, close to the water's
edge. It revealed enough for the two in the drifting launch to see
several figures outlined in the misty illumination of the light.

There was the bow of the mysterious boat close against the landing place.
At least three men were in the boat and on the shore. Ruth could not be
sure that either of them was the old man she had spoken with.

But she and Chess Copley saw that they were unloading something from the
boat--square, seemingly heavy boxes, yet not so heavy that they could not
be passed from hand to hand. One was about all the weight a man might
easily lift.

"What do you suppose those boxes are?" whispered Ruth, as the Copley
launch drifted into the mist again and the end of the island and the
other boat were blotted out of sight.

"Give it up. Provisions--supplies. Maybe they are going to camp there.
Lots of people camp out on these smaller islands."

"The King of the Pipes will have something to say about that," laughed
Ruth. "One thing sure about it," she added the next moment, as Chess
started his engine again. "Those boxes don't contain diamonds."

"I should say not!"

"So if we saw smugglers they are smuggling something besides precious
stones," said the girl gaily. "Won't Helen be interested when I tell
her!"

CHAPTER XIV

A DEMAND IS MADE

Helen had gone to bed when Ruth went into their bedroom that morning, and
either she was asleep or did not want to speak to her chum. Ruth felt
that, after what had gone on at the ball at Alexandria Bay, she had
better not wake Helen up to tell her about the strange launch that had
landed at the Kingdom of the Pipes.

And in the morning the attitude of both Helen and Tom closed Ruth's lips
on all subjects. The twins were plainly offended. Why? Because Ruth had
shown ordinary interest in other people besides themselves!

At least, that is how Ruth saw it. She thought it very silly for Helen to
be jealous. Tom's jealousy was another matter; but he had brought the
situation on himself.

For once Ruth was determined not to give in, as she so often did when
Helen showed spleen. Fortunately, Ruth was busy with her picture work, so
she had good reason to excuse herself from much association with the
Cameron twins during the next two days.

Then something happened to give them all an entirely different topic of
thought and conversation. That day had been spent in taking close-ups and
scenes under the canvas and glass roof of the