees to cheer himself and friend, and
forget his sea-sickness.

"Oh, hush, Ben!  That makes me as homesick as
a cat.  I tell you that little room of ours at school
was an awful cosy place, after all.  Just think of
that bed.  We used to call that hard."

"Yes, and that grate where we had a fire on cold
nights."

"We used to rail at it and call it stuffy, but if we
were only there now I'd feel like dancing."

Ben struck up another tune, and hummed it
through, chorus and all, to try to keep from utter
wretchedness.

Ralph was quiet till he finished; then he said,--

"Ben, Mr. Bernard is a good man.  He had the
right of it about that lying business.  I hate myself
for it."

"So you said before," answered Ben, beginning
another air.

"I know it," interrupted Ralph, "I mean it more
and more.  I mean never to deceive any one again."

"Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore;' anyway never
till you get into trouble again," said Ben.

"I don't care how great the trouble may be, I'll
confess and be true.  Do you know I tried saying
last night what the captain told us he said.
Somehow I never liked before to think the Lord was
looking at me, but now I am glad he is, for he can see
I really mean to do better."

"It's queer you feel that way.  I don't see any use
worrying over a little lie.  I've told dozens of them,
and I never felt bad about it.  I feel uncomfortable
enough now, but I reckon it's my stomach and not
my mind.  I say, let's go to sleep."

This was easier to say than do, and both boys tossed
and rolled in misery with sea-sickness, home-sickness,
and fear, until from sheer exhaustion they fell asleep.

The morning dawned foggy, and foggy the day
ended.  The next day was like this; and the boys
were too sick and worried to taste a mouthful of
food.  The fog did not prevent the fishing, and the
two men kept busy with their lines, or their work of
dressing the fish, and had little time to devote to the
boys, even if they had known what to do for them.

"I wish the two little land-lubbers were safe
ashore," was the fervent remark uttered over and
over again by the captain, as he and Marcus worked
together.

"A storm is coming, and this fog will get blown
higher than a kite," the boys heard the captain say.

"Yes, it feels like bad weather," was Marcus's
answer, as he gave a wise glance around their foggy
prison and blew a long blast on the big horn.

"Hear that, Ben?" asked Ralph.

"What?  The horn?  Yes, I hear it."

"No!  Didn't you hear what Captain Dare said?
We've got to have a storm after all.  In this little
vessel, too.  It will go down, sure as the world," and
Ralph grew paler than ever.  Ben felt very much as
his friend did, but said less.

"I hear another horn, captain."

"Yes!" said the captain, listening.

Marcus blew again long and loud; and again was
answered from out in the fog.  After a while the
two vessels came within hailing distance, and Ralph,
seized with a sudden longing, rushed up to the captain,
and said eagerly,--

"O captain, it's a larger vessel than this!  Don't
you suppose they would take us aboard?  If there is
going to be a storm, I would rather be in a large
vessel; this is such a little egg-shell."

"Egg-shell! not a bit of it.  But I'd like nothing
better than to get rid of you.  I don't want passengers
to look out for in a gale.  My little smack has rode
out many a storm, but I'd rather be alone with my
one man."

"Oh, ask them! beg them!" urged Ralph, more
and more excited.

"Tell them we've got money to pay with," added
Ben a little more quietly.

The captain laughed, but gratified them by hailing
the brig.  "Here are two boys, sea-sick and scared;
storm coming; no accommodation.  Can you take
them off my hands?"

"We are bound out," came the answer from the
vessel, whose outlines were only dimly seen through
the fog.

"Never mind where they are bound, tell him,"
said Ralph, pulling the captain's arm; "we don't
care."

"We've no room for passengers," added the invisible
speaker on the brig.

"Nor I neither," grumbled the captain of the
smack.  "I ought to have knowed better than to take
'em;" then aloud he added, "They'll die of fright on
my hands if there comes a tough gale."

"Who are they?" asked the voice in the fog.

"Two young scamps that belong to a school that's
gone on Whaleback to camp.  Leastways that's what
I guess.--Isn't it so, boys?"

"Yes."

The vessels were soon far apart, and the boys,
disappointed in their hopes, sat down by the captain to
watch him splice a rope.

"How did you know we belonged to that school? and
how did you know where they were going to
camp?" they asked.

"I guessed at one and heard the other.  They told
me on the wharf that Bernard's school was going to
camp on Whaleback; and when that boat came by,
and you two ran for the cabin so sudden like and
kept so still, I put two and two together and made
four easy enough without a slate or pencil."

"That's because you are an old tar," said Ben.

"But I haven't figgered out yet what you wanted
to run away from that crowd for!  It seems to me if
I was a fellow of your age I'd rather go to camp than
go aboard a fishing-smack and be sea-sick and scared
to death."

Neither of the boys cared to answer.

"You had some reason, I suppose.  I'd really like
to know it.  Tell me truly now--were you lying
when you said your folks were willing you should
come?"

"We didn't say just that.  We said they didn't
expect us home for a month, and they don't," said
Ralph; then, regardless of Ben's frown of disapproval,
he added, "I'll tell you how we happened to leave
them.  I did a mean thing--a shabby joke that
didn't turn out the way I meant--and then when
Mr. Bernard told the boy who did it to stand, I didn't
dare to."

"Of course you didn't!" said Ben apologetically.

"No 'of course' about it!" said the captain
abruptly.  "An honest boy never gets out of a scrape
in a mean way."

"Well, I know it now, but I didn't dare to stand
up.  And then he pulled the line tighter by telling
any one who knew the boy who did the mischief to
stand; and Joe Chester was the only fellow that
confessed to knowing.  He gave us several chances on
that, and tried to shame us out of lying; and at last,
as long as Joe Chester wouldn't tell, Mr. Bernard said
unless the other fellow confessed, Joe would have to
lose his camping-out time with the crowd."

"Did you own it?" asked the captain.

"Not then.  I felt meaner than dirt; but I was
afraid I'd be expelled.  It went on that way till the
night before the school left for the island; then I
couldn't stand it to have Joe left behind, and I up
and wrote a note and left it for Mr. Bernard,
confessing all."

"And what did you have to do with it, Ben?"
asked Captain Dare, wondering why Ralph had not
mentioned him.

"I?  Oh, I knew about it, but I wasn't going to
tell on Ralph."

"Then you got behind me to keep out of their
way," said Captain Dare.  "Well, what is going to be
the end of it all?"

Ralph shook his head.

"None of us know, and that's a fact, boys!  But
it ought to be a lesson to you to keep truth on your
side.  Lies never pay."

"So I believe," said Ralph in sober earnest.

"I begin to think so too," said Ben.  "Anyhow,
these didn't."

"Now's the time to take a fresh start, then; and I
hope we'll all of us live so we can be glad to have the
Lord see all we do and hear all we say,--yes, and
know all we think, too.  That's the tough part--the
heart is such a queer thing.  Sometimes it looks all
fair and smooth, and we feel pretty well satisfied with
ourselves; but just dig down a little way and we'll
find a lot of rubbish there we are ashamed of.  The
only way is to keep it open for the Lord to look
through all the time."

Then, after a silence, during which the boys looked
gloomily out into the fog that seemed to be growing
blacker and heavier like a pall, he added cheerfully,
"Well, good-night, boys; keep up good courage.  The
*Una* is a tough little boat, and has rode out many a
stiff gale."

"She's such a little thing to fight against big
waves and strong wind," said Ben.

"Yes; when I'm down in that cabin I feel as if
there was no more than a paper wall between us and
the other world," added Ralph.

"Less than that, boy, less than that.  There's only
a breath 'twixt us and the other world any time, on
sea or on land.  What's the difference, as long as
God's hand holds on to us?  I feel just as safe as my
little grand-baby does in his crib," said the captain.

"I don't," said Ben in a low tone; "I'd give all I
own, and all my father owns too, if I was near enough
the shore to jump on it.  I'd be willing to make
a long leap too."

"Good-night," again said the captain, as if to
dismiss them.

"Good-night," replied the boys; but they were restless
and anxious, and could not bear to go down into the
close cabin, which seemed more like a prison than ever.

The storm had not commenced, and the only sign
of it that the boys could see was the blackness of the
fog and the peculiar feeling of the air, which seemed
heated and heavy.

They sat down again behind the cabin, where the
captain could not see them, and spoke in whispers.

"Let's stay on deck all night," said Ben.  "If she
capsizes we would stand a better chance here."

"I don't suppose we'd have the least chance in
either place," was the doleful reply.

"That vessel might have taken us off," grumbled Ben.

Ralph was feeling too badly to talk, and he stared
at the fog in a despairing way.  They sat there until
the wind began to blow, and the spray from the big
waves to dash over them; then, as a last resort, they
retreated to the cabin.

"Good-night, captain," said Ralph dolefully as he
passed.

"What! you two fellows on deck yet!  I thought
I sent you below a couple of hours ago.  Down with
you!  You'll be washed overboard if you stay up here."





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`A WRETCHED NIGHT`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER XVI.


.. class:: center medium bold

   A WRETCHED NIGHT.

.. vspace:: 2

The boys went reluctantly into their berths, but not
to sleep.

Sick and frightened, they could only listen anxiously
to the beating of the waves against the vessel,
and the hurried movements of the two men on deck,
as, tossed by the winds and the sea, the *Una* rolled
heavily to and fro.

The moments seemed hours, and the hours seemed ages.

Never in their lives had they been so terrified.
Several times the water rushed down into the cabin,
as the waves broke over the deck; and Captain Dare
looked down upon them, long enough to ask if they
were drowned out.

"Hear the thunder!" exclaimed Ralph, as the heavy
roll and crash sounded overhead, and the cabin was
lighted almost continually with flashes of lurid light.

Ben made no reply, but buried his head under the
blanket.

"It's queer I don't feel so scared as I did," said
Ralph soberly.  "I feel something as Captain Dare
does--that after all we are in God's hand.  Hear that
peal!  It seemed to roll right over the deck."

Ben made no answer, but cowered still closer under
the blanket.

The rain now descended in perfect sheets upon the
deck; and although the cabin door was closed, the
water poured down through the cracks, and came in
around the small windows above the berths, adding to
the discomfort of the boys, who could not escape the
drenching there without stepping into the water with
which the cabin floor was covered.

