at he's carrying the scar of your bullet is to mention it
incidentally, when you're walking home from church with him, or allowing
him to sign the check for your lunch. Seriously, it was merely a
deplorable error on both sides and I believe he'll see it that way. But
until we get some other things cleared up we'll let him think he killed
Hoky, just to keep him humble. And now that he's off the invalid list
we'll let him share some of the little adventures that lie before us.
Tonight we've got a matter on hand that's better done by ourselves. If
you think he's safe for a few hours we'll go ahead."

He stopped on the way to the wood-bordered shore and produced from a
fence corner an electric lamp and two revolvers.

"Stick one of these in your pocket. We're not going to add to our crimes
if we can help it, but I owe somebody a shot for that nip in my cap."

A stiff wind from the open lake was whipping up battalions of whitecaps
that danced eerily in the starlight. At a point half a mile from the
village the Governor flashed his lamp along a bank that hung over the
beach and found a canoe and a row boat hidden in a thicket.

"We're all fixed. Good old Leary planted these things for us while we
were at supper."

He gave the whistle Archie remembered from his first encounter with the
Governor, and in a moment Leary stood beside them.

They had carried the boats to the water's edge when the Governor
suddenly stood erect. The monotonous tum tum of a gasoline engine was
borne to them out of the darkness.

"Carey has a boat of some power," the Governor remarked, "and as he
carries no lights we've got to take the chance of sneaking round him or
getting run down. We must impress it on Ruth and Isabel that they're not
to attempt to run the blockade. Then we've got to get rid of Carey; put
him clean out of business. You and Red take the row boat and trail me;
I'll scout ahead with the canoe. If one of us gets smashed the other
will pick up the casualties."

The canoe shot forward, the Governor driving the paddle with a practised
hand. The row boat followed, Leary at the oars and Archie serving him as
pilot. As they moved steadily toward the middle of the bay they marked
more and more clearly the passage of the launch as it patrolled the
farther shore.

Leary pulled a strong stroke and Archie was obliged to check him from
time to time to avoid collision with the Governor's craft. At intervals
passing clouds dimmed the star-