been carried overboard from
his motor boat, and by that time the storm had grown so bad that we had
to run for it to the nearest place that offered us shelter."

"And where was that?"

"Up in Sentinel Cove. You know, where those two big rocks stand at the
entrance."

"Do you mean to say that you took the boat through that entrance while
that storm was raging?" asked his father, in a tone in which surprise
and pride were equally blended.

"There wasn't anything else to do," answered Lester.

"You ought to have seen the way he shot through there, Mr. Lee," put in
Fred. "It was a fine bit of seamanship. He's your own son when it comes
to sailing."

"I'm glad I didn't see him," was the answer. "It would have made my hair
grayer than it is, and that's gray enough. But all's well that ends
well, and I needn't tell you how thankful I am to have you turn up safe
and sound. It wasn't only my own boy, but I feel that I'm responsible
for you young chaps, too, while you're visiting here."

The boys had grown very fond of this kindly, hearty man who was their
friend's father. He had made them instantly welcome and given them the
run of the place. His means were limited but his heart was big, and from
the outset he had spared no pains to make them feel at home and to give
them a good time.

There were no women on the little island, as Lester's mother had died
ten years before. Because of this, the father and son, having no one but
each other, were bound together by the strongest affection.

Their housekeeping was of the simplest kind, but both of them were prime
cooks and they set such an abundant table that even the boys with their
ravenous appetites were completely satisfied. They even found a certain
pleasure in the lack of some of the "trimmings," as Teddy called them,
that had surrounded them in their more elaborate homes. It gave them a
sense of freedom, and the whole adventure became a sort of exalted
camping out.

Bill's life and Fred's and Teddy's recent experiences in the West had
hardened and toughened them and also made them more self-reliant. The
breezy outdoor life had become almost a necessity to them. So they
entered heartily into the domestic arrangements at Bartanet Shoals,
making their own beds and helping to prepare the meals. It is probable
that some of their women relatives would have sniffed contemptuously at
some of the results they reached, but this bothered them not at all.
They ate like wolves