droplane's recovery pretty soon, she
will be sold at auction."

"That's the usual process," observed Bill.

"Isn't there any way you can raise the wind?"

"No, I've tried every one I can think of. I don't suppose either of
you fellows could--"

"Nothing doing here," hastily cried Jack, not giving the other time to
finish.

"I'm cleaned out, too," Bill also hurriedly assured the unfortunate Sam.

"It looks like everybody but us has coin," complained that worthy
bitterly. "While I was in the bank trying to get old man Blake to take
up a note of mine for the sum I need, who should I see in there but
that old fossil of a captain from Topsail Island."

"Who grows such fine, juicy melons and keeps such a nice, amiable pet
dog," laughed Jack, roaring at the recollection of the piratical
expedition of which the island dweller had told the boys.

"Ha, ha, ha!" shouted Bill in chorus. "We'll have to give him another
visit soon."

"But what about the old land crab, Sam?" demanded Jack the next minute.
"What was he doing in the bank?"

"Why, drawing one hundred and twenty-five dollars. Just think of it,
and we always figured it out that he was poor."

"A hundred and twenty-five dollars! I wonder what he's going to do
with it?" wondered Jack, with whom money and its spending was always an
absorbing topic.

"Why, I overheard that, too, as I passed by," rejoined Sam. "He's going
to spend some of it for the repairing of his motor, which broke down
yesterday, and the rest he's going to keep by him."

"Keep it on the island, you mean?" demanded Jack, becoming suddenly
much interested.

"That's what he said--keep it in his safe," replied Sam. "But what
good does that do us?"

"A whole lot, maybe," was the enigmatic reply. "See here, Sam, you can
win that race if you get your hydroplane?"

"I'm sure of it."

"You are going to bet on yourself, of course."

"Sure. I've got to raise some money somehow."

"Well, I've thought of a way you can borrow the money to get your boat
back, and when you win the race you can return it. Come on, lees go to
Bill's den, and we'll have a smoke and talk it over."

CHAPTER V

THE BULLY SPRINGS A SURPRISE

That afternoon, in reply to a notice sent round by a runner, the lads
of the Eagle Patrol assembled at their armory, and on Leader Rob's
orders "fell in" to hear the official announcement of the coming
camping trip. As a matter of fact, they had discussed little