ell, we're
lucky to be rid of 'em so easily. Guess they'll give Tarpaulin Island a
wide berth after this. And it's dollars to doughnuts the captain never
inquires after those revolvers at the Rockland office. I didn't feel it
was quite safe to give 'em back to him just now, but I didn't want to
take 'em away for good. He can do as he pleases about sending for 'em."

He yawned.

"It's past one, and we'd better be getting back to camp, or we won't be
in condition for our busy day to-morrow. Come on, boys!"

Slowly, and a trifle weariedly, the five made their way across the
island. Even though the fire in the stove had gone out long since, the
warmth of the cabin felt good to them.

"Well, Whittington," remarked Spurling as they once more crept into
their bunks, "how do you like your first night on Tarpaulin? Some life
out here, after all, eh?"

Percy had recovered his assurance. Now that the experience was over he
rather enjoyed it.

"Not so bad," he replied.

Before he went to sleep he lay for some time thinking.

V

GETTING READY

A persistent metallic whirring broke rudely in upon the dreams of the
heavy sleepers in Camp Spurling. It was four o'clock. It seemed to Percy
as if he had never before found so much trouble in getting his eyes
open.

"Choke that clock off, somebody!" shouted Lane from overhead. "I'm not
deaf, but I shall be if this hullabaloo keeps on much longer."

Spurling, who was already half-dressed, checked the alarm. The red rays
of the morning sun, striking through the eastern window, bathed
everything in crimson. The minds of the boys turned naturally to the
foiled thieves.

"Where do you think the _Silicon_ is?" asked Throppy.

"Twenty-five miles east, and making for Fundy as fast as sail and
gasolene'll take her," replied Jim. "She can't go any too far or fast
to suit me."

A hearty breakfast of fried bacon, hot biscuits, and coffee made the
drowsy crowd feel better.

"Now," said Spurling, "we've got a big day's work ahead of us, and the
sooner we start on it the better. We want to begin as quick as we can to
round up some of those dollars that are finning and crawling in to us,
so we mustn't waste any time in getting our trawls and traps overboard.
First of all, we need bait. We can buy hake heads for our lobster-traps
from the fish-wharf at Matinicus, and herring for the trawls from one of
the weirs at Vinalhaven. That means traveling over forty miles; but it's
fine