of
letting the other fellow hit the first blow. The radical element,
however, were soon quieted by the older and more conservative men, and
all agreed to stay in the clear so "nobody could hang anything on the
boss."

Tom Howard had arrived with the _Pelican_ when Gregory and Dickie Lang
returned to the _Curlew_. The fisherman brought the news that the men of
the alien fleet were in a high state of intoxication. Moreover, they
appeared to be completely out of live bait.

Dickie smiled grimly. "That means that if Mascola does send them down
here, he'll just be looking for trouble. If they haven't the bait, all
they can do will be to try to steal our school like they did before, and
I guess this time they'll find they're out of luck."

"Met Mascola on my way down," Howard announced. "He was running
wide-open, heading straight for Black Point."

Gregory frowned. "It's hard to tell what Mascola will do to-night," he
said.

The _Pelican_ was despatched at once to take her position as the leader
of the front rank. As the _Curlew_ made ready to get under way, Hawkins
appeared at the rail.

"Don't forget the press," he called. "If I'm going to do this affair
justice I've got to be at the ringside."

Gregory moved nearer to Bronson and allowed the newspaperman to
accompany the party on the speed-craft. Then the _Richard_ sped away to
see that all the boats were in their proper places. Arriving in the
center of the fishing area, Dickie Lang watched the men "chumming" the
fish and suggested they throw out their lines at once.

"I don't like the looks of the weather," she confided to Gregory. "It
feels like a blow. I'm going to have a look at the glass on the
_Snipe_." Gregory noticed that the girl appeared worried when she
returned to the _Richard_. "Dropping fast," she announced. "It may be
just a squall or it may be a real blow. This is no place for us in
either case. We must rush the fishing all we can."

Gregory agreed and gave the necessary orders. From the sides of the
_Snipe_ the lines flashed over the rail. On the instant the albacore
began to strike. As the _Richard_ bounded away to notify the other boats
of the order to hurry operations, the girl observed:

"The fish are heading close in all right. They're running from
something. Now is the time to hit it hard. Oughtn't to take long the way
they're starting. I must see that the boys have all the barbs off the
hooks. We have to work fast. And when the blow c