The rain fell as if another flood had commenced;
and the wind had no mercy on the little vessel--breaking
her yards and snapping her topmasts; and
unreefing with goblin fingers the topsails, it whipped
them to tatters.

At length the thunder ceased to mutter, and after
midnight the rain fell no more; but the wind continued
to blow, and the little vessel to run before it.

It was sunrise when the captain opened the cabin
door and looked down.

"Well, boys, get up and give thanks!  The little
vessel has weathered the toughest kind of a gale.  We
are all safe now."

"Is the danger really over?" asked the boys eagerly,
as they sprang from the berth upon the wet floor.

"The worst is over, thank God!  It was a tough
storm and a stiff blow, but the *Una* rode it out," he
said proudly.  "One mast got a bad wrench, and all
the canvas that could get loose got ripped into rags;
but that's nothin' to what it might have been, considerin'
how the wind roared and howled over the sea.
Folks blame the sea for these accidents; but bless you,
the sea ain't to blame!  How can it help rearing up,
with a gale like that throwing it on its pitchfork?
I don't like to see things abused, and I stick up for
the sea; it behaves well enough as long as the wind
lets it."

"Where are we?" asked the boys, as they reached
the deck and looked curiously around.  "There's no
land at all in sight!"

"No; we got blown well out to sea.  It's lucky we
didn't try to make a port last night: we'd have been
caught among some o' them islands if we had, and
knocked to pieces on the rocks."

"That's so," added Marcus, with a wise shake of
the head.

"You two fellows did first-rate last night!"

"You are chaffing, captain," said Ralph, looking red.

"No, honestly.  I expected I'd have trouble with you
when that storm came; but I'll say that for you--you
did first-rate!"

"We were too scared to do any other way," confessed
Ben with a laugh.

"Scared or not, some folks will make a rumpus just
when they ought to keep stillest.--Now, Marcus, give
us a good breakfast, and then we'll shake out our
canvas and see where our damages are.  We must be
working back, for I don't propose to let this wind
drive us off shore any further than I can help.--One
time last night, along the first of the blow, we came
very near Whaleback, boys; but a miss is as good as
a mile when the danger is over."

"Whaleback!  Oh, I wish we were there now!  No,
I don't either!" exclaimed Ralph.

"*I* wish you was there, anyhow," said the captain
gruffly.  "That's where you belong.  I believe the
master there would take you back and forgive you.
You've got a good dose of punishment, if ever a couple
of young liars had."

"You don't know how Mr. Bernard feels about lying.
He will never want the other boys to be with us
again,--never!" said Ralph.

"I don't know about that," and Captain Dare shook
his head wisely.  "I know there isn't nobody hates a
lie worse nor me; but it ain't for me to hold back
when a fellow is sorry for it, and quits the whole
business of lying."

"And I mean to do that!" interposed Ralph with
emphasis; "but Mr. Bernard doesn't know it."

"No, and that's just what I was wishing you on
Whaleback for, so you could tell him."

"He wouldn't believe us!" exclaimed Ben.  "We
couldn't expect him to, after we lied to him as we did.
No, I don't want to see him.  A storm at sea is bad
enough; but I believe I'd rather go through another
than go ashore and face him."

"I'd like to have him know how I feel about it,"
said Ralph.  "I mean to write him a letter after I get
back to father's.  Of course we never can be taken
back into school."

"Breakfast!" shouted Marcus, flourishing the towel
with which he had been polishing the tin plates.

"I believe the fright last night took away my
seasickness," said Ralph, as he helped himself to the fish
Marcus had broiled.  "The fright did it, or else it
died a natural death, for I had it long enough.  I feel
more like myself than I have since I came on board."

"So do I," said Ben, following Ralph's example.

"When is this voyage going to end, captain?"

"Oh, when I get my load, I told ye before.  It will
take some time for this sea to go down enough to give
us another chance at the fish; but with fair luck I
reckon a week more will fill us."

The boys groaned.

"What! don't you like it?  You seem so fresh after
the storm, I concluded you was makin' up your mind
to follow my profession.  Then you don't mean to
take to the business as a steady thing?" Captain Dare
asked, with a twinkle in the funny light-gray eyes
overshadowed with bushy brows.

"No," answered the boys laughing.  "Dry land for us."

After breakfast, the two men unreefed the sails, and
began to repair damages.  The small boat that had
been stowed on deck during the storm was again
launched and towed behind.

The broken topmasts were useless; but the most
serious injury was to the foremast, which was sprung
out of position.

This they braced as well as possible, and setting all
available canvas, they began the process of tacking, to
regain their former-position.

As the wind abated, they began to troll for fish;
and in spite of the rough sea, the boys felt well enough
to help with the lines.

"If you stay aboard long enough, I'll make good
fishermen of you yet," said the captain with a chuckle,
as he noticed the colour in their cheeks and the sparkle
in their eyes when they surveyed the mass of fish they
had helped to catch.

"Now, just turn to and help to dress 'em," said Marcus.

The boys respectfully declined to join in this work,
and went to sit in the bow as far as possible away from
the board on which the fish were being prepared for
drying.

They had been so busy fishing, the time had passed
very quickly, and, tired and sleepy, they soon went to
bed, thankful that the storm was over and their
seasickness gone.

The morning dawned bright and clear, and when
they went on deck at sunrise, Captain Dare pointed to
the islands toward which they were once more sailing.

"Home again! home again, from a foreign shore!"
sang Ben; and Ralph was at ease enough now to join
in the song.

"That sounds good," said the captain approvingly.
"Give us another.  Sing us a hymn tune."

After a little consulting together the two boys sang
the chant, "The Lord is my Shepherd."  When they
ceased, the captain said,--

"Give me that again; twice more, and then I'll let
you off.  I never heard anything so good as that!"

The boys complied, and wondered, as they sang it,
why there seemed so much more in the chant than
they had ever noticed before in singing it at school.

"I never noticed that chant much," said Ralph: "it
means a lot more than it used to.  I wonder why?"

"Bless your heart, boy! you've got more feelin' in
your soul now, and more thoughts in your head.  I
tell you that's a psalm that has to grow on you.  It
don't mean nothin' particular to folks that haven't had
trouble, but to them that have, it keeps growin' and
growin', until they see more and more in it every time
they think of it.  I say that psalm over and over to
myself when I'm sittin' here o' nights with my hand
on the helm, but I never knew it could be sung.  I
used to sing once; I wonder if I could learn that.
I'd give 'most anything to do it."

"Why, of course you can," exclaimed Ralph.  "See
here, it is just as easy;" and he hummed the first line.
"Strike right in and sing it with us."

The two boys sang the chant again and again, until
the captain had mastered it; and during the day he
hummed it as he worked, resolving in his joy over his
success that he would go out of his way to do those
lads a favour, but it should be a surprise, and he would
not tell Marcus even of his intention.

It proved a fine day for fishing.  School after school
of mackerel came by, and the boys worked industriously,
helping the fishermen to gather their harvest.  At
night, tired and sleepy after their unusual labours, they
went below early, and the captain, with a wink and
crook of his finger at Marcus, beckoned him to his side.

"That's Whaleback yonder."

"Yes, I know it is; what of it?"

"There's a good breeze."

"Yes."

"I'm going to make for that island, and anchor off
the south end, where the beach is."

"You are?" asked Marcus, puzzled to know what
this could be for.

"In the mornin' when our two chaps wake up
they'll be so near their mates it won't be my fault if
that affair doesn't get settled," and the captain rubbed
his hands and laughed softly.

"Oh, I see!  All right.  Just as you say."

So while Ralph and Ben slept soundly in the cabin
of the *Una*, the little vessel sailed on and on in the
moonlight, and before midnight dropped anchor just
off the south end of Whaleback.  The weather-beaten
face of the old captain broadened with mirth as he
looked across at the cluster of tents showing white in
the moonlight, and thought of the commotion he would
create in the morning.  As he crept down into the
cabin to indulge in a nap, he laughed aloud over his
manoeuvre; but the two boys were too soundly asleep
to be easily disturbed.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`A SURPRISE`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER XVII.


.. class:: center medium bold

   A SURPRISE.

.. vspace:: 2

At the earliest dawn of day the captain and Marcus
stole quietly from the cabin, closing the door carefully
that the boys might sleep undisturbed.  "I don't want
to miss a mite of the fun I've got planned out, Marcus.
I tell you I feel like a boy myself this morning."

They kept very quiet, fearing that Ralph and Ben
might appear too soon upon the scene.  After a while
they saw Jonas emerge from his tent with a fishing-rod
over his shoulder.  Intent on business only,
thinking about the breakfast he was to prepare, he
had gone nearly out to the end of the point of
rocks at the side of the beach, before he discovered
the fishing-smack anchored within speaking distance.
The captain had already stepped into his boat, and
with a few strokes of the oars he reached the rocks
where Jonas stood rubbing his eyes to make sure he
was not dreaming.

"Well, I never!  Where did you come from all of
a sudden?" was Jonas's greeting.

"Hush!  Don't talk loud.  I've got a couple of
passengers I don't want waked up."

"Who are you, anyhow?" asked Jonas, his curiosity
getting the better of any politeness he might have
used.

"I am Captain Dare of the *Una*."

"You are the fellow that carried off two of our
boys," exclaimed Jonas, with a sudden increase of
interest.

"They took passage with me," said the captain
with dignity.  "Is the head-master over yonder?"

"Mr. Bernard?  Yes, asleep still."

"I want to see him."

"About the boys?"

"Yes."

"All right.  How glad he'll be!"

"Go call him then, but don't let any one else
know,--that's a good fellow."

"I'll do it; but just tell me one thing.  Have you
got those chaps aboard?"

Captain Dare nodded and laughed.  Without waiting
to hear more, Jonas rushed over the rocks, and
made his way to Mr. Bernard's tent.  The teacher
was a light sleeper, and in camp he was ready at any
time for a summons, so he lifted the flap of the tent
at once in answer to Jonas's rap, and saw the cook
making motions of secrecy.  He beckoned him inside,
and Jonas began, almost breathless after his run--"The
*Una* is anchored off here, and the captain wants
to see you before the others get astir."

