. Already the first breath of autumn had begun to
tint the leaves of the earlier fading trees, and the chill of the early
dawn was noticeable.

During their stay in camp the lads had profited in every way. The scout
program as sent out for camps by headquarters had been gone, through
with some modifications, and Sim Jeffords had qualified as a
first-class scout while Martin Green, Walter Lonsdale and Joe Digby,
once more as merry as ever, were all fitted for their second-class
scout diplomas. The prospect of another patrol in Hampton had been
discussed and the outlook for one seemed favorable.

As the last notes of Andy's call--to turn to the subject of the opening
of this chapter--rang out the tousle-headed, sleepy-eyed scouts
appeared from their tents and found themselves enveloped in a fleecy
mist--such a light fog as is common on that part of the Atlantic coast
at this season of the year.

"Pretty thick!" was Rob's comment as he doused his face in his tin
basin.

"Hull-o-o-o!" suddenly hailed a voice from the water, "got any
breakfast fer an old shipmate?"

Through the fog the boys could make out the dim outline of the
captain's motor boat even if it's apoplectic cough had not already told
them it was there.

"Sure, come ashore," hailed Merritt.

A few moments later the hearty old seaman was sitting down with the
lads and performing miracles of eating.

"It's a good thing we haven't all got your capacity," remarked Rob,
laughing, "or that provision tent wouldn't have held out very long."

"Wall, boys," observed the captain, drawing out a black pipe and
ramming some equally black tobacco into it with a horny thumb, "a full
hold makes fair sailin', that's my motto and 'Be Prepared' is yers. A
man can be no better prepared than with a good meal under his belt.
Give me a well-fed crew and I'll navigate a raft to Hindustan, but a
pack uv slab-sided lime juicers couldn't work a full-rigged ship uv the
finest from here to Ban-gor."

Having delivered himself of this bit of philosophy, the captain passed
on to another subject.

"Hear'n anything uv them varmints what slipped their moorings on the
train?" he asked.

"We heard that they had gone West," rejoined Merritt, "but to just what
part I don't know."

"That thar Sam Reddin' boy clar'd himself uv all suspicion, did he?"
went on the old man.

"Yes, after he had admitted that Jack Curtiss and Bill Bender and
himself stole our uniforms and robbed you--