The Boy Scouts on Picket Duty

he must find out who were those three steal

oing a real service to Uncle Sam if I could report their whereabouts to th

nwilling to play the part of an eavesdropper, he felt justified in his present impulsive venture by the actions of the three men, for they seemed to be engaged in

ey were arranging to convey a cargo of dynamite from a point near the mouth of the little stream Sandgate on the peninsula (Florida)

said one of the men. "Lives there all year 'round alone, fishin' an' raisin' turtles fer market. Queer ol' cuss, kind-a

k dat will

rning of silence, then added something in a still lower tone. In vain Hugh tried to catch the

sy to tell when dere wi

et blow effery w

the answer. "One o' these night

went on talking he heard some more of their designs--in particular, th

y moment the men might emerge from the hut or others of their gang might join them. Yet he did so want to learn where they had come from, and whether their vessel was lying at anchor somewhere among these many islands! So he lay there, flat on the sand

audibly. "That would give me away and s

elbows, he peered over the stump, out across the glittering blue water, and saw a good-sized dory,

"I feel sure now, surer than ever, that I heard it go by in the darkness. But

nk again a

trip of beach in front of the bamboo hut and cam

ou-all

e three rascals cam

t at all loudly, through his c

arty on th' island below here--I seen 'em 'bout ten minutes

, Joe, we're going. Can yo

with the abruptness of one who has done an irksome dut

quickened his engine and made

who was evidently not nearly so "looney" as represented, had warned the smugglers of the presence of the Arrow near their ret

ile they're talking they won't hear me or see me, and I c

eet, intending to run as fast as his legs could carry him--which was no snail's pace, indeed! Scarcely h

side to avoid bushes and hollows, yet he had no difficulty in keeping ahead of his pursuers. The very impediments in his way served to retard pursuit, and he

down,--or

was that any one would be so desperate as to shoot

in shelter, and thus evade the rascals. He was surprised to find that he had gone so far in his wanderings, that the smugglers' island was

s foot caught in a tangle of crab-grass and down he came headlong. Over and over he rolled; and then for some second

angry tone. He was a short, thick-set, burly man, with black eyes that seemed to gl

isely: "I'm on my way to camp, and I w

h? Who a

as to do with my being i

you hit the trail," said the other man, a dark-visaged fello

island for fun," replied

vehemently declared

reab

rse; there are no tree

gh a hard thwack on the side of his head. "What

ans

s temper. He was about to strike Hugh again, when the other man, stil

s camp is. He's one of Lem Vinton's crew. That's the Arro

om the grasp of those sinewy hands. "Let me go, I say! W

blow from the angry ruffian's fist, and

nks," he added, "we can't let this kid blow the gaff on us to Lem Vinton. Why, the cap'n wouldn't wait ten min

d right. The boy has got

lend a hand.

un forward a few yards. But they were after him instantly, before he could get the gag out of his mouth. In the tussle that followed, he kick

yes, then the light of day changed to pitch darkness, a