Mr. Bernard uttered an exclamation of surprise and
delight, and without waiting to ask any more questions,
hastily donned his clothes and hurried after the
messenger, leaving little Max asleep in the tent.  Jonas
led the way to the point of rocks, and there in the
boat sat the captain.

"Captain Dare!" exclaimed Mr. Bernard.

"Yes, sir, that's my name."

"I am Mr. Bernard."

The two men shook hands most cordially.

"He's all right!  I'll risk *him*!" was the mental
exclamation as the captain's twinkling eyes surveyed
the teacher from head to foot.  "I've got two of your
boys in my cabin yonder, Mr. Bernard."

"Alive and well?" asked the teacher eagerly.

"Yes, alive and well.  Better boys, too, than when
you saw them last, Mr. Bernard."

"God be praised!  This gives me joy," was the
fervent response.

"And, Mr. Bernard, they've had pretty heavy
punishment.  I really hope you'll call it enough and
forgive 'em.  They are ashamed and sorry, I know.  I'll
answer for that."

The teacher's eyes were moist, and he took off his
glasses to wipe them as he said, "May I go on board
with you?"

"That's just what I want.  I told those chaps you'd
forgive 'em; but they said I didn't know you, and
you'd never trust 'em again.  You may, though.  I'll
answer for 'em you may--both on 'em.  You'll never
catch either of 'em in a lie again."

"Are the boys expecting me?"

"Bless you, sir, no; they don't know no more about
it than your boys up yonder asleep in their tents.
No, it's all a surprise;" and the old captain chuckled
with delight.

"Say nothing about this, Jonas, and keep quiet, so
the boys will sleep till we get our arrangements
made."

"All right, sir; I've got my fish to catch yet,"
answered Jonas, baiting his hook.

"Never mind those fish--that's slow work.  I'll
send my man ashore with mackerel and cod enough
to last you a while."

The teacher seated himself in the boat, and Captain
Dare pulled quickly back to the vessel.

"Marcus, pick out some of the No. 1 mackerel and
the best cod and hake, and pull over where that
fellow is waiting," said the captain, as he stepped on
the deck of the *Una*; then turning to his guest, he
said gleefully, "Those boys are still asleep, I reckon,
but there they are safe and well down in my cabin,"
and he opened the door a little to look in.  "Yes,
sound asleep, the young rascals; won't they be
surprised!  I said I'd go out of my way to do 'em a
favour to pay 'em for learnin' me that hymn tune,
but they hadn't no idea what I meant to do."

The door moved by sliding, and when the captain
pushed it open Ralph opened his eyes.

Was he dreaming, or was that Mr. Bernard's face
looking down upon him, full of kindness and
forgiveness?

No, it was no dream.  Mr. Bernard was coming
down the steps, and Ralph sprang from the berth to
meet him, knowing before a word had been spoken
that he was forgiven.

Just then Ben opened his eyes, and sleepily looked
around.

What was that?  Mr. Bernard with his arm around
Ralph's shoulder.

Surely he was still asleep, and still in dreamland.

"O Ben, he forgives us--he has come for us," cried
Ralph with quivering lips.  "Isn't it too good to
believe?"

Mr. Bernard held out his other hand to Ben, and
drew him to his side.

"Where are we, Mr. Bernard, that we found *you*?"
asked Ralph with a puzzled look.

"Ask your good captain.  He has gone out of his
course, in the kindness of his heart, to do us all a
favour."

"No favour at all," said the captain earnestly,
waving his hand in token of disclaiming any obligation
on their part,--"no favour at all.  I like to
see things get righted, and I like to have a hand in
doing it.--Besides, didn't you two chaps teach me that
chant that's going to help me through many a long
night at the helm?"

"You will allow us to *feel* thankful to you, captain,
if we keep quiet about it, won't you?" asked the
teacher laughing.  "We have been anxiously watching
for your vessel ever since we heard from you.

"Heard from us! when?" asked the captain with
a puzzled look.

"We heard by the vessel you hailed the night
before the storm."

"Well, now, where did you see *her*?"

"On the rocks just off the lighthouse."

"What!  cast away?"

"Yes: she went on the rocks the night of the storm;
but the crew were saved, all but one man.  They have
been over at the lighthouse, waiting to see the last
of the wreck, after rescuing all the cargo they could."

The captain turned to the boys, and said: "That
was an escape for you.  If we had had our way, you
would have been on that wreck too.  How little we
know what's best for us!  I'd rather not have the
ordering of things if I could.  I'd be sure to make
a mess of things.  God knows best, and that's true
every time."

"It was fortunate indeed," added Mr. Bernard.
"But we have been more anxious than ever, since
Captain Melrose reported you."

"We didn't think you would care," said Ralph
with a flushed face.

"Why, Ralph, have you been in my school all this
time and know me no better than that?  There has
been no time since the trouble began that I would
not have received you gladly if I had known you to
be honestly sorry for your fault.  You know me
better now, I hope."

Ralph put his hand in the outstretched palm of
the teacher, and said, "Yes, Mr. Bernard, I could
never be afraid of you again; but I mean with all my
heart never to do anything again that I shall be
ashamed to tell you."

.. _`Ralph put his hand in the outstretched palm of the teacher`:

.. figure:: images/img-146.jpg
   :figclass: white-space-pre-line
   :align: center
   :alt: Ralph put his hand in the outstretched palm of the teacher.

   Ralph put his hand in the outstretched palm of the teacher.

"God grant you his help to keep this resolution.
We need his help, my boy; you know that."

"Yes, I know.  I am very sure that *I* do."

"And you, Ben?" asked the teacher, turning to
the other boy, who had kept in the background,--"you
mean to be honest and true, too."

"Yes, sir, I mean to be true like Joe Chester; and
I think you are very good to give us another chance.
It is what neither of us expected.  We thought our
days at your school were over."

"Not yet, I hope,--not till you are ready for
college.--Now, how shall we tell your friends you
have come?"

"Don't any of them know it?" asked the boys
quickly.  "I have been wondering that we heard no
noise."

"No, indeed, no one knows it; but they will soon
be astir, and then there will be noise enough, for
camp-life has not quieted them down at all.--Captain
Dare, if my boys spy the *Una* they will make
an attack upon us that will frighten you, unless you
are used to war-whoops."

"I'm not easily scared at a noise," said the captain
laughing.

"Joe Chester would make nothing of swimming
across here," said Ben.

"No, indeed, and in his delight at your return he
would be sure to do something rash," added Mr. Bernard.

"How can he be glad to have us back?" asked
Ralph with reddening face.  "I am sure I am
ashamed to see him, I treated him so shabbily."

"You may be sure he remembers nothing against
you.  He has been your warmest friend in camp, and
most anxious for your welfare.  If I had been ever
so harshly inclined toward you, I should have been
won by his intercession in your behalf.  He was
sure all the time that you regretted your course."

"Joe is a good fellow, and he judged me by
himself," answered Ralph warmly, "and that was more
than I deserved."

"Joe is a noble boy, true to the very core; but
we must decide quickly how to manage your return
to camp."

Before they had proceeded further, however, the
question decided itself.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`THE GREETING`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER XVIII.


.. class:: center medium bold

   THE GREETING.

.. vspace:: 2

On the fishing excursion the day before, David had
taken cold, and was awake with toothache half the
night.

He did not arouse his friend, however, and it was
not till daylight that Joe discovered his condition.

"I'll go over to Mr. Bernard's tent and get something
to stop it.  Why didn't you call me before?"
asked Joe, dressing as quickly as possible.

"Oh, I didn't like, you were so sound asleep.
Besides, I kept thinking it would get easier; but it
aches now worse than ever."

"I'll go over immediately," said Joe, pulling on his
boots.  "Mr. Bernard keeps a lot of stuff in his tent,
and I guess he'll find something to help you."

"Likely as not he will offer to come over with his
nippers to pull the thing out, but tell him, 'No, thank
you.'"

"Good-bye, old fellow; I'm off.  Keep your head
under the blanket."

Joe lifted the flap of the tent and stepped outside.
Everything was quiet; the camp was asleep.  The sky
in the east was all aglow with the coming sun.  Joe
drew a long breath of the fresh morning air, and
looked around as he ran toward Mr. Bernard's tent.

Suddenly his eyes fell on the little vessel at anchor.
In a moment he understood it all, and, turning quickly,
he rushed back to his own tent, and seizing Dave by
the shoulder he shook him till the blanket dropped
off, and then he performed a dance around the tent,
adapting his motions to the narrow quarters.

"Are you crazy, Joe Chester?" asked David, sitting
up and looking very much dazed after having been
rolled so snugly in the blanket.

He held his hand over his aching face, and felt
rather cross at Joe's unseemly antics.

"I believe I am, Dave.  Just get up and peep out;
it will do your toothache good," whispered Joe.  "But
don't let the other fellows hear."

"What's the matter now?" grumbled Dave; but
he jumped out of bed and looked out of the tent in
the direction indicated by Joe's finger.  "What's
that,--a vessel?"

"It looks like one, doesn't it?"

"What's she doing there?"

"She's at anchor.  But hush! don't talk so loud."

"That's queer; but what's that to us that you
should go on at that rate?  I thought you had
made some great discovery," said Dave, preparing to
retreat.

"Well, I should like to know if I haven't.  I tell
you, Dave, that's the *Una*," cried Joe in a
triumphant whisper.

"The *Una*?" asked Dave, letting go his cheek,
and looking up with increased interest.

"Yes, sir, the *Una*; and of course Ralph and
Ben are there, too."

Dave gave a prolonged whistle below his breath,
but Joe hushed him.

"I'll run to Mr. Bernard's tent and see if he knows.
You'd better dress and come down if your tooth doesn't
ache too hard."

"I don't care if it does; I'll go," said Dave, seizing
his clothes and beginning to dress in haste.

"Well, tie up your head in something, and come on."

Joe darted out of the tent, and ran noiselessly to
Mr. Bernard's.

In vain he rapped on the canvas, as little Max, the
only occupant, was still soundly sleeping.

"Mr. Bernard knows it," thought Joe, as he ran
like a greyhound down to the rocks, followed by Dave,
who came only half dressed and wrapped in a blanket
like a young savage.

Jonas and the captain's man were throwing the
fish from the boat up on the rocks, and they did not
hear the boys until they rushed upon them with a
suppressed whoop.

