ng entered into every one of the contestants, yet
not one of them failed to put his best efforts into the game.

"Now we'll see some accurate shooting," called Billy as Hugh took
the rings for his fourth turn.

"No fair trying to rattle me," returned Hugh, laughing good-naturedly.
"I'm still the interesting invalid."

"Hush!" whispered the irrepressible Billy quite audibly. "Don't say
a word, boys! It might shake his nerve, you know, and he might
suffer a relapse!"

"You teaser!" commented Hugh, beginning his play.

One after another, Hugh steadily tossed the rings over the post.

"Pshaw! You can't disturb him," ejaculated Alec. "He is as calm
as the sea is just now."

"Five!" counted Chester softly. "Six! You put every one over this
time, Hugh. Billy's jollying just inspired you!"

"And now it is his turn," said Hugh, returning to his hammock. "Now
we shall see something!"

Billy flushed a little, grinned, set his teeth, poised his body
firmly, and then swung into the position of the famous "disk thrower."

Thump! The first ring struck the deck a good foot beyond the post,
rebounded, and rolled rapidly toward the railing.

Roy Norton stopped it with his foot and called, "Steady, Billy!
Take your time."

Thump! The second ring, tossed more cautiously, dropped at least
six inches in front of the goal.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Three more landed in quick succession, draping
themselves gracefully against the standard that upheld the post.

"One more, Billy. Make this one count," coached his captain urgently.

By this time, Billy's face was scarlet and his hand shaking. He took
a long breath, fixed his eye on the top of the slender post, and
tossed the ring desperately. It fell well to the right of the goal
and rolled up against Dave's feet.

Dave quickly stooped to pick it up, trying to hide the wide smile
that parted his lips.

Billy's scout friends made no attempt to be so polite. Pickets and
Pirates alike, they burst into a roar of laughter.

Captain Vinton, his weather-beaten face wrinkled into a dozen
humorous lines, called out:

"Billy, words is sometimes like a boomerang---they fly back and ketch
ye, ef ye don't watch out!"

And so the contest progressed; now luck favored the Pirates, and again
Captain Vinton's skill brought up the uncertain score of the Pickets.

At the end of the final round, however, Dave's team had a clean
balance of ten counts over the combined records of the