ht fall down some----"

"And I might not!" interrupted the other in a decided tone. "I have a
pocket light with me. I always carry one now, whether I think I am going
to need it or not, and I can find my way easy enough. Besides, I have a
pocket compass as well, and I know which way the vessel lies, and I am
going to get you boys out of here and that's all there is to it!"

"All right!" and Jack smiled at the smaller boy's determination. "But I
wouldn't let you go if I didn't think you had the pluck to carry it out,
and that the only difficulties are at the outset. Listen at the door,
Dick, and I'll see how the land lies in this direction," and Jack pulled
the chest to the window and looked out.

He could not see very far, but he saw that there were no huts on that
side, and that it was not far to the woods, and calculated that the boy
could get to them without being observed.

"All right, J.W., the coast is clear," he said. "You are sure you know the
way and the general direction? What is it, in fact?"

"About south, and I will get in sight of the water as soon as I can. It
will not be dark for some little time yet, and I ought to get to the yacht
before sunset or a little after at any rate."

"Very good. Keep in the open as much as you can after you get away from
here, and don't run too fast."

"All right. Are you ready?" and the boy stood on the chest beside Jack,
looking up into the latter's face with such an air of determination that
he laughed and said:

"Yes, I'm ready, up with you!" and Jack lifted the little fellow to the
window level, and put him through, Percival saying in a low tone:

"It's all right. I don't hear a sound. I imagine they are all away
somewhere, for I can neither see nor hear anything."

"Out you go!" said Jack, dropping the boy to the ground, and looking out
to see that he was all right. "Now then, cut!"

He watched the boy till he disappeared in the woods, and then as he
neither saw any one nor heard anything of an alarming nature, he said in a
tone of great relief:

"He is all right, and I believe he will get there without trouble. I had
an idea he would, or I would not have let him go."

"There he is, only half a boy, you might say," said Percival, "but ready
to undertake anything for us, no matter how dangerous and there are those
big overgrown bullies, Herring and Merritt, who would go all to bits if
they had the half of this to do. I tell you, Jesse W. Smith is worth both