med,
and, observing that the latter's unyielding attitude had softened
somewhat, he said:

"That's agreeable to me if it is to you."

"Well," returned Mr. Perry with slow deliberation, "that sounds pretty
good. If it suits you both, it suits me. I don't think you'll have to use
the guns, even if any bad actors do happen around. If you show them,
that'll probably be enough. Do you know how to handle an automatic, Bob?"

"Sure I do," the latter replied. "All you have to do is keep the nose
pointed away from you and toward the target you want to hit. To shoot,
you just keep pulling the trigger, and when it's empty you're safe from
accident until you fill the chamber again."

"That's a simple statement of facts," Mr. Perry smiled; "but you left out
the most important of all, and until you tell me what that is, I'm not
going to let you have it."

"Oh, I know what it is; you've told it to me lots of times," Cub replied
with eager alertness. "You know, dad, I always remembered what you told
me, and I didn't forget that advice of yours about fire-arms. It is,
'always handle an unloaded gun as if you know it's loaded.' I promise
you, dad, I'll not forget it this time."

"I guess it's safe to let you have it," said Mr. Perry, handing over the
weapon. "All right, now that everything's settled, I'll be gone and you
two see what you can do through the air."

That ended the discussion, and a few minutes later the owner of the
Catwhisker was putting all the speed he could put into the power boat
toward the Canadian shore, while Cub devoted all his energy and skill to
the task of summoning as much aid as possible by wireless, Mr. Baker
standing by and waiting eagerly for results.

And results were not long coming. The yacht was scarcely out of sight
beyond the outer rim of islands, when Cub recognized the call of Max
Handy, the Canadian amateur at Rockport. He acknowledged the call, and
then telegraphed the following:

"I am the boy whom you met at the depot a few hours ago. When we got
back, we found the two boys we left here were gone."

"I knew something had happened," Max replied. "After I left you I got
their S O S. Then one of them telegraphed that some men had seized his
friend and were coming after him. His last message was broken off in the
midst of a new S O S. I couldn't get him again, I called up the police
and they said they would see it got to the proper authorities for
investigation."

Cub translated this m