ministerial officer before whom a complaint of piracy could be made.
Next, the motor boat owner and his two outlaws accosted Boswell on the
street and made to him insulting remarks concerning his championship of
the boys.

Following this there was a general mixup, in which Boswell was not
permitted to fight alone, and the result was that Jamison and his two
sailors were badly beaten up. However, while the lads knew exactly what
was taking place, and understood the hostility of the town toward
Jamison, they understood, too, that it would be the duty of almost any
officer to arrest them if they should make their appearance on the
public street.

Tommy wondered vaguely at the hostility displayed toward Jamison, but
Frank explained it all by saying that the fellow was a common loafer and
hadn't a friend in town.

The boys might have been arrested a dozen times that day had the
hostility to Jamison and his men not taken such positive form. But while
Jamison, half-intoxicated, roared about the street, the boys kept as
quiet as possible and so escaped general notice.

About two in the afternoon the boys were very much surprised to see a
gentleman who had been pointed out to them as the surgeon walk into the
old blacksmith shop where they sat. He beckoned Frank to one side and
the two engaged in a short but apparently satisfactory conversation, at
the conclusion of which the doctor shook the boy's hand heartily.

"All right," he said on taking his departure, "I'll attend to the matter
at once! I know the operator and it'll be all right there."

"Now, what's up?" demanded Tommy suspiciously.

"I've got a new scheme!" replied the boy.

"Pass it around!" urged Tommy.

"Now, you just wait until I see whether the doctor gets the message or
not!" replied Frank. "If he does, it's us for a ride home!"

"I'd like to steal that old drunkard's motor boat!" Tommy said.

Frank broke into a hearty laugh.

"You just wait and see!" he said. "We've got to be mighty careful to
keep away from the Federal officers, for a deputy marshal has been sent
for. Can you get up a good hot run if you have to?"

"You bet I can!" answered Tommy.

"Well, we may get a signal to make a hot foot to the dock directly," the
boy went on, "and if we do, there mustn't be any mistake about the pace
you set."

"Are you really going to steal the motor boat?" asked Sam.

"I don't know!" replied Frank. "We've been waiting around here all day
for somet