k here for, or sent someone else for. And, until he gets it, he
must plan to keep Lonely Island out of touch with the whole world.
We'll hear from him again to-night, I'm thinking."

"Will we?" flared Mr. Seaton, stepping briskly across the room.
Unlocking a cupboard door, he brought out a repeating shot-gun. From
an ammunition box he helped himself to several shells, fitting six of
them into the magazine of the gun.

"Buckshot talks, sometimes," said the owner of the bungalow, more
quietly. "I shall be awake to-night, and have this gun always with
me."

"Have you any other weapons, sir?" asked Tom.

"Yes; a revolver--here it is."

Powell Seaton held out the weapon, but Halstead shook his head.

"Dr. Cosgrove is the one who'll want that, since he must stay by Mr.
Clodis to-night. And, see here, Mr. Seaton, impress upon the doctor
that he mustn't take a nap, even for a moment. As for you, you'll want
to be watching the house in general."

"Why, where will you young men be?" inquired Mr. Seaton.

"We couldn't stay indoors, with our boat gone, sir," Tom answered.
"The first thing we must do is to explore all around the island. Even
if we don't get a sign of the 'Restless,' we may find out something
else. We may be able to catch someone trying to land on this island
later to-night."

"Yes; it will be best to have guards outside roaming about the
island," admitted Powell Seaton, readily. Then, lowering his voice as
he signed to the Motor Boat Club boys to draw closer to him, Mr.
Seaton added:

"Something, of some nature, _will_ be attempted to-night. There is no
other sound explanation of the crippling of the wireless and the
stealing of the boat. So be vigilant, boys--as I shall also be while
you're gone."

Hank helped himself to a fresh club--a stouter one than that which he
had broken over the snubbing post at the dock. Then out into the black
night fared the three Motor Boat Club boys.

"Shall we keep together, or spread?" asked Joe Dawson.

"Together," nodded Tom Halstead. "If there are prowlers about, we
can't tell how soon three of us may be even too few. Remember, we have
only firewood to fight with, and we don't know what kind of men we may
run up against."

So Tom led his friends down to a point but little south of the dock.
From here, following the shore, they started to prowl slowly around
Lonely Island, all the while keeping a sharp watch to seaward.

"If the boat is in any waters near at han