."

"Not a bit," said Frank. "This arrangement is only for to-night. When
we get up in the morning, we shall find the boats all out in the
river."

This immediately reassured Harry; and, after watching the Sampson
until she disappeared in Duck's Creek, he led the way to the house.

After supper, as soon as it began to grow dark, they proceeded to put
their plans into execution; but, before they started, Frank said,

"Now, boys, we must watch and see how the trick takes, for I know that
there are spies now around that boat-house. As soon as we get the sham
provisions into the boat, one or two of us had better slip down into
the willows behind the wharf, and see what course things are going to
take."

"Well," said Harry, "suppose you and Bill act as spies."

"Agreed. Come on, but don't act as if you suspected anything."

And he led the way toward the boat-house.

Two of the boys busied themselves in bringing out the sham provisions,
and the others brought the Alert alongside, and fastened her to the
dock, in front of the boat-house. Frank and Harry then got down into
the boat, and the other boys passed the provisions down to them, and
they placed them in such a manner as to take up as much space as
possible. They were soon all stowed away, and covered over with a
large sail, as if to keep off the dew.

Ben and George then got into a small skiff that lay at the dock, and
towed the Alert out into the middle of the creek, and anchored her.
As soon as this was done they returned, and the smugglers began to
amuse themselves by pushing each other about the wharf. They all
appeared to enter heartily into the sport, and kept nearing the
willows which extended along the bank of the creek, close to the
wharf, and Frank and William, watching their opportunity, concealed
themselves, and the others ran toward the house. They had hardly
disappeared, when the smugglers saw several boys steal cautiously
around the corner of the boat-house, where they had been concealed,
and one of them crept up the bank, to assure himself that the coast
was clear, while the others remained in the shadow of the house. The
former, who proved to be Charles Sheldon, the commander of the
coast-guards, as soon as he had satisfied himself that the smugglers
had gone into the house, called out, in a low whisper, to the others,
who were the captains of the divisions of the squadron,

"All right, boys; go ahead, but be careful not to make any noise. I