"Where are they, Jonas?  Have they come ashore?"
demanded Joe.

Jonas raised himself slowly from his work, and
stared at the speaker, as he answered with provoking
slowness, "Where's who?"

"Oh, you know.  The boys--Ralph and Ben.  Have
they come ashore?"

"Not as I know of; I haven't seen 'em."

Marcus had thrown out the last fish, and was about
to push off his boat, when Joe leaped in, and Dave
followed, blanket and all.

"That's cool, I must say.  What business have you
got in here?" growled Marcus; but Joe saw that it
was a good-natured growl, and he only laughed as he
seated himself.--"Now, what shall I do?" asked
Marcus, appealing to the cook.  "I don't believe
these chaps are wanted over there."

"Yes, let them come," called Mr. Bernard, who,
having heard the voices, appeared at the vessel's side.

"All right, sir--just as you say," answered Marcus.

In a few moments the boat had reached the vessel;
and Joe, nimble as a monkey, was up the side in a
twinkling.

David, having his blanket to manage, crawled up
more slowly; and when he reached the deck, Joe had
disappeared down in the little cabin, where he was
shaking hands, and bringing a welcome that set Ralph
and Ben at ease immediately.

"And who is this?" asked Mr. Bernard, as Dave
came stumbling down the steps, trailing his blanket.

"Dave Winter."

Then the hand-shaking was renewed, and Captain
Dare received his share of welcome and thanks for
returning the boys to them.

"This is the most like the prodigal son of any
story I ever got mixed up in," Captain Dare remarked,
as soon as there was a lull in the conversation.

"Only there are two of us," said Ben laughing.

"Cap'n, the whole pack's comin'," shouted Marcus
in a tone of dismay, looking down into the crowded
cabin.  "If they board us, we'll be swamped."

They all laughed, and Mr. Bernard protested that
they would spare the *Una* from such a fate.

"Now, captain, if you will put us ashore, you will
make us still more your debtors."

"I'll do that, Mr. Bernard, although I would like to
keep you aboard till I sail."

"Don't talk of sailing yet.  You must come ashore,
and see our quarters, and at least take breakfast with
us,--you and Marcus too."

"Oh yes, captain," cried Ralph and Ben, eagerly
seconding the invitation.  "We want all the fellows
to know you."

The captain laughed, and allowed himself to be
pushed up the cabin steps, where loud cheers from
the crowd on shore greeted the party.

The news had spread from tent to tent that the
*Una* had arrived, and the runaways returned to
them; and with whoops and hurrahs the half-dressed
crowd rushed to the beach.

Some unfastened the boats moored there and pushed
off in them, and others stood on the rocks and shouted,
as Mr. Bernard, followed by the captain, Ralph, Ben,
Joe, and Dave, came on deck.

There was no mistaking the warmth of the greeting
from their school-mates.  Hats were waved and
cheer after cheer given as the boat reached the shore,
and the boys climbed up the rocks, followed by
Mr. Bernard and Captain Dare.  It was so different from
the reception they had imagined when they thought of
a return to school.

If they had been received coldly or with sneers and
taunts, they would not have wondered; but this
welcome seemed wholly unaccountable, and Ralph and
Ben received it very modestly, feeling that it was
entirely undeserved.

Captain Dare and Marcus were introduced to the
crowd of boys, and were escorted to the tents, while
the *Una* was left to swing to and fro on the rising tide.

The half-dressed boys hastened to finish their toilets,
and had barely time for this before the bell for prayers
rang, and they all gathered in the large tent, where
Mr. Bernard gave hearty thanks for their new happiness.
The prayer was suited to the occasion, and it
touched every heart.

When it ended, Ralph, who stood by Mr. Bernard,
said in a manly way, though his lips trembled as he
spoke, and his face was pale, "I want you all to know,
boys, that I don't deserve this welcome from you and
the teacher.  I was a mean fellow, and a wicked
fellow, and a sneak to boot; but I've made up my
mind that I'll lead a different life, with God's help."

There was perfect silence after Ralph ceased speaking
and stepped back a little.

Ben did not know that Ralph intended to say
anything of the kind, and indeed the boy himself had
not thought of it until, touched by the prayer offered
in his behalf, he was moved to speak.

"I suppose I ought to say something too," he thought;
"but I declare I'd rather be back in the *Una* with
a gale blowing."  Red and awkward, he got up and
said, "I'm sure I don't deserve it either.  You are
all awful kind about it, and I hope you'll never have
to be ashamed of us again.  I mean to be honest and
true after this."

As soon as he had spoken he got behind Mr. Bernard,
and fanned himself with his cap to get the flame from
his face.

Ralph whispered to the master, and to the delight
of the captain the whole school began the chant he
liked so much--"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall
not want."

With his hands behind him, and his huge frame
swaying to and fro, he joined with unbounded comfort,
as well as with spirit and understanding, in the music.

Knowing his fondness for singing, Ralph asked
Mr. Bernard to have more; and the boyish voices sang
hymn after hymn, and some of the school glees, that
they had practised many times, and had even given
in concert in the town of Massillon, where the
Academy Glee Club was looked upon as something to
be proud of.

When they ceased, Captain Dare said, "It's good
to be here.  I wouldn't have missed it for all the
world.  I shall hear that singing above the roar of
the wind and the sea,--I know I shall."

Jonas had prepared quite a sumptuous repast in
honour of the event--that is, considering the fact that
there was no market within four or five miles.  There
was fish broiled and fish fried, mackerel, cod, and hake,
hot biscuits, and bread; best of all, coffee that scented
the air with odours from "Araby the blest."

Captain Dare was given the place of honour at
Mr. Bernard's right hand, and Marcus sat among the boys,
listening to the stories of their accidents and
adventures, as they were detailed to Ralph and Ben, who
were not anxious to talk of their own experience,
acknowledging that the days that had been spent on
the *Una* were wretched days to them.

"The fact is," said Ralph, with sudden frankness
when urged to give an account of himself, "we were
scared and sea-sick the worst way.  At least I was.
Ben was braver than I: he did his best to keep jolly,
until the storm came,--then he gave in; didn't you,
Benjamin?"

Ben nodded laughingly.  "I'll never deny that.
You were the braver of the two then; but I believe
any 'land-lubber,' as Captain Dare calls us, would be
scared with such a commotion of wind, sea, and
thunder and lightning, to say nothing of rain that came
down by the tubful."

Ben shrugged his shoulders as he ended his account
of affairs, and sought consolation in another of Jonas's
biscuits.  After breakfast Captain Dare said: "My
man Marcus is looking at me, as much as to say, 'Come,
you are wasting time;' but, Marcus boy, we ain't.
I believe I've got pleasure enough out of this time to
last till I'm an old man.  I suppose you think I'm
that now; but, bless your hearts, my lads, when you
get as old as I am you'll think old age a long way
off.  But we must be going now.  My little vessel
there is as restless as a colt.  She can never bear to
be tied up.  See her dancing and tossing around!
She wants to be off.  I must be getting her in port
for repairs."

"Oh, don't go yet, captain!"

"Stay all day," cried the boys.

"No, don't tempt me.  I must get my load of fish,
and go home to see my grand-baby.  When you go
back to Massillon, be sure to visit my folks and see
that baby; he's a fine fellow, if I do say it.  I set a
heap by him, and he does by me too, strange to say.
But good-bye, all of you."

"Ralph," said Ben, pulling his friend's sleeve, "we
haven't paid him for our passage yet."

"Sure enough; and there are our valises aboard the
vessel--we must get them."

The entire company of teachers and scholars went
down to the beach to see the visitors off; and Ralph
and Ben went over to the vessel in one of the boats
to have a few last words with Captain Dare, and to
bring away their goods and chattels.

When they had brought the valises from the cabin,
and had come to give a final shake of the hand, Ben
took his purse from his pocket and said, "Now,
captain, how much shall we pay you?"

"Off with you, boy!  Not a penny.  You are
welcome to that trip, I am sure.  It turned out better
than any of us expected, didn't it?  I shall always
like to think it over."

"But, captain--" began Ralph.

"No 'but' about it.  The vessel is mine, every
timber of it, and if I've a mind to take passengers,
it's nobody's business.  So off with you.  Keep your
promises.  Be good boys, and that's all I'll ask.  God
bless you.  Good-bye."

Ralph and Ben returned to the shore, and stood
with the crowd waving and cheering as the *Una*,
with all sails set, glided away.

As long as they could see the two men, they stood
on the rocks and waved hats and handkerchiefs; and
Marcus gave a return salute by flourishing his
dish-towel and blowing his fog-horn--the same horn that
had sounded so dismally in the fog when Ralph and
Ben were at sea.

"There goes a man worth knowing!" exclaimed
Ralph.  "He is rough enough outside, but he is pure
gold through and through.  Where would we have
been if we hadn't fallen into his hands?"

Ben shrugged his shoulders as he said, "Not here,
surely."

"Indeed we wouldn't; and when school begins in
September we wouldn't have been there either."

"We didn't cheer him half loud enough," cried Joe
Chester in a fresh spasm of gratitude.  "I wonder if
they could hear if we all gave one tremendous yell.
Let's try it.  All together now.  One, two, three."  Then
followed a shout that succeeded in bringing the
two men to the vessel's side for one more salute.

"There, that will do for this time, boys; I think
they know that you appreciate their kindness," said
Mr. Bernard, laughingly uncovering his ears, after
protecting them from the roar of the crowd.  Leaving
them on the beach planning the day's pleasure, he
returned to the tent to read and rest.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`IMPROVING THE TIME`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER XIX.


.. class:: center medium bold

   IMPROVING THE TIME.

.. vspace:: 2

"Only two more days, boys, and the boat will be here
for us, and the tents will have to come down,"
exclaimed Joe, as he stood on the beach with a handful
of pebbles, skipping one after another out over the
swimming-pool.

"That's so," said Ben, sighing over lost opportunities.

"The question is what to do first now.  Shall we
show Ralph and you the sights?"

"Oh, it's jolly just to be here, Joe, without hunting
up any fun!" said Ralph, leaning back in his rocky
seat.  "I could lie on the rocks here, and be comfortable,
and call it a good time, too, after our dismal
experience."

