se in an affair like this."

"That's true," replied the other. "We've had more interference in this
trip thus far than anything else."

"And the big question now is, how're we goin' to tune it out?"

"I confess, I'm stumped," said Cub. "Guess we'll have to refer the
whole matter to father, but I bet he'll be up against it just as much
as we are."

Cub turned toward the companionway with the intention of seeking an
interview with Mr. Perry in the wheel house, but Hal delayed him again.

"Wait a minute," said the operator. "Here's our island friend again."

Cub and Bud donned their phones once more. The message received was more
startling than any preceding.

"They are coming ashore," was dot-and-dashed into the three boys' ears.
"I see four bad-looking men. I am going to run before they see me
and--maybe--swim. Good-bye."

"What in the world shall we do?" exclaimed Bud.

"I'm going to find out," declared Cub, as he dashed out of the cabin.

Hal, meanwhile, was busy again. The mysterious amateur who had
persistently attempted to turn the supposed near-tragedy into a joke was
spitting the Catwhisker's call again.

"Fools!" he flashed spitefully. "Goodnight."

CHAPTER VI

A Mystery and Cub's "Goat"

Cub hastened to his father and gave him a rapid narrative of events as
they had been received by wireless.

"Well, that's interesting, to say the least," observed Mr. Perry with a
look of curious amusement.

Cub waited a few moments for further comment, but as it was slow coming,
he asked impulsively:

"What are we going to do?"

"What do you think we ought to do?" inquired the man at the wheel,
looking sharply at his son.

"I don't know; I'm stumped," was the boy's reply.

"That's a frank admission. First time I've known you to admit such
absolute defeat. Do you think we'd better turn about and go back home?"

"No," Cub replied with a revival of decision in his tone of voice.

"Well, shall we stop, turn to the right or left, or go ahead?"

There was a slump to indecision again. Cub looked foolish. His father was
making sport of him and he did not know how to answer intelligently. In
desperation, however, he replied:

"Go ahead."

"What for?" asked Mr. Perry. "Shall we dash to the rescue and face those
four men, who probably are armed with pistols?"

"No, of course not. Anyway, we don't know where they are. They may be
twenty-five miles from here, for all we know."

"Then we'll have to