led; but then that was no affair of
his right then; what he wanted was to find Spence.

"Would a dollar pay you for showing us?" Jack asked, with an air of
business that no doubt impressed the loafer.

"Jest consider me engaged, Mistah. Take me tuh yer boat; on'y its gut
tuh be understood that I'm tuh be fetched back heah again. If Spence
cain't bring me, yuh promise tuh do hit, do yuh?"

"Yes, I guess I'm safe in making that promise. Then come along with me
down to the water front. The sooner we start the better."

Jack went on, believing in the old maxim that causes one to strike
while the iron is hot.

"But I hain't had any dinner," said the fellow, with a cunning leer.

"Oh! we'll see that you get plenty to eat on the way. No use waiting
here. Our time is limited, and we want to be going. Will you come
along?" Jack said.

"Thet's all right, Mistah; yuh kin count on me, suh. A whole dollah
yuh sed, didn't yuh, suh; and make out tuh git me back in Beaufort
agin?"

"Yes, a dollar and a return ticket. Come along."

On the way Jack made several purchases that caused the hungry Pete to
lick his chops, and hope he would be able to soon meet up with that
promised lunch, for he was getting more and more hungry now with every
passing minute. That twenty-five cents in his pocket felt like it
weighed a ton, too, and he wondered if the young fellow, who he saw was
a Northerner or a Yankee, as all such are called below Mason and
Dixon's line, would wait for him while he exchanged it in a saloon.

But Jack hurried along, so that they arrived at the place where the
three boats had been tied up before Pete could quite make up his mind
what he ought to do.

Jack determined that he had not returned any too soon. A little crowd
of rowdies had gathered near, and were beginning to make remarks about
the boats and those aboard. Beaufort was no different from any other
place, north or south; there are always some rough characters to be
found, and when the town lies on the water it is generally the case
that they frequent the landings.

George was sitting on deck, apparently shining up his gun. Jack knew,
however, that this was all pretense, and that his chum wanted to let it
be known that those in the motor boat flotilla were well armed, and,
moreover, knew how to take care of themselves.

Pete was taken aboard the _Tramp_, because Jack wanted to talk with him
while on the way. Then the start was made. Just a