ash before he gave tongue; and we know there wasn't
any such bird around up to sunset. If any of the others wake up and hear
that cry, they'll think it's the ghost of the island, sure."

As it was too cool to sit around with such a scanty amount of clothes
on, both scouts soon vanished again. The fish were jumping as on the
previous night; and in the eastern sky the battered old moon had thrust
her remnant of a circle above the horizon for a little peep at the world
below.

Morning came along in due time, and of course the usual swim was first
in order. Giraffe was apparently in high spirits. The others saw him
taking stock of what stores they had left, and evidently the big eater
found that there would be an abundance to see them through. That sort of
thing always pleased Giraffe. He was gloomy only when he feared for the
worst; and in his mind that consisted of short rations.

After breakfast the question came up as to which one of the other scouts
Thad was to take with him. As he had stated he would do, in order to be
quite fair, and keep the others from feeling that any favoritism had
been shown, Thad took a number of short blades of grass, each of a
different length. These he mixed up in his hand, so that no one could
know which was the long, and which the short ones. Then he invited the
boys with the exception of the second in command, Allan, to draw as they
pleased, the shortest straw to win out.

Of course there was more or less joking as the operation was carried
out; for boys can hardly do so simple a thing as draw lots without a
certain amount of fun being injected into the game.

"Now, the last belongs to Smithy, because he didn't draw," said Thad.
"Hold up the one you got, Bumpus, and see if you go along with me."

Bumpus actually shook a little when he compared his "straw" and finding
that it was longer than the other, he laughed with glee. That island did
not have much drawing power for Bumpus; in fact, he hoped never to set
foot on it again.

Each one tried to show that he had a shorter straw than the one that
fell to Smithy, but without success.

"It's Smithy who goes," observed Thad; and possibly he looked pleased;
for he was beginning to take a great interest in the boy who had been
wrongly raised by his mother and maiden aunts, to be what is known as a
"sissy;" and hoped to see him turn out to be a manly, self-reliant and
brave scout.

CHAPTER XXI.

STEP-HEN'S STRATEGY FAILS.

"