rd which we had printed
on the face of that rock."

"What was the word?" Rod eagerly enquired, as the captain paused for an
instant.

"It was the word 'Death,' in big letters. I tell yez it must have
glared out pretty ghastly in the night, fer the way them men yelled,
and made fer their boat was something wonderful. Ho, ho' I kin never
think of them fellers, and the scare they got, without havin' a good
laugh."

"Did they ever find out who did the trick?" Phil asked.

"Not that I know of. But, somehow, word got around, and the lives of
them men were made miserable by the questions they were asked about the
gold on the island, and when they intended to go over and dig fer it."

For some time the captain told other stories to the boys. Most of
these were about his experiences at sea, the gales he had encountered,
and his numerous narrow escapes from death. It was a novel experience
for the scouts to be lying there listening to these yarns, with the
stars twinkling overhead. At last, however, their eyes became heavy
and, wrapped in their blankets, they were soon sound asleep upon the
hard ground. The captain sat for awhile before the dying embers,
smoking his clay pipe. At length, knocking the ashes out of the bowl,
he, too, stretched himself out full length near the scouts.

Rod was the last of the boys to go to sleep. His mind was busy with
the joke the captain had told, and his experiences at sea. He thought,
too, of the sweet singer, and wondered if he should ever see her again.
When he did go to sleep he had a dream of a great crowd of men landing
on the island, attacking the scouts, and carrying off a large chest of
gold.

From this dream he woke with a start, and sat up. For a moment he was
dazed, and could not imagine where he was. Then he remembered, and he
was about to lie down again when the sound of a motor-boat fell upon
his ears. He listened intently, wondering what people could be doing
on the water at that time of the night. He could hear the regular
breathing of his companions, and as his eyes became accustomed to the
darkness, he could make out the form of the captain lying not far off.

The sound of the boat was more distinct now, and it appeared to be
approaching the island. Was his dream really coming true? Rising, he
groped his way to the captain's side, and touched his arm. Light
though it was, the captain suddenly woke, and asked who was there. In
a few whispered words Ro