his speech as a sort of valedictory to
them as, indeed, the captain intended it--and greeted it with a cheer.

"The first scout that finds a trace of Joe is to light the four
'smokes', meaning come to council," was Rob's last order. "Light them
on as prominent a place as you can find and we will all meet in camp to
hear the news."

The searching parties at once separated, one striking off to the right,
the other to the left and the three young leaders and their grizzled
friend making a dead set for the center of the island.

If Joe Digby was to be found, the look of determination on the face of
each scout showed that it would not be the fault of his young comrades
if he were not.

CHAPTER XIX

SAM REBELS

In the meantime on a small island in the Upper Inlet a strange
conference was taking place. Three youths whom our readers will
recognize as Jack Curtiss, Bill Bender and Sam Redding; were in earnest
consultation with the unkempt and unsavory individual whom we know as
Hank Handcraft, the beach-comber.

"Well, the job's put through, all right," Hank was saying, as the three
sat outside a small tent in front of which was a smoldering fire, about
which the remnants of a meal were scattered.

"Yes, but now we've got to tackle the hardest part of it," said Jack,
knitting his brows. "I've got the letter written and here it is." As
he spoke he drew from his pocket a sheet of paper. "The question is who
to send for the money when the time comes."

"Oh, Hank is the man," said Ben, without an instant's hesitation. "We
must not appear in this at all."

"Oh, I am the man, am?" put in Hank, with no very gratified inflexion
in his voice; "and what if I am caught? I'm to go to prison, I
suppose, while you fellows get off scot-free."

"As for me," said Sam Redding, who was pale and looked scared, and
whose eyes, too, were red-rimmed and heavy as if from lack of sleep,
"you can count me out. I want nothing to do with it. You've gone too
far, Jack, in your schemes against the boys. I'm through with the
whole thing."

"Well, if you're that chicken-hearted, we don't want you in it at all,"
sneered Jack, although he looked somewhat troubled at his follower's
defection. "All we want you to promise is not to split on us."

"Oh, I won't peach," promised Sam readily.

"It will be better for you not to," warned Bill Bender; "and now let's
figure this thing out, and quickly, too. We haven't got any too much
ti