front of the dwelling, as if
weary of his voluntary confinement, and gazing seaward every few
seconds, for from that side of the house it must have been possible
to get a full view of the bay.

"We might get our musket, an' rush up on him now," Jerry whispered,
and I replied as I believed Darius would have done:

"We don't know how well armed Jenkins may be, nor what he will be
willing to do in aid of his friend. My idea is that we should wait
here until the owner goes to his work, leaving the traitor with the
women folks, and even then the task won't be an easy one, for we must
come out in sight of all hands a full three minutes before arriving at
the house, however fast we run."

"We should have brought the musket with us on this trip," Jerry
grumbled, and I soothed him by saying:

"There is really no time lost. The first thing to be done was to make
certain the scoundrel yet remained here; that has now been
ascertained, and I will go for the weapon while you stand watch. We
mustn't be in too much of a hurry, or we may spill the soup."

Jerry was satisfied to act as sentinel, and I walked leisurely back to
the shore, believing that much time must elapse before we would get
the desired opportunity.

Arriving at the shore I spent some minutes searching for the canoe, so
well had we hidden her, and once getting the musket and ammunition in
my possession I strolled down to the beach where I could have a view
of the bay.

Only the single small vessel was in sight, and I was on the point of
turning away, thinking it useless to gaze long at her, when something
in the rig of the craft struck me as being familiar.

I looked again; laid down the weapon and gazed yet more intently,
until finally there was no longer any question in my mind.

The vessel was none other than the Avenger! If Darius was yet on board
why had he left his post of duty? If anything had happened to him, why
had Jim Freeman taken it upon himself to leave the lower bay?

The more I tried to solve the problem the stronger became the
probability, in my own mind, that some serious disaster had overtaken
our comrades, and I ran at full speed, giving little heed as to
whether the advance might be heard by Macomber, until I was come to
where Jerry remained crouching in the grass, his eyes fixed upon the
dwelling.

"You're makin' a terrible row!" he said angrily, never looking around.
"Fortunately the cur has just gone inside, or he might have heard