ful manner, thanks to the knowledge he
and Allan possessed of this Signal Corps work.

"Why, it's already paid us ten times over for all the trouble we took
to learn the code," he was saying to himself, between chuckles. "And
besides, it was only fun, learning. Smithy was right when he said this
Boy Scout business was the best thing ever started in this or any other
country to benefit fellows. And I'm glad I had that idea of starting a
troop in sleepy old Cranford, so far behind the times."

Just then he happened to remember that he was not alone on the island.
Smithy would be getting quite anxious about him by now; and Thad
concluded that he ought to hunt the other scout up, so as to relieve his
mind.

He had read enough of the character of the new tenderfoot scout to feel
certain that Smithy would obey orders to the letter. Told to wait on the
little pebbly beach until his superior officer joined him, he would stay
there indefinitely; just as another lad, known to history and fame,
Casibianca, "stood on the burning deck, whence all but him had fled,"
simply because his father had told him to remain there.

So Thad commenced to descend from his lofty perch, meaning to hunt
Smithy up, and not only relieve his natural suspense, but reward him for
his long vigil by relating the result of the exchange of signals.

That the new recruit would be deeply interested, he felt sure; for
everything connected with the scouting business had a fascination for
Smithy; now living an existence he may have dreamed about in former
days, but really never hoped to personally experience.

Just then the loon, floating and diving out on the bosom of the water
somewhere, had to give vent to his idiotic laugh. Possibly he had been
observing the watcher in the dead tree-top, and was announcing his
opinion of such silly antics when he noticed Thad begin to descend.

The sound struck a cold chill to the heart of the boy, though he laughed
at himself immediately afterward for allowing such a feeling to come
over him.

"It's only the loon," he said, as he again slipped from limb to limb,
constantly nearing the base of the tree. "I suppose the thing's been
watching me all the time, and wondering what under the sun a fellow
could be doing, waving his old handkerchief around as though he were
daffy. He looks on me as a lunatic, and I know him to be a loon."

Chuckling at his little joke, Thad presently reached a point where he
could hang from