ave a look at this," said Bert, quickly approaching the table as
he spoke. "It may tell us something of our destination."

The boys gathered eagerly around.

The map was a hydrographic chart of the Caribbean Sea. Cuba and Porto
Rico appeared on a large scale. The boys studied it in silence and
finally Mason shook his head in despair.

"That does not tell much," he said. "We may be going to Cuba or Porto
Rico, but if we are, why all this secrecy and those firearms?"

"They may fit in together more closely than you think," said Harry, who
had been studying the map thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?" asked Bert.

"I do not mean anything yet. Let us wait. Speculation and guessing will
not solve this mystery."

"Look here," said the Midget, who had been browsing around the cabin. He
had lifted one of the cushions from a settee and disclosed beneath a
locker which contained a number of flags of different colors and shapes.

"What are those?" asked the boys in chorus.

"They are signal flags. Now let's find the code and then we can signal
some passing ship."

"Here's the code," announced Harry, who, as soon as Mason had spoken had
gone to a little book shelf on the wall of the cabin. "But how are we to
get the flags up without attracting attention?"

"Easy. We will make up our signal and then take the flags necessary to
show it and conceal them where we can get them at any moment. Then when
we sight a vessel we can bend them onto the halliards and have them
aloft before anyone can interfere. It would be a minute or two before
they could haul them down, even if they discovered them at once, and in
that time it is likely that the other ship would have read them. Anyway,
it is worth trying."

"I think you are right," said Harry. "Nothing venture, nothing have.
Let's make the signal."

He took the code book from the shelf and opened it on the table.

"In the first place, it is necessary to know what you want to say before
you pick out your flags. Now what shall the message be?"

"Say we have been kidnapped by a pirate ship and want assistance,"
suggested the Midget, wisely.

"Nonsense," replied Bert, "we don't want to say anything about the ship.
We have nothing against her, nor her captain. Didn't they save our
lives? All that we want is to be taken off and if that is not possible
to have word sent home that we are all right, and then we can see the
thing out comfortably. In fact, I for one, would much prefer st