scrawled at all as are the
final entries in the log book."

"That's right," agreed the ensign admiringly, "you Boy Scouts have
mighty keen minds. Well, my boy, keep it and study it at your leisure,
although I am free to confess that I cannot think of it otherwise than
in the way mentioned."

"Perhaps you are right," said Rob, "but I'll have a try at puzzling it
out, when I get time."

CHAPTER VI.

A STARTLING ADVENTURE.

During the conversation recorded none of the party had given much
thought to conditions outside. Now, when he stepped to the door of the
cabin, the ensign uttered a sharp cry of consternation.

"What's the matter?" asked Rob, as he approached.

"Matter enough. Look there!" was the rejoinder.

A dense white fog had come softly rolling up, and now the derelict _Good
Hope_ lay enwrapped in fleecy white clouds, thick and impenetrable.

"Well, we'll have to wait here in the boat till this clears off,"
declared Bob; "we could never find the _Seneca_ in this mess."

"That's the worst of it," rejoined the lieutenant, "there is no boat."

"No boat," echoed Rob uncomprehendingly; "but we came in one. It will be
waiting for us."

"No. I gave orders for the men to return to the _Seneca_ and bring over
a destructive mine, for I had determined to blow up this dangerous
menace to navigation. They have not returned, that is evident, or I
would have been notified. Boys, we are in a bad fix. I don't know how
fast this old hulk is drifting; but I imagine that if this keeps up much
longer, we shall fetch up a long way from the _Seneca's_ whereabouts."

"Can't they cruise about and find us?" asked Merritt rather piteously.
He was not a lad to underestimate the real seriousness of their position
on board the old hulk in the impenetrable fog that hung in blanket-like
wreaths everywhere about them.

In reply to the boy's question the ensign declared that it would be
impossible for the _Seneca_ to pick them up until the weather cleared,
if then.

"It would be risking the vessel to cruise about in this smother," he
said; "why, she'd be as likely to strike the _Good Hope_ as not!"

Rob's face grew long, though he did his best to make light of the
situation.

"Then we've got to picnic here till the fog clears off," he said.

"That's the case exactly, Rob," was the officer's rejoinder.

"But what are we going to picnic on?" inquired Tubby anxiously. "There's
no food or water on board, and we haven't