e white frost of the November morning was still gleaming on the grass
when the two boys went out. Against the cloudless sky the spires of the
dark fir trees were cut in clean silhouette. From the _Indian Queen_,
lying off shore, came the creak of blocks and sheaves as the yards were
trimmed, and soon, her anchor catted home, she filled gracefully away to
the northward, while the Captain waved a cheery farewell from the poop.
He was bound up the coast for Halifax, and was to pick Bob up on his
return voyage, a month later.

When they had watched the ship's white sails disappear behind the
eastern headland, the boys started up the hill behind the cabin. They
carried a lunch of bread and dried fish in a leather pouch and across
Jeremy's shoulder was one of his father's guns. Bob was armed with the
silver-mounted pistol from Stede Bonnet's arsenal.

It was a glorious morning for a trip of exploration and the hearts of
both lads were high as they clambered out on the warm bare rock that
crowned the island.

"Isn't it just as fine as I told you?" Jeremy cried. "Look--those blue
mountains yonder must be twenty leagues away. And you can hardly count
the islands in this great bay! Off there to the south is where I saw the
_Revenge_ for the first time--just a speck on the sea, she was!"

Bob, who had never seen the view from a really high hill before, stood
open-mouthed as he looked about him. Suddenly he grasped Jeremy's arm.

"See!" he exclaimed, "down there--isn't that smoke?" He was pointing
toward the low, swampy region in the southwestern part of the island.
Jeremy watched intently, but there was nothing to disturb the morning
calm of sky and shore.

"That's queer," Bob said at last, with a puzzled look. "I could take an
oath I saw just the faintest wisp of smoke over there. But I must have
been mistaken."

"Well," laughed Jeremy, "we'll soon make sure, for that's not far from
where we're going."

They scrambled down, and following the ridge, turned south toward the
lower bay at about the point where Jeremy had been discovered by Dave
Herriot and the pirate Captain.

Dodging through the tangle of undergrowth and driftwood, they soon
emerged on the loose sand above the beach. As Amos Swan had said, the
rains had not yet washed away the black embers of the great bonfire, and
near by lay a barrel with staves caved in. Looking at the scene, Jeremy
almost fancied he could hear again the wild chorus of that drunken crew