go mighty
slow about trying to storm this place."

"Why," said Teddy, "it'd be pretty hard to climb up the sides anywhere,
so all we have to do is to defend the break in the stern where we got
aboard."

They all looked to Ned to find out what his opinion might be.

"I'm not thinking so much about the chances of keeping them out," the
scout leader went on to say, "as what will happen afterwards."

"Do you mean when we try to leave here to-morrow, Ned?" questioned Frank.

"I mean that the chances are, after they've had a good try and find they
can't rush the wreck, with so many guns defending it, those men will
start in to keep us in a state of siege."

"Holy smoke!" burst from Jimmy, as he looked horrified; "and us with
only grub enough on hand for two skimpy meals. What under the sun will
we do? No chance to knock over a caribou or a moose, and fill up the
empty larder! Was there ever such hard luck?"

"Many times, Jimmy," replied Ned, "and we always managed to pull
through, somehow or other. We will again, as sure as anything, even if I
can't tell you just how it's going to happen. Besides a scarcity of
food, we have to face a water famine, you must remember."

"With all the sea knockin' at our door, too," groaned Jimmy. "And think
of the amount that's been runnin' to waste off our deck all day. What a
pity we didn't think to find a cask, and fill the same when we had the
chance. To tell you the truth, I'm getting more and more thirsty as I
think of how we'll suffer."

"Well, the men with the lanterns are coming right along all the time you
fellows are talking here," Frank advised them.

"And our first duty is to get on deck, so as to be ready to repel
boarders," Ned declared.

"Boarders!" echoed Jimmy, "well, I should say we ought to repel them,
when right now we ain't got enough food for our own family table."

They hurried out of the cabin, Ned making sure that the fire in the
stove was so far extinguished that its light might not betray the fact
of the wreck being peopled.

As soon as they arrived on deck they had no difficulty in discovering
the approaching peril. Indeed, the moving lanterns were close by, and
coming right along, as though those who were carrying them had arrived
at the conclusion that the exploring party might have taken temporary
refuge from the rain aboard the old wreck.

Doubtless its possibilities as a shelter were well known to them; and
they could easily understand how the