wrath swept over the dark face. Instantly it was gone, and a
smile replaced it.

"Rent!" he protested. "No, no! Friend no pay! We sing, we smoke, we
drink, we playa cards. All good friend together. No pay money!"

The last very decided. The older man nodded vigorously in confirmation,
and for the first time broke silence.

"No pay money!" he repeated. "All friend!"

The two laid their hands on their hearts and stood smiling and bowing.
For a moment Jim was nonplussed. He backed the _Barracouta_ out of
earshot.

"Well, what d'you think of the outlook?" asked Lane.

"Don't like it, and I don't like them. Too much palaver! I've got 'em
sized up. They're regular salt-water gipsies; I've heard of 'em before.
They drift round from one place to another, fish a little, lobster a
little, smoke a good deal, and drink more. They'd be worse than a
pestilence on this island. Yes, sir! They've got to go! They know just
as well as I do that they've no right to stop here; but they're going to
bluff it through. They'll try to stave me off by pretending not to
understand what I mean, but you noticed they were bright enough when
money was mentioned."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Tell 'em they've got to go!"

"And if they won't?"

"Send for the sheriff!"

While the boys had been holding their council of war the two men had
disappeared into their cabin, where they held an angry, but
unintelligible, discussion. As Jim brought the _Barracouta_ once more
alongside their heads quickly appeared. They were scowling blackly.

"Will you pay rent?" demanded Jim.

"No pay rent," came the defiant reply from both together.

"Pull up your traps, then, and go!"

"No go!" exclaimed the younger. "You go! We stay!"

"That settles it," said Jim. "I'll send for the sheriff to-night, and
have him here in the morning."

He leaned over to start his engine. At his first movement the two
dropped out of sight, but before he could rock the wheel they were up
again, each holding a shot-gun. They leveled these weapons at the
_Barracouta_.

"No send for sheriff! No start engine!"

Jim straightened up and the startled boys glanced at one another. The
demonstration of hostility had come like a bolt from a clear sky. Things
looked ugly. Again the younger man spoke.

"S'pose you go for sheriff. We stay! Cut buoy! Sink boat! Burn cabin!
Then go before you get back! How you like that, eh?"

For once Jim was at a loss. What answer could