The Boy Scouts on Picket Duty

ss efforts to break the lock of the door. One thought was ever in his mind, even in his dream: to escape. For th

eaving him a prisoner in the shanty until they were ready to release him. Joe Durgan had even been considera

w and then raising his voice amid the din and confusion outside. It was perhaps not strange that none of his

, who, though not exactly a fr

ad arrived to turn the tide of fortune, the door was quickly

s feet, ready for

?" said a voice in the darkness, a deep

tly, every nerve in his young body tingling with

you might ha' gone to slee

sounded hollow and unp

p," he said,

stole behind him. With a quick turn he opened the door, and admitted some one

ficers about the run we was goin' to make to-night; and since it wasn't this kid, it mu

s while he's been here, and he can tell those ginks a lot that we don't want 'em

e deserves to be knocked on the h

by-and-by. Come, take him and hustle away. Cr

ou shout or let out a word, we'll

not yield without a silent struggle, though he was soon overpowered by the two burly ruffians. Each taking him by

he two burning shanties behind them, Hugh's friends

Billy and Dave in advance, following Durgan's and Mole's trail--they formed a line of communication between the cabin and the site of the

l times; for, young and strong as he was, he was almost worn out with the rough treatment he had undergone. Every minute he thought

n gave this up as useless. He was on the verge of despair, when suddenly ou

oo-oooo-h

He knew that that call could come from none other than Billy Worth, and Bill

to answer the call--then discreti

sound. Mole gave Hugh a prod in the shoulder wi

" he warned. "Don't hurt t

orted the other, a

f-call. Instinct told him it would be better to do as his captors had ordered, and

booming of surf, by which he knew that he could be at no great distance from the shore. Behi

rned to h

hen you heard that th

at length, forgetting that he was not to utter a word of pro

e fiercely, and he stru

youngster," added Durgan in a kinder tone. "Yo

rage at the insult, he gave one shout: "Billy! This way, scouts!" an

around and was running as fast as

to rub his bruised knee and to look around, he dimly saw them in the distance runn

tening to the place, and in the dim light of th

he heard footsteps and familiar voices near. He gave the

two chums were reunited in a vigorous bear-hug of

beginning to think I mi

again, twenty times over, by sea and land, before I'd give up!" cried Bill

he added. "But here come the rest of the bunch

een exchanged, he told them all that had happened to him sinc

earch for him, and described the fight around the

ive oarsmen who were putting out to sea. "Look! There they go!--all of them who managed to escape No! By Jove, the

right!" sa

re and watch proce

gh declared, eager to see

ed over to the place, and were in time to

* *

ners was put aboard the Petrel and co

nties being a heap of charred logs and wind-swept ashes. Durgan's motor boat was fastened by means of a long cable to the aft rail of the Arrow, which was commissioned to to

ngements were made for its safe delivery at Charlotte Harbor, as

fully resigned to the probability of having to attend it, Hugh wrote

ing their belief in its veracity. The captain of the Petrel undertook to deliver it to th

ut noon. The day was perfect for the return voyage, a fair breeze blew

Durgan's Cove and its outlying shores faded into a velvety green blur along the horizon. So they left the scene