"Having had that, it's all the more reason you should
have all the pleasure we can crowd into these two
days," said Joe, putting his hand on Ralph's shoulder.

"Yes," said Dave; "we must stretch these next two
days over all the fun we can."

"The archery and rifle matches come off this afternoon;
but I shan't fire another arrow till then.  It is
too bad your bow and rifle were left behind, boys: but
you can use my bow, Ralph; and there are plenty of
fellows in the rifle club to lend you a rifle, Ben," said
Joe.

The offers followed at once, but the two boys declined,
and Ben, who was a member of the rifle club, and one
of the best marksmen, said, "No, indeed; I haven't
practised for a fortnight, and I should disgrace my
record if I should join in the match to-day.  No; I'll
look on and applaud."

"Let's go and swim a while, and after that take a
run over to the lighthouse," suggested Joe.

"And show the boys the place where Walt and Ned
acted Robinson Crusoe," added Don.

"Which was Robinson, and which Friday?"

"I don't think that question was ever decided,"
answered Ned good-naturedly.

"Ho, for a swim!  Who will go in?" cried Fred.

"I," and "I," answered the boys, as they ran for
their bathing-suits.

They soon appeared dressed in all imaginable costumes,
and a band of fantastics could hardly have been
funnier.  Into the water they walked or leaped or
dived, with much shouting and shrieking over the cold.
Ralph was a timid swimmer, and did not like the water
well enough to attempt any fancy motions, contenting
himself with paddling about where he could reach the
shore very quickly, if he chose.  Ben, however, was
strong and bold, and followed Joe and the others in
diving from the rocks and swimming under water.
Nearly the whole school were in the water together
this morning, to celebrate Ralph and Ben's arrival.
The two boys from the lighthouse were there also, and
under Joe's instruction were learning to "strike out"
quite boldly.  Little Max was also learning, and he
shouted to his father, who sat on the rocks, laughing at
the antics of his boys, "See, father, how many strokes
I can take.  Now you count.  I can go 'dog paw,' too."

The time passed so quickly that the boys could
hardly believe that Mr. Bernard's watch was reliable
when he gave the signal for an exodus from the water.
As usual, there was pleading for a few minutes
more,--one more dive, or one more race across the
pool,--then a great splashing and dashing and general
commotion, as the multitude obeyed the order, followed by
a scamper of the dripping mermen to the tents.  After
dressing, they met for further discussion as to the next
thing in order, and, after much debate, most of those
who were not intending to practise for the matches
decided to go over to the lighthouse.

"Is the wreck there now?" asked Ralph.

"Yes, it's there, what there is of it, but it is 'most
all to pieces," answered John Kramer.

"And where are the men?"

"Oh, father took them across in his boat after they
had done all they could to save things.  I tell you, they
were awful plucky about getting things out.  Father
says he wouldn't have risked his bones on the old hull
for nobody."

"No, I don't believe he would, boy," said Walter
dryly, recalling the slowness with which he responded
to their petitions for help when he and Ned were in
trouble.  "Your father will never come to his death
through want of care for himself, rest sure of that,
Johnny; so don't you lie awake at night worrying
about him."

The path to the lighthouse lay through that part of
the pasture where the blueberries were most plentiful
and tempting, so it was long before the boys reached
their destination; and their blue mouths told the secret
of their delay.

After the lighthouse had been visited and examined,
the boys led the way to the fishing-ground, where the
tide had come up over their fish and lunches and rods.
Here all began to talk together, relating the experience
of that eventful day, and though they all spoke one
language, it seemed like a second Babel, but little
inferior in point of sound to the first.  Each boy having
had an experience that differed a little from his
neighbour's, felt it necessary to make a statement of facts.
After a while Joe shouted above the din,--

"See here, boys, it is low tide; let's go around and
see the 'Exiles' Rock!'" and he led the way down to
the spur around which Walter and Ned had run to hide.

"Look out there! you fellows will be caught just
as we were," shouted Walter.

"No, we won't.  We know too much for that," answered Dave.

"Come on and visit the scene of your fame and glory,
Walt!" exclaimed Ned.

"No, sir; the fame and glory were too slim to tempt
me again," was the laughing reply, as Walter threw
himself down on the rocks to wait for the others.

"I am going.  I feel curious to know how it seems
to be there again," and Ned ran after the other boys,
who had disappeared around the spur.  "Imagine these
waves ten times rougher and fiercer, leaping and
roaring away up by your very feet, with the spray flying
in your faces, and you can have some idea how Walt
and I felt here," he said, after he reached his
companions; then he added, "And yet you can't; for the
worst of it all was that we didn't know where the tide
would stop, or whether it would stop at all until it
had washed us off our perch."

"There couldn't be a much worse place to get
caught!" exclaimed Ben, shrugging his shoulders, as
he always did, to express the feeling that matters and
things were in a bad condition.

"Let's get away from here," said Ralph.  "I have
had all the experience with the raging seas that I want."

Then, with many similar comments, the crowd of
boys surged back to the place where they had left
Walter.

"Now for Spouting Horn!" cried Joe.  "Here, not
that way.  The low-tide spouter is on this side," he
added, as the boys were starting off.

"It is just about time to see the pool, too," said Fred.

"Yes, we will do both.  There'll be time enough to
see that after we have watched the spout a while."

"There she blows!" exclaimed Don, as they came
near the place in time to hear the report, as the column
of water shot up into the air and fell in delicate spray.

A prolonged "Oh--h!" ending in a whistle from
Ralph, expressed his admiration of the wonderful sight;
and he and Ben hastened forward to be as near as
possible before it spouted again.

"I don't want to hurry you, boys," said Joe, "but
we have another sight to show, and the tide has turned.
In a little while it will be too late to see the pool."

There was another race of the multitude, and in spite
of their haste the tide had crept nearly up to the place
they had come to see.  The waves were beginning to
flow up over the barrier separating the pool from the
ocean, and there was only time to secure a few
specimens of star-fish and sea-urchins, and to admire the
natural aquarium; then they were obliged to retreat
before the rushing water.

Ben, who was lying flat on the rocks, trying to get
possession of a beautiful lilac-coloured sea-anemone,
would not heed the shouts and shrieks of warning from
his comrades, and as a result, before he could scramble
to his feet, a succession of waves rolled over him, hiding
him from view.  When the waves rolled back he was
blowing the water from mouth and nose, and laughing
as heartily as those who had been spectators of the
ludicrous sight.

"The great Atlantic merman!" shouted Dave, as he
rolled on the rocks in a fit of laughter.

"I got the creature though!" Ben cried triumphantly.
Then seeing the mass of jelly in his hand, with
no trace of the beauty he had sought to seize upon, he
threw it down with an expression of disgust.  "Pooh!
Is that the thing?  I don't want that!" he exclaimed.
"Alas!  I got ducked for nothing, except to make sport
for the rest of you.  Well, look at me and laugh all you
want to," he added good-naturedly, as he tried to wring
himself out.  There was no need to tell the boys that,
and the shrieks of laughter continued long after they
started campward.

"See! see!" shouted the archers, as the boys tramped
past the targets.  "A wreck! a wreck!  Ben Carver
rescued from the briny deep."

"Why this wetness, Benjamin?" cried Henry Burnham,
as he paused, with his arrow on the string.

"Oh, that was acquired in my thirst for science."

"Couldn't be satisfied without going into it head
over heels, eh?"

"Here, come to our tent.  I carried your valise
there, Ben," said Joe.  "Your teeth are chattering now;
I am going to get Jonas to make you some ginger-tea.
That'll warm you up, I tell you."

Away ran Joe, and by the time Ben had changed his
garments, he returned with a mug.

"Here it is, piping hot.  Drink that, Ben, and I'll
warrant you'll be able to melt out the inside of an
iceberg by just breathing on it."

Ben took the mug, and, after eying the contents
with a comical look of distrust, took one sip, then with
a wry face he said, "Here, boys, pass this beverage
around.  There's nothing mean about me.  I always
share my treats.  This will warm you so much, you
will love even the misguided wretch who invented
logarithms."

The offer was laughingly declined, and Ben, pouring
the contents on the ledge, returned the mug to Jonas
with many thanks for his liberality.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`THE TWO MATCHES`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER XX.


.. class:: center medium bold

   THE TWO MATCHES.

.. vspace:: 2

"Ho, for the match!  Come, Dave, bring out your
weapons; the boys are gathering."

Dave quickly obeyed Joe's summons, and the two
friends, with bows and quivers, followed by Ralph and
Ben, joined the archers.  Fourteen boys composed the
club, and at the time appointed they, as well as the
spectators, were ready for the signal.  Mr. Andrews
kept the score, and there was great excitement as the
shots were registered; but in spite of much loud talk
the match ended satisfactorily to all outsiders, and to
most of the participants, for Joe Chester won.  A
prolonged shout announced Joe's victory, not only to all
on the island, but to vessels far out on the water.

Before the excitement had fairly abated, the signal
for the rifle match was given, and away started the
crowd to that part of the island where the targets were
set for the marksmen.  Ben being one of the best of
the club, was particularly interested in this match, and
he watched eagerly the movement of every rifle, longing
for his own, and the chance to use it.  Many rifles
were offered to him, and every one urged him to join
in the trial of skill; but his answer was, "No, indeed;
I shan't risk my reputation now without any
practice."  Mr. Andrews kept the score here also, and although
there were some hot disputes over the shots, Donald
Parker was pronounced the winner of the prize.

"Now I'll try a rifle," exclaimed Ben.--"Here, Don,
lend me yours."

Most of the boys were gathered in knots, eagerly
discussing the match, but at the sound of Ben's firing
they gathered around him.

"Hurrah for Ben!"

"That's a good one!"

"There's another!"

He fired the same number of shots as that allowed
to the club, and the score was better than any made
by the others, beating even that of the prize-winner.

"I thought I could do it," he said, with sparkling
eyes, "but I didn't want to risk it in the match.
Perhaps I couldn't have done it, either.  I shouldn't
have been so cool."

The boys were too excited over the long-talked-of
matches to enter upon any other sport, and they gathered
in knots on the ledges and in front of the tents,
talking about this and that rifle or bow, or the scores of
the different marksmen, comparing them with those of
former matches.

