pect."

"The captain will want us all to pack right back home," said Walter,
glumly.

His fears proved true, for when Charley related his suspicions over the
frugal breakfast, the captain was visibly worried.

"I'm the cause of leading you into trouble again, boys," he reproached
himself. "However, I reckon thar ain't nothing to be gained by
regrets. As soon as we have finished eating, we'll pack up and head
back for the coast."

But Charley opposed the plan of returning decidedly. "They have had
plenty of chance to kill us off easily on the way here if they had
wanted to," he argued. "Why they haven't done so puzzles me. Perhaps
they fear a searching party would be sent after us if we do not return
promptly. I have a feeling, though, that they are after bigger game,
although I have not the slightest idea what it can be. Anyway, I am
not going back, now, empty-handed, if there were twice as many
jail-birds at my heels."

"I am with you, Charley," Walter said quickly.

"Me too, Massa," grinned Chris, who was plucky enough when he
understood the nature of the threatened danger. "Golly, I jest reckon
dis nigger got to stay and look out for you chillens."

The captain, whose only concern had been for the boys, brought his hand
down on his knee earnestly. "Then I'm with you, lads, till the last
mast carries away. You're the pilot in these waters, Charley. What
course shall we steer now, lad?"

"I think," suggested Charley, modestly, "that the first thing is to fix
up a shelter in case of rain. We must be careful, and if we come into
contact with any of those fellows we must not let them see that we
suspect what they are. That would cause trouble right away, I am sure."

"Go ahead and give your orders, lad; we will carry them out."

"Then I'll deputize Chris to see if he can't get us some fresh fish,"
said Charley with a smile.

Chris, his face beaming, darted away to his saddlebags after his
fishing-tackle. If there was one thing the little darky liked above
all others it was fishing, and wherever he might be, his tackle was
never far away.

As soon as he had departed, Charley, accompanied by the others, set
about selecting a site for their permanent camp.

"You see," Charley explained, "we want a place that we can stand a show
of defending if we should be attacked, and at the same time a place
from which we can escape by water if we have to."

They did not have to go far before they found the