abin after his search.

"If he took those two lying on the lower shelf," announced Harry, "he
got only one automatic! That's a joke on him."

"What do you mean by that?" Arnold asked returning with the desired
piece of wood. "If the man took two, he took only one!"

"Because" explained Harry fitting the plug into place, "the other is a
flashlight made in the shape of an automatic."

Laughing over the joke unconsciously played upon himself by their late
visitor, the boys repaired to the pilot house where the gravity of the
situation was repeated to Jack, who had been at the wheel controlling
the movements of the Fortuna and keeping a lookout.

"I was examining the coast a moment ago with the glasses and saw what I
took to be a man wading ashore back of our present position," explained
Jack. "He looked as if he had on a life belt, but I couldn't be sure
because I couldn't hold the glasses steady and handle the boat, too.
Suppose one of you take the glasses and see what you can make out along
the shore line in both directions."

Tom took the binoculars, mounted to the cabin roof, and swept diligently
the shore line in both directions.

"What can you make out?" inquired Jack from the pilot house.

"I see a fellow just as you described, only he's not wearing a life
belt. He seems to be crossing the strip of beach sand to the fringe of
pines a short distance inland. I don't see any automatic flashlight in
his hand, though!" whimsically announced the watching lad. "Then on the
other hand, I can see two smokes that look like a Boy Scout call for
help and between the two fires I can see a Boy Scout running back and
forth and waving his hat."

"How do you know he's a Boy Scout?" challenged Harry.

"Well, if he started Boy Scout signals, he'd be a Boy Scout, wouldn't
he?" replied Tom. Besides, he's red headed like Arnold and homely like
Harry and kind hearted like Jack and good like Tom. That's enough for
me."

"You're just right, that's enough for you!" declared Harry. "You may
throw on your shovel--you've got a load."

"Honest, now, Tom," put in Jack, "what's the straight of this? Quit your
nonsense! We must be serious."

"All right," agreed Tom. "What I said is all so except the foolishness.
I can't see what the boy looks like. I can just make out a figure
between the two fires. It looks slight like a boy. That's all I can make
out. There are some trees over there just this side of the fires, and it
looks as if