"Come--to-morrow is packing-up day, and we've got
to be up early.--and have all the fun we can before the
steamboat swoops down on us."

"Like a wolf on the fold," added Fred.

"Oh, that dreadful monster!" cried Max.  "If it
would only forget to come."

"Or break its paddle-wheel," added Ned.

"Humph!" exclaimed Jonas, who was already
beginning to pack baking-tins and things he did not
intend to use.  "If she doesn't come in time, you'll find
yourself on short rations, I can tell you.  We are on
our last barrel of biscuits.  Haven't flour enough for
more than one batch of bread; and not a drop of
treacle, even if we had the flour, for gingerbread."

"Nor any ginger, even if we had the treacle and
flour," added Ben, with a mischievous twinkle of the
eye.  "Of course there is no ginger, Jonas was so
generous with that in my tea."

The boys laughed, but Jonas, indifferent to that,
continued his deficit list.  "The coffee's gone, and the
butter-tub is scraped clean."

"Mercy!" cried Dave.  "This is getting melancholy.
It's worse than Mother Hubbard's bare cupboard."

"Yes," added Joe with a sigh.  "It's nothing but a
howling wilderness here, and the sooner we get out of
it the better.  No, I'll take that back.  I'm willing to
live on blueberries if everything else gives out.  The
blueberries are plentiful still."

"Yes, and the clam-beds are not quite cleaned out,"
said Ben cheerily.

"A fellow that would starve on the edge of the
clam-beds deserves to die."

"I suppose there are some fish left in the sea too,"
suggested Max.

"Yes, a few.  Very likely those the tide carried off
with our baskets, the day we had our freedom, came
to life again, and are out of hospital by this time," said
Joe.--"You can't scare us, Jonas.  We don't feel a bit
afraid of starving."

"No, maybe not, but you'd grumbled well if you
didn't get nothin' but fish and berries for fare.  You
would," answered Jonas, as he nailed down the top of
the box.

"I suppose we would," said Joe, "but I'd like to
wait over and try it.--Come on, Ralph; you and Ben
can have a shake-down in our tent.--No, you other
fellows can't have them; they've taken apartments with
us.  Good-night to the rest of you."

"Oh, don't leave us so soon.  This is the last night.
Only think--to-morrow we shall scatter on the four
winds," said Walter.

"Not to meet again till the roll is called in
September," added Ned with a doleful whistle.

"That sounds pretty bad, but I think we'll be able
to bear it, considering that we are going to our own
homes," answered Joe.--"But this has been a good
time, Ralph--so much better than you or I dreamed
possible the day school closed," he added as they walked
off arm in arm.

"Yes, indeed, it looked gloomy enough then; I
couldn't see the way ahead at all, and I felt that there
never would be any more good times for me in the
world.  I tell you, Joe, I didn't deserve to have it
turn out so.  Two or three times to-day I have
wondered if I am not dreaming, and if I shall not
wake up in the cabin of the *Una* with that awful
sea-sick feeling."

"But it's no dream, old fellow," said Joe cheerily.
"You are back among us, and every boy in the crowd
was glad enough to see you.  Mr. Bernard, too, was
as happy as the rest of us."

"That's so queer.  I thought he would never
forgive me.  I wonder if my own father will?  Joe, will
you do me a favour?  Will you stop at my home on
your way through?  I'm going to tell father the
whole story, and let him know the worst of it.  I
want you to go along and keep my courage up."

Joe laughed and said, "Want me for a body-guard,
do you?"

"My father is a very strict man, and he hasn't any
patience with anybody that is mean; and that's just
what I was, besides being bad.  I don't mean to excuse
myself a bit, whether you are there or not; but if you
would stop with me, I'd like it.  I want him to see
you too, Joe."

"Enough said; I'll stop.  Here's the tent; walk in.
Dave and Ben are already in the bunk.  Well, you
and I will take the shake-down."

"We thought you would be waking us up if we
slept on the floor, so we crawled in here to be out of
the way," explained Dave.

"That's all right, Dave.--Now, Ralph, you and I
have the floor; let the other fellows keep quiet.  It
isn't the softest bed I ever saw, but it is a good deal
better than that you have had for some nights past."

"Yes, especially if you haven't anything you want
to hide.  I tell you it's good to be free of that.  I'll
never forget what Captain Dare said, and I can say it
to myself now."

After the other boys were sound asleep, Ralph lay
thinking over the weeks that had passed since he had
burned the leaves in the garden at the back of the
school-house.  All the way along he followed the
story again.  He heard the roll called for the guilty
boy; and saw again Mr. Bernard's face as he looked
around upon his boys in astonishment and grief, as he
said, "Is it possible that we have a *liar* among us?
A *liar*!"  Then he saw Joe Chester's face as he was
summoned to Mr. Bernard's room to be questioned.
He remembered how he felt when it was announced
that Joe Chester must remain behind unless the guilty
boy confessed; and the miserable days that followed,
when, ashamed of himself, he still pretended to be
innocent.  Then followed the last night of school
when the question was decided, and he determined to
go on no further with the deceit.  This was the
turning-point, and he felt that the worst was over when
he thought of the letter of confession, the flight from
the house, and the refuge with Captain Dare, which,
in spite of all the discomfort resulting from it, had
proved such a blessing to him.  He remembered the
very words of the old captain that had awakened the
good resolutions in his heart, and he at last fell asleep
feeling glad that he had opened his heart, and that
there was nothing he wanted to conceal from God's eyes.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`A FULL DAY`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER XXI.


.. class:: center medium bold

   A FULL DAY.

.. vspace:: 2

As soon as daylight began to dawn Joe was awake,
and pulling open the flap of the tent, he glanced
anxiously around.  "Hurrah! a pleasant day," he
exclaimed under his breath.

"Boys, wake up, and let's have a row.  The water
is smooth, and we'll have a jolly pull all by ourselves
before the other fellows are stirring.  Don't make a
noise."

The four boys threw off their blankets, and dressed
as hurriedly and quietly as possible, and ran down to
the beach, where the boat was fastened, high and dry
above high-water mark.

"Whew!" whistled Ben, looking with dismay at the
long stretch of beach, down which they must drag or
push the boat before it could float.  "The tide doesn't
favour us in this job, does it?"

"No, but the boat isn't heavy.  We have pushed
it down many a time," said Joe courageously.

"Never, with only four pairs of hands," added
Dave, not quite so enthusiastic as his friend.

"Oh, come on.  If we wait for the tide to come up,
we shall have a whole posse of boys crowding in."

"All right; a long pull and a strong pull and a pull
all together."

"There she goes."

   |  "'She starts, she moves, she seems to feel
   |  The thrill of life along her keel,'"

said Dave in declamatory style.

"Well may she feel it, grating over these stones,"
said Ben, laughing and pushing with all his strength.

"Whew!  Now!  There, all together again."

.. vspace:: 2

.. _`"Now!  All together!"`:

.. class:: center bold

   [Illustration: "Now!  All together!" (missing from book)]

.. vspace:: 2

If was a hard push, but the boat was launched at
last, and the four boys in.  Each took an oar and
pulled hard and fast.

"Let's go over to 'Gull Rock,'" said Joe.  "We
are headed that way, and it will make just a good
trip before breakfast."

"Which is Gull Rock?" asked Ralph, looking over
his shoulder as he rowed.

"That long line of dark off there just to the left of
that brig."

"Joe Chester! are you crazy?"

"We can do it, and be back in time for breakfast.
I know we can."

"All right; go ahead! let's try it," said Ben.  "This
is my first and last row this vacation, and I'm ready to
put in my best stroke.  When I invested in this boat
I expected to get my money's worth of fun out of it;
but--

   |  'The best-laid schemes o' mice and men
   |        Gang aft agley.'"
   |

"Especially when you have a scapegrace for a
chum," said Ralph soberly.  "If it hadn't been for
me you would have been here through it all.  I
declare it is too bad, Ben."

"Nonsense!  I haven't grumbled, have I?  Wait till
I do, old chap.  I reckon I needed the lesson I got as
much as you did, and I'm not sorry that I had to learn
it.  Now, don't let's groan," and Ben began to sing,--

   |  "'I never was on the dull, tame shore,
   |  But I loved the great sea more and more.'"
   |

"But how was it when you were on the great sea
in a fog-storm?" interrupted Ralph laughingly.

"Oh, go away.  This is poetry; that wasn't."

"Not by any manner of means.  You are right
there."

"There's Jonas going to market to get fish for
breakfast," said Joe, as he saw Jonas and Friday
coming down the rocks with basket and fishing-rods.

"You ought to be phosphorescent enough to be useful
as matches, if you have been having fish morning,
noon, and night for a fortnight," suggested Ben.

"Very likely we are.  The nights have been so
bright we haven't needed to light candles, so we
haven't had any use for matches; but I imagine we
would all throw out a faint light if we got where it
was dark enough."

"We'll have two more chances to add to our stock
of phosphorus.  Fish for breakfast and fish for dinner!
I see the gulls on the rocks now.  We must be
two-thirds across, boys," said Dave.  "I tell you we are
doing strong pulling."

"Yes, but nothing fancy about it," laughed Ben.
"I reckon an amateur boat-crew would hoot us."

"Who cares for style?  I go in for speed.  I can
feather my oar every stroke if I want to," said Dave.

They pulled steadily, and Gull Rock was readied
at last.

"Shall we land?"

"Yes, if we find a good place.  Let's row along-shore
and see what the chances are."

"There!" exclaimed Joe, "there's a fine chance up
in that cove.  There are lots of nests there; see the
gulls fly up!  We'll carry back some eggs, or the boys
won't believe we've been so far."

"All right; in she goes," said Ben, lifting his
dripping oar.

Dave did the same, and the two oars on the other
side brought the boat quickly around, so Ben could
seize the rock and jump ashore with the rope.  Before
he had fastened it the other boys had leaped ashore
also, and were hunting for gulls' eggs.

"Oh, here they are by the hatful!" cried Joe.  "We
can get all we want and take only one egg from a nest,
so the old birds won't be discouraged," he said, taking
his round cap off, and going from nest to nest until
he had filled it.

