ly
a voice piped up out of the darkness and from the boat itself:

"Hi! what are you going to do with this boat?"

The voice was that of young Smith who at the next moment stood up and
turned the light of a pocket flash upon them as they hastily beat a
retreat to the tents.

CHAPTER IV

THE BOAT AFFAIR UNSETTLED

The conspirators had not mistaken the boat, and got hold of young
J.W.'s by mischance, but had really begun operations on Jack's boat
when surprised by the boy who they supposed to be fast asleep.

It had happened that the little fellow had wanted to know some
particular point about the engine, and had asked Jack's permission
to look at his, which was simple and easily understood.

Jack had told him he could do what he liked, and the boy was under
the cover with his electric light turned on the engine when the
evildoers came up and got to work. The first turn of the auger
startled him, and he called out sharply wanting to know what they
were doing.

Then he suspected mischief, and immediately threw aside the cover,
and turned his light upon the fleeing rascals.

He was unable to identify them, because there were several of the boys
of the same build, but he was satisfied that they would not return.

That was not enough, however, and he raised an alarm and brought out
Bucephalus and a number of the servants, and said:

"Somebody's been trying to monkey with Jack Sheldon's boat. There
ought to be a watch kept. Other camps have sentinels, and this
should have one. Stay on watch to-night, boys, and I'll give you a
dollar apiece."

"A'right, sah," said Bucephalus with a broad grin. "So dey tried
to hu't Mistah Jack's boat, did dey? Wha' yo' doin' in it you'se'f,
sah? Was yo' goin' to sleep in it?"

"Me?" exclaimed the little fellow indignantly. "No indeed. I
was looking over the engine to get the hang of it. Jack told
me I might. Go to sleep nothing! If I had been asleep I would
not have caught these rascals at their dirty work."

"But yo' didn' cotch dem, sah, dey done runned away."

By this time Jack, Percival, Harry and Arthur, and a number of the
boys, aroused by the noise, had come down to see what was the matter.

Young Smith turned his light on the bottom of the boat, it having
been drawn up on the beach, and saw the mark of the auger quite
plainly.

It had not gone in deep enough to do any harm, and what, hole there
was could be caulked with very little trouble.