to see better.

"Of course it's Jimmie. But what does he act that way for? Why is he
beckoning to me and holding a finger on his lips, just as if he'd taken
a turn to tell me not to call out. What has the boy discovered now, I
wonder?"

Jack awaited the coming of his comrade, who was crawling along, looking
back every little while as though fearful lest he had been followed.

"What under the sun ails you, Jimmie?" asked Jack, in a low tone, as
the other reached his side. "Have you gone clean daffy, and are you
seeing things that no decent, self-respecting boy ought to see?"

"H'sh!" whispered the other mysteriously; and then after another quick
look in the direction from whence he had just come, he went on
hurriedly: "They're roight over there, Jack, me bye, both of 'em as big
as loife, wid the sassy little motor boat alongside in another cove;
and Jack, they belaves us to be officers of the law, come to take thim
till the bar of justice. I know it, becase I heard 'em talk!"

CHAPTER XI.

TURNING THE TABLES ON THE BANK ROBBERS.

"Whew! that's stunning news you bring, Jimmie!" said Jack, looking
keenly at his companion, as if suspecting that possibly the other might
be imagining things.

"I give ye my worrd of honor it's the truth, the whole truth, an'
nothin' but the truth," affirmed the other, raising his right hand in
the most positive manner.

"You saw the men, then?" demanded Jack.

"I was that clost till 'em I could have coughed in their ears, on'y I
didn't, d'ye moind," replied the returned scout, in that convincing
whisper of his.

"And the boat--it looks like ours, does it?" continued the skipper of
the _Tramp_.

"Two peas in the pod couldn't be more aloike. And sure, didn't I hear
the gossoons talkin' an' whisperin' atween thimsilves about us two."

"You did?" exclaimed Jack, more astonished than ever at the sudden
daring exhibited by the Irish lad. "What were they saying, Jimmie?"

"Jist as ye warrned me, thim smarties they do be hearin' what I called
out till yees about the other boat," replied Jimmie. "And that makes
'em decide we're in the employ of the polace, wid the intintion of
running thim to a finish. Glory be, but they're mad clane through,
becase a couple of boys dast chase 'em."

"Mad, are they, and at us?" repeated Jack, as he began to gasp the
situation. "And do you happen to know if they mean to slip away again,
like they did a couple of nights ago?"

Jimmie