rs, as though
willing to go on record.

Then, of course, Will had to try them, also, and also frankly pronounced
them delicious.

"Let me have that knife, Bluff, and I'll be opening some while you're off
after another supply. The hatchet will be all you want to loosen any
tight ones. Don't look at me that way. I can be trusted not to eat more
than one in five. And my appetite for oysters isn't one-third what yours
is," laughed Frank.

Bluff seemed to think he could stand that, for he yielded up the opener.

"Don't you let that scoffer, Will, have another one. I'll bring back
another bucketful in about ten minutes. There's millions of 'em. They set
me wild to think of such riches going to waste. I'll dream about 'em,
fellows."

Grumbling thus, he stalked through the water to the reef, and set to work
again.

Frank had watched Jerry push in to shore and vanish among the tangled
undergrowth. Some little time had passed since, but there was no sign
of his returning.

"I guess it's lucky Bluff didn't take his word for it, and wait," he
remarked.

"Yes," replied Will, who was watching the fat bivalves drop into the
kettle as his chum deftly manipulated the opening knife, "I rather think
we'd have missed connections with this savory mess, all right, and all of
us would have been sorry."

"I wonder if he found anybody in that old shack?" mused Frank, looking
again.

"Hardly likely. What would you say, Joe? Ever been ashore here?"

The boy shook his head in the negative.

"Not me. This is my first trip up this far. Been down the coast, below
Cedar Keys, more'n once. But I believe Jerry likes to hunt. Perhaps he
might think it a good time to look around, and see if there happens to
be a deer waiting to be cooked up."

Frank laughed.

"You've got Jerry sized up to a pretty fine point, boy. That's his
weakness to a dot, and I wouldn't put it past him to wander off. I only
hope he doesn't go and get lost. That would delay us, even if nothing
worse came of it"

"There!"

As Will made this utterance there came the sharp report of a gun from the
mainland, and undoubtedly the rifle was that of their absent chum.

"Wonder what he's struck now?" said Frank.

There came two more reports, in quick succession.

Bluff was already hastening in from the oyster bar, staggering under his
load.

"Hey! D'ye hear all that shooting, fellows? Jerry's in some sort of
trouble, I'll bet my hat!" he shouted excitedly.

"And