like
a big round shield, and the waves dance as if they were made of silver."

"Listen to Jack getting poetical!" laughed George.

"Well, who wouldn't, when you can hear the lap of the little waves out
there on the creek?" replied Jack, instantly. "And there, that must
have been a fish jumping, the way they told us the mullet do down
South."

"Yes," said Nick, "me to get one of those castnets, and pull 'em in at
every throw. No danger of a fellow getting hungry in that country, I
guess."

"If you didn't get hungry where would be the pleasure in living, tell
me that?" demanded Josh.

Before Nick could frame any reply there suddenly broke out the most
terrible roaring sound any of the boys had ever heard. It seemed to
come from right off the surface of the dark creek close by, and gave
poor Nick such a fright that he almost fell into the fire upon
attempting to struggle to his feet, such was his clumsiness when
excited.

All of them forgot the comfort they had been enjoying, and scrambled
erect.

CHAPTER V.

A STORM, AND NO REFUGE IN SIGHT.

It was only natural that every one of the little party of cruisers
should feel their hearts beating much faster than ordinary, as they
were so startled by that horrible blast so near at hand.

But Jack believed he had heard another sound close on the heels of the
first, and which was not unlike a hoarse laugh. That indicated the
presence of human beings; and, of course, would account for the roar
that had disturbed their first camp ashore.

Looking in the direction from whence the sounds had apparently
proceeded, which was just below where their boats were pulled up, he
could just manage to make out some bulky moving object; then the
whipping of what seemed to be a discolored sail caught his eye, and he
understood.

Of course, it must be some boat, possibly belonging to oystermen who
plied their trade out on the bay, close to which they now found
themselves.

Coming into the creek, which was possibly their regular harbor for
night refuge, and discovering the fire as well as the boys, they had
blown a fog horn just in the spirit of frolic, to give the boys a scare.

Both men were laughing now at the success of their scheme, and one of
them called out, with the idea of calming the bunch before they took to
shooting, in their excitement, as greenhorns were liable to do under
such conditions.

"Hey, there! it's all right, boys; we're just oystermen, ye see