you snoring, Dave; you woke me
up! I thought it was thunder!"

"Nothing less than thunder or a cannon firecracker would wake you up,
Billy,---as a general rule," said Hugh, flinging one arm over his
chum's shoulders and giving him a vigorous hug.

"Look yonder, boys!" shouted Captain Vinton at the helm. He pointed
aft, and the four lads sprang to their feet and hurried toward him,
alert and eager for a new surprise.

Some distance behind them, toward the mainland, a thin trail of
smoke which had not been seen for two or three hours was now visible
inside the keys. Could there be any reason for the reappearance
of that smoky blur against the sky? Was it made by the mysterious
steamer? If so, was she following the _Arrow_?

"By the shades o' shad, I orter know that boat!" exclaimed Vinton in
puzzled chagrin. "See? She's coaled up, goin' for all she's worth.
Alec, git out my glass from the cabin, take a look, and see if there's
many men aboard."

Alec ran to do the captain's bidding. Descending into the cabin, he
took from a locker an old-style marine telescope with which he
hurriedly returned to the deck. After some focusing he managed to
catch a glimpse of the steamcraft, just before she partially
disappeared from sight behind one of the sandy reefs that fence off
the sound.

"The crew of the steamer seem to be quite excited," Alec said, as he
trained the telescope upon them. "I can see sailors running across
her deck, and two of them have just hoisted an American flag. Some
others are waving signals and---"

"What?" shouted the captain. "American flag, did you say?"

"Yes. What do you think of that?"

"Reckon she wants to speak us."

"Why?" asked Chester.

"Looks like this is the first time she's seen us," said Vinton, taking
the marine glass from Alec. "But it can't be the same craft we
sighted back yonder, last night. Anyhow, if they're wavin' signal
flags,---and they are, sure enough!---they must want to speak the
_Arrow_. That's plain. I'm goin' to ease in more and see who's
aboard. Look! the dinged old boat is comin' out from behind the
bar now."

Pondering some contingency which he did not explain to the boys,
Vinton shifted the helm; and his sloop, hitherto heading in a
southwesterly direction, now began to edge closer to the line
of keys. Had Vinton not known his course so thoroughly from long
experience in sailing these channels, inlets, and lagoons, it
would have been dang