The others did the same, and after taking a hasty
run over the island, they jumped into the boat again,
pulled in the rope, and were homeward bound.  The
pull back was more leisurely; and, as Ben said, "they
paid more attention to style."  The other boys were
at the landing when the boat arrived with its
bare-headed crew, and the caps were speedily emptied of
the eggs, which were eagerly taken by the crowd to
keep as mementoes of the vacation.  After breakfast
Jonas was besieged by one after another, begging to
have the eggs boiled hard, so they would be safer to
carry.

"Well, bring 'em all along, and I'll make one job of
it," said Jonas good-naturedly.  "I'll put on a kettle and
boil the whole lot, and you can divide 'em afterwards."

There was a general scramble for the boiled eggs,
but every boy got one or more to put away in his
valise as treasures to be taken home and preserved
for the sake of the pleasant vacation days.  Such a
motley collection as these boys had got together during
the two weeks--sticks and stones and rubbish of all
kinds, mementoes of some good time; and they must
be taken from the island whether the more valuable
property could be carried or not!

The steamboat was not expected till the afternoon,
and during the early part of the day some of the boys
went rowing, some to wander in the woods.  Ralph
and Ben joined a fishing-party going to the place from
which they had been driven by the tide "on Liberty
Day," as they laughingly called it.

"Do me the honour to use my rod, Ralph," said
Joe.  "I think you have seen it before."

Ralph pretended to be ignorant of his meaning.
He admired the rod, but said, "No, Joe; I am going
to cut one yonder that will do just as well for me."

"It is not; it is yours."

"Well, call it mine.  I'm much obliged; but really
now, I don't want to fish.  I've had enough of that.
I am going to search for bait, and keep the hooks
supplied.  Just give me one half the glory of catching
the fish."

"All right.  We'll make it a point to keep you
busy, boy.  Here, bait's wanted," cried Ralph, jointing
the rod and untwisting the line.  "I can't start with
a bare hook."

"Hold on till I get started in the business.  I
haven't got in my supplies," answered Joe, leaning
down over the side of the rocks and pulling off winkles
that were fastened to it.  "There now; go at it.
Both hooks are baited, and more meat's ready.  Who
wants bait?  Here are fine fat winkles to cover bare
hooks."

"Bait mine."--"My hook is bare," was the constant
cry, as the boys crowded around Joe, who patiently
baited the hooks with the meat taken from the little
shells, until his fingers were dyed purple.

"Well, you are a good-natured fellow, sitting here
and doing this while we have the fun," exclaimed
Ned, coming for the twentieth time to have his hook
baited.

"That depends on how you look at it," was the
philosophical answer.  "I might say you are the
good-natured fellows to catch my fish for me, while I sit
here and smash shells in a lazy way.  This is just as
good fun as fishing when you like to do it."

"I'm glad you like it," said Walter.  "It is a good
deal livelier work for us than if we had to stop and
search for bait ourselves."

"I move that we return a vote of thanks to Joe
Chester for his philanthropy or some kind of an
opy--perhaps that isn't the right word--and then go back
to camp.  It must be near dinner-time, and Jonas
will want these fish," suggested Ben.  "Cheers for
Chester!  He's 'a gentleman and a scholar.'  Hip! hip! hip!"

The cheers were given with a will.  The boys were
always ready to cheer on the slightest provocation,
partly because they felt free to make as much noise
as they liked on this island, so far out on the sea,
and partly because they appreciated all good-natured
acts, and this was their way of expressing their
thanks.

Joe laughingly declared that they did him too much
honour, and then, to change the subject, said, "Let's
string the biggest fish on sticks, and take them to
camp that way.  Enough for dinner, you know.  We
can carry them easier that way."

This was soon done, and with their fish and rods
they sauntered leisurely back to the camp, stopping
here and there where the hillocks tempted them with
blueberries.

"I hope Mr. Bernard will make arrangements to
have the camp here next summer.  He couldn't find
a jollier place," exclaimed Ben.

"No; this beats all the camps we ever had," said
Joe.  "I move that we ask Mr. Bernard to come here
again."

"Any fish?" shouted Jonas, as they came near the
camp ground.

The boys held up the sticks for their answer, and
Jonas gave a grunt of satisfaction as he paused in
dipping water from the spring to relieve them of
their burden.

"We need a good bath," said Joe, looking at his
stained hands and soiled jacket.  "I, for one, will
have a final swim."

"You had the *last* yesterday, I thought," said Dave.

"Yes, but this is an appendix."  And in a few
minutes he had changed his fishing for a bathing suit,
and was diving off the rocks.  Several others followed,
but the sport was interrupted by the dinner-bell; and
Joe hastened to make his toilet and join his friends at
the table.

"Well, boys, this has been a successful trip, has it?"
asked Mr. Bernard, as he glanced from one bright
face to another.  "Have you had all the pleasure you
anticipated?"

"Oh yes, and more too," was the enthusiastic
answer.  "It has been a splendid time--the best camp
we ever had."

"And we want to thank you for it," said Joe,
leaning forward to look at Mr. Bernard, who stood at
the other end of the long table.  "We don't know
any other way to express our feelings except by giving
three cheers.  Will that do?" he asked laughingly.

"Oh yes, that will express them better than
anything you could say," was the laughing reply.

"I move three cheers for our teachers--the best
teachers any boys ever had.  Hip! hip! hip!"

Then followed a deafening shout that came from
the hearts as well as from the throats of the boys.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`TENTS DOWN`:

.. class:: center large bold

   CHAPTER XXII.


.. class:: center medium bold

   TENTS DOWN.

.. vspace:: 2

The boat was due at four, and the tents were to be
down and ready at the landing.  So as soon as dinner
was over every one went to work.

Jonas made a great rattling of pots, pans, and
plates, as he packed them away in barrels and boxes.

"No more use for them until next summer, and
there's no knowin' who of us will be alive to use 'em
then!" exclaimed Jonas, with a wise shake of the head.

"That's so," said Friday solemnly.

"'Tain't noways likely that the same crowd will
get together again.  Somebody'll be missing.  They
are a fine set o' fellows, take 'em all around.  Some
o' them are as good as you'd find anywhere.--Here,
Freit, lend a hand on this 'ere box.  No, roll that
barrel down to the beach; I'll see to this."

While they were thus engaged, the boys were packing
their valises, and trying to decide what to take
and what to leave.

"I've got rocks enough to stock a cabinet, and only
one valise, that was full when I came," said Joe,
kneeling before said valise, with his arms full of
"specimens."

"To ballast a ship, you'd better say," added Ben,
laughing.  "What do you want that rubbish for?"
and he pulled over the precious collection in a
contemptuous way.

"Hands off, Vandal!  Avaunt!  You'll smash that
infant star-fish!" cried Joe.  "I've tramped miles and
risked my neck getting these together, and now you
call them rubbish!  Avaunt, I say!"

"Tents down!" called Mr. Andrews, passing along,
and seeing some of the tents still standing.

"Yes, sir," answered Joe, placing the "rubbish," as
Ben called it, in an old jacket, and tying the bundle
with fish-line.  "There, I'm all right; I'll take this
in my hands.  There'll be room enough in my trunk
when we get back to school."

Ben laughed, and said, "You'll have your labour
for your pains.  You'll throw the whole lot over the
back-yard fence, or your mother or sisters will for
you, before many weeks."

"Nay, nay!  You haven't half looked at the things;
or, worse still, are no judge, boy.  Mr. Bernard said
they were good specimens."

"All right--carry them home; but if your folks
are like mine the things will disappear.  I got a lot of
snakes once, the prettiest fellows you ever saw, and
had them in a wire box; but no one would go near
my room to clear it up, and because I wouldn't throw
them away, my sisters hired a fellow to drop the box
in the pond.  Wasn't I angry?"

"That's different; I don't much blame them," said
Joe.  "Nobody will bother my collection.  There, my
luggage is ready."

"So is mine," said Ralph, who had been sitting
on his valise outside, listening to the conversation.
"Where's Dave?"

"Oh, he went to the shore long ago.  There he
stands with his spy-glass, watching for the steamboat,
as if it would be the most welcome sight in the
world; and he doesn't want to leave any more than
we do.--Now, down with the tent!  Pull up those
stakes, boys.  Mine are up.  Down she goes!  Let's
write our names on the canvas; perhaps we shall get
the same tent next year."

"Oh, doesn't the place look forsaken?" groaned
Joe, as he saw the tents, one after another, rolled up
and carried by the boys to the beach, where the
baggage was piled.

"I see the smoke!" cried Dave.

A chorus of groans from the crowd answered this
announcement.

"Hush, raven!  don't croak.  Don't bring your bad
news here.  Get down from your watch-tower, and
let's have a game of leap-frog, and forget the
steamboat," said Ned.

There were boys enough answering this summons
to make the leaping process long and tiresome; and
by the time a dozen boys had gone the length of the
row, they were glad to unbend their backs and throw
themselves on the grass to rest.

Nearer and nearer came the boat, and no spy-glass
was needed to tell the party that it was coming for
them.  Straight toward the island it steamed, and
it was only a question of minutes when the motion
would cease and the anchor drop.

Another chorus of groans from the waiting crowd
was the only greeting extended even when the band
began to play.  Unmindful of the cool reception, the
boat swung around as near to the rocks as possible,
and the great wheels ceased to revolve.

"All ready there!" shouted the captain, hat in hand.

"All ready," was the answer.

The small boats belonging to the school were already
laden with baggage, and the boys began to row across
with the load.  The larger boats belonging to the
steamer were soon plying to and fro, carrying the
camp outfit.  This occupied a long time, and then the
boys reluctantly followed.

John and Jerry with their father were there to see
them off and hear the music.  The last boatful of
boys had come up the side of the steamer, and the last
boat had been hoisted on board.

"Are we all here?" asked Mr. Bernard, looking
anxiously around over the crowd under his care.

"He ought to count us," suggested Dave.  "Perhaps
some of the fellows are hid under the bushes."

Jonas and Freitag were the last on board, and they
gave the assurance that "nothin' nor nobody wasn't
left behind."

The whistle sounded; the escaping steam was turned
down to work again; the water foamed, and the wheels
were in motion.

Here was another chance to cheer, and what schoolboy
would allow such an opportunity to be wasted?
So cheers were given and caps waved by the party
on deck and the three people on the shore.  The band
played "Home, Sweet Home," and the steamboat bore
them toward the Cape.

