s all by itself
and you can't miss it."

Fred pointed the binoculars in the direction that Lester indicated and
plainly saw a shack near the edge of the water.

"Do you see any one about the cabin?" asked Lester.

"No, I don't," replied his companion. "The door is open though, and he
may be inside."

"That doesn't prove anything," laughed Lester. "Mark hasn't anything
worth stealing, and I guess the door's open all the time except in
winter. But it won't be long now before we find out."

CHAPTER XIX

THE SPOILS OF WAR

Just where the cabin stood was a little bay formed by an inward bend of
the coast, and in this the water was comparatively smooth.

Lester headed his boat into this and Ross, who took his sailing
directions from the _Ariel_, followed his example.

A hundred yards from shore, Fred ran down the sail and the boat drifted
in with its own momentum, while Lester took soundings cautiously to find
the best place to cast anchor. The _Ariel_ was of light draught,
and, with the centerboard up, found three feet of water ample to prevent
her scraping.

"Here we are," Lester said at last, when the two boats had reached a
suitable spot and he could see the sandy bottom through the clear water.
"Heave over the anchor now, and you fellows stand ready to go
overboard."

The boys followed his directions, and a moment later all were in the
water.

Lester had previously unfastened the line by which they had been towing
the shark and thrown it over to Fred, who stood the nearest to the
shore. The rest ranged themselves along the line at intervals and bent
their backs to the strain.

For strain it proved to be. While the huge carcass was floating clear of
the bottom it was comparatively easy to draw him along; but when the
lower part began to scrape, it was a more difficult matter. They
progressed only an inch at a time. By taking advantage of the rollers,
however, as they came tumbling in, the boys finally got their booty to
the edge of the water line. They could not drag it entirely clear of the
water, but got it half way out, the head and upper part of the body
remaining exposed, while the tail swished idly to and fro in the shallow
water.

"Whew!" said Teddy, wiping his streaming forehead. "I wouldn't like to
work so hard as that every day in the week."

"You won't have to," remarked Lester, comfortingly. "Lightning doesn't
strike twice in the same place, and the chances are that you'll never
c