ton?" he inquired.

Before Percy could open his mouth to reply a black body shot with a
squawk through the open door and alighted on the corner of the table
close to Percy's elbow.

"Hullo! This must be Oso!" exclaimed Jim.

The crow croaked hoarsely. On Percy's plate lay a single morsel of
steak, the choicest of his helping, reserved till the last. Seeing the
bird's beady black eyes fasten upon it he made a quick movement to
impale it with his fork. But Oso was quicker still. Down darted his
sharp beak and snatched the titbit from under the very points of the
tines. A single gulp and the meat was gone.

[Illustration]

A roar of laughter went round the table. Starting up furiously, Percy
aimed a blow at the crow. But the bird eluded him and scaled out of the
door with a triumphant screech. Budge proffered mock consolation.

"Percy," said he, "that was the best piece in the whole steak. I saw you
saving it until the last. Too bad, old man! Now you'll have to eat crow
to get it."

"I'll wring that thief's neck if I can catch him," vowed the angry
Whittington.

"Guess we can trust Oso not to leave his neck lying round where you can
get hold of it," observed Lane. "Come on! Let's you and I wash the
dishes!"

"Dishes nothing!" snarled Percy.

Stalking out, he gathered a handful of convenient pebbles and lay in
wait for the culprit. But the crow had disappeared.

"I'll get even with him later," muttered Whittington.

He remained sulkily outside, taking no part in clearing away the
supper-table. At half past seven the others joined him.

"Feeling better, old man?" queried Lane, solicitously.

"Fall in, Whittington," said Jim. "We're going on a tour of inspection."

"Wait a minute," remarked Lane. "We've had our house-warming. The next
thing is to christen the place."

Dragging out a soap-box, he mounted it, produced from his pocket a piece
of red chalk, and traced in large letters over the door, "CAMP
SPURLING."

"Now we're off!" said he. "Welcome to our city! Watch us grow!"

"Come on!" urged Jim. "We want to look the island over before dark."

The party walked west along the sea-wall and proceeded in single file up
a steep path to the highest part of the promontory.

"Brimstone Point," said Jim. "Best view on the island from here."

He began pointing out its different features.

"That little nubble almost west, sticking up so black against the
sunset's Seal Island. Matinicus is right behind it. U