"Alas, and alack! and is it over?" sighed Joe, as
he looked longingly back at the receding shores of
the island.  "And you had so little of the fun,
Ralph."

"I don't know," answered Ralph.  "It is a
question whether you enjoyed more in the whole
fortnight than Ben and I did in these two days.  Just
the pleasure of getting back among you all and being
friends with Mr. Bernard would have been treat enough
for me, after my experience."

"And for me too," interposed Ben soberly--"to
say nothing of the good times fishing, swimming,
rowing, and tramping about through the woods and over
the shore.  If you enjoyed it any more than I did, I
don't know how you managed to bear it, Joe."

It was a sun-burned, rugged-looking set of boys
that landed at the Cape, and, with valises in hand,
started across the fields to the Academy, talking, as
they sauntered along, of the good times they had
enjoyed.  They were to spend one night there, and get
their worldly possessions in readiness to take, or to
leave till another term.

"Ben Carver, are you the same fellow that stole
out of this room with me a fortnight ago?" asked
Ralph, as they entered their room together and shut
the door.

"Am I, or am I not?  Sure enough.  Only a fortnight
ago!  Think of it!  Why, I feel as if it were
years ago.  We little thought we would be back here
now, and feeling as comfortable as we do, when we stole
down the stairs that night, and went across the fields
to hide from Mr. Bernard."

"Yes, from him and every one else.  I wanted never
to see Joe or any of the boys again--never!"

"May I come in?" said Joe's voice at the door.

"Come."

"We are to have the hall all to ourselves this evening,
and talk over our camp life--all speaking at once,
if we want to."

"And we shall want to," said Ben.

"Very likely," laughed Joe.  "We generally do.
Mr. Bernard says if we can't think of anything to say
he will come in and help us.  We told him he would
be welcome, but that he probably wouldn't be able to
get a word in."

"Not the least chance."

"Come on; there's the bell!  Supper, and after
that the jollification in the hall.  Then we'll pack and
say good-bye to the old Academy, and each other too,
until next September."

"Remember you are going home with me," said
Ralph as they ran down the stairs, and slackened
their pace to enter the dining-room less like
whirlwinds.

"Remember?  Ah, yes; I remember that.  Isn't it
odd to be sitting instead of standing at the table, and
using napkins and glasses?  I like the camp tables
best, though, as it is."

After supper, the boys gathered in the hall, and
talked over their life in camp.  Even the dark, foggy
days, that seemed so uncomfortable at the time, were
spoken of now with pleasure.

Mr. Bernard came later in the evening, and after
joining in the merry-making a while, and listening to
the stories of the boys, he said some pleasant
good-bye words, thanking them that they had given so
little trouble; and then leaving them all in the hands
of the Great Master, and asking him to be their friend
and helper in all the future, he shook hands with each
one, with an added "God bless you" for Ralph, and
said good-bye.

We cannot follow these boys to their homes, pleasant
as that would be, so we will join in the general
farewell that sounded on every hand as the boys went
back to their friends.

.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   THE END.

.. vspace:: 4

.. class:: center white-space-pre-line

   \*      \*      \*      \*      \*      \*      \*      \*

.. vspace:: 4

.. class:: center large bold

   Books for the Young.

.. class:: center x-large bold white-space-pre-line

   NELSON'S
   "ROYAL"
   LIBRARIES

.. vspace:: 2

The finest and most attractive series
of Gift and Reward Books in the
market at so moderate a price.  They
are mainly COPYRIGHT works, carefully
selected from the most popular and
successful of the many books for the young
issued by Messrs. Nelson in recent years,
and are most attractively illustrated and
tastefully bound.  Each volume has eight
coloured plates, with the exception of a
few, which have eight monochrome
illustrations.  The books are issued in three
series at 2/-, 1/6, and 1/.  For lists see
following pages.

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: center white-space-pre-line

   THOMAS NELSON AND SONS,
   *London, Edinburgh, Dublin, and New York.*

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: center white-space-pre-line

   \*      \*      \*      \*      \*

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: center large bold

   NELSON'S "ROYAL" LIBRARIES.

.. class:: center large bold

   THE TWO SHILLING SERIES.

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: noindent white-space-pre-line

IN TAUNTON TOWN. E. Everett-Green.
IN THE LAND OF THE MOOSE. Achilles Daunt.
TREFOIL. Margaret P. Macdonald.
WENZEL'S INHERITANCE. Annie Lucas.
VERA'S TRUST. Evelyn Everett-Green.
FOR THE FAITH. Evelyn Everett-Green.
ALISON WALSH. Constance Evelyn.
BLIND LOYALTY. E. L. Haverfield.
DOROTHY ARDEN. J. M. Callwell.
FALLEN FORTUNES. Evelyn Everett-Green.
FOR HER SAKE. Gordon Roy.
JACK MACKENZIE. Gordon Stables, M.D.
IN PALACE AND FAUBOURG. C. J. G.
ISABEL'S SECRET; or, A Sister's Love.
IVANHOE. Sir Walter Scott.
KENILWORTH. Sir Walter Scott.
LEONIE. Annie Lucas.
MAUD MELVILLE'S MARRIAGE. E. Everett-Green.
OLIVE ROSCOE. Evelyn Everett-Green.
QUEECHY. Miss Wetherell.
SCHÖNBERG-COTTA FAMILY. Mrs. Charles.
"SISTER." Evelyn Everett-Green.
THE CITY AND THE CASTLE. Annie Lucas.
THE CZAR. Deborah Alcock.
THE HEIRESS OF WYLMINGTON. Everett-Green.
THE SIGN OF THE RED CROSS. Everett-Green.
THE SPANISH BROTHERS. Deborah Alcock.
THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE. Harold Avery.
THE UNCHARTED ISLAND. Skelton Kuppord.
THE WIDE WIDE WORLD. Miss Wetherell.

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: center

\T. NELSON AND SONS, London, Edinburgh, Dublin, and New York.



.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: center white-space-pre-line

   \*      \*      \*      \*      \*

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: center large bold

   NELSON'S "ROYAL" LIBRARIES.

.. class:: center large bold

   THE EIGHTEENPENCE SERIES.

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: noindent white-space-pre-line

SECRET CHAMBER AT CHAD. E. Everett-Green.
SONS OF FREEDOM. Fred Whishaw.
SONS OF THE VIKINGS. John Gunn.
STORY OF MADGE HILTON. Agnes C. Maitland,
IN LIONLAND. M. Douglas.
MARGIE AT THE HARBOUR LIGHT. E. A. Rand.
ADA AND GERTY. Louisa M. Gray.
AFAR IN THE FOREST. W. H. G. Kingston.
A GOODLY HERITAGE. K. M. Eady.
BORIS THE BEAR HUNTER. Fred Whishaw.
"DARLING." M. H. Cornwall Legh.
DULCIE'S LITTLE BROTHER. E. Everett-Green.
ESTHER'S CHARGE. E. Everett-Green.
EVER HEAVENWARD. Mrs. Prentiss.
FOR THE QUEEN'S SAKE. E. Everett-Green.
GUY POWERS' WATCHWORD. J. T. Hopkins.
IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. W. H. G. Kingston.
IN THE WARS OF THE ROSES. E. Everett-Green.
LIONEL HARCOURT, THE ETONIAN. G. E. Wyatt.
MOLLY'S HEROINE. "Fleur de Lys."
NORSELAND TALES. H. H. Boyesen.
ON ANGELS' WINGS. Hon. Mrs. Greene.
ONE SUMMER BY THE SEA. J. M. Callwell.
PARTNERS. H. F. Gethen.
ROBINETTA. L. E. Tiddeman.
SALOME. Mrs. Marshall
THE LORD OF DYNEVOR. E. Everett-Green.
THE YOUNG HUGUENOTS. "Fleur de Lys."
THE YOUNG RAJAH. W. H. G. Kingston.
WINNING THE VICTORY. E. Everett-Green.

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: center

\T. NELSON AND SONS, London, Edinburgh, Dublin, and New York.

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: center white-space-pre-line

   \*      \*      \*      \*      \*

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: center large bold

   NELSON'S "ROYAL" LIBRARIES.

.. class:: center large bold

   THE SHILLING SERIES.

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: noindent white-space-pre-line

ACADEMY BOYS IN CAMP. S. F. Spear.
ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL. Miss Gaye.
ESTHER REID. Pansy
TIMOTHY TATTERS. J. M. Callwell.
AMPTHILL TOWERS. A. J. Foster.
IVY AND OAK.
ARCHIE DIGBY. G. E. Wyatt.
AS WE SWEEP THROUGH THE DEEP. Gordon Stables, M.D.
AT THE BLACK ROCKS. Edward Rand.
AUNT SALLY. Constance Milman.
CYRIL'S PROMISE. A Temperance Tale. W. J. Lacey.
GEORGIE MERTON. Florence Harrington.
GREY HOUSE ON THE HILL. Hon. Mrs. Greene.
HUDSON BAY. R. M. Ballantyne.
JUBILEE HALL. Hon. Mrs. Greene.
LOST SQUIRE OF INGLEWOOD. Dr. Jackson.
MARK MARKSEN'S SECRET. Jessie Armstrong.
MARTIN RATTLER. R. M. Ballantyne.
RHODA'S REFORM. M. A. Paull.
SHENAC. The Story of a Highland Family in Canada.
SIR AYLMER'S HEIR. E. Everett-Green.
SOLDIERS OF THE QUEEN. Harold Avery.
THE CORAL ISLAND. R. M. Ballantyne.
THE DOG CRUSOE. R. M. Ballantyne.
THE GOLDEN HOUSE. Mrs. Woods Baker.
THE GORILLA HUNTERS. R. M. Ballantyne.
THE ROBBER BARON. A. J. Foster.
THE WILLOUGHBY BOYS. Emily C. Hartley.
UNGAVA. R. M. Ballantyne.
WORLD OF ICE. R. M. Ballantyne.
YOUNG FUR TRADERS. R. M. Ballantyne.

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: center

\T. NELSON AND SONS, London, Edinburgh, Dublin, and New York.

.. vspace:: 6

.. pgfooter::