ook there!"

Percy pointed toward the landlocked Sly Hole. A thin column of blue
smoke was rising above it, as if from the stovepipe of an anchored boat.
Budge debated for a moment, then turned the bow of the pea-pod toward
the narrow entrance.

"We'll go in and see who's there."

A dozen quick strokes sent the boat through the winding channel into the
little harbor. Budge rested on his oars and they looked eagerly about.

In the center of the haven lay anchored a rusty black sloop about forty
feet long, a dory swinging at her stern. From her cabin drifted the
sound and smell of frying fish, mingled with men's voices.

"Might as well take the bull by the horns," said Budge.

He rowed directly up to the sloop. The sounds on board evidently drowned
the dipping of his oars, for it was not until the stem of the pea-pod
struck the rusty side that the voices stopped and two startled brown
faces popped up out of the companionway. Both men had sharp black eyes,
and black shocks of hair badly in need of the barber. One was slightly
gray, and a prickly stubble of unshaven beard covered his chin. The
younger man had a jet-black mustache with long, drooping ends. Both wore
red shirts, open at the neck, with sleeves rolled above the elbows. The
younger held a half-smoked cigar, while his companion grasped a large
fork, which he evidently had been using on the fish. For a few seconds
the two couples regarded each other in silence.

[Illustration]

Then the man with the black mustache smiled ingratiatingly.

"H'lo, boys!" he invited. "Won't you come 'board?"

"No, thank you," declined Budge. "When did you get here?"

"We come last night, from ... there," with a vague gesture toward the
west. "We fish, we lobster. You live on dis island ... yes? We stay
here, too. We be good friend. Wait!"

Diving below, he brought up a long-necked black bottle.

"You have drink?"

"No!" refused Budge, decidedly.

The man looked disappointed. He muttered a few words to his companion.
The latter scowled. Then they drank from the bottle and replaced it
below. The younger man began talking again.

"Disa good harbor! We build camp there."

He gestured toward the beach.

"We plenty lath on board. We make one ... two hundred trap. We stop all
summer. Good friend, eh?"

"I guess so," returned Budge.

The program announced had taken him somewhat aback. He hardly knew what
to reply. Pushing the pea-pod off, he turned her toward the chan