"

The boys were a long day putting up their transmitting instrument, with
its extensive aerial stretched between tall pines near the cottage.
They would depend on the portable receiver.

And then, leaving Bill listening, poring over books, or chatting with
old Dan, when the latter was off the water, Gus got into his ragged togs
again, took his gun and started out prowling. And he prowled wisely and
well.

CHAPTER XXIII

GUS

"Hey, fellow! What you do?" The voice came from among the pines, and Gus
turned to see a dark-skinned, black-eyed young man, of about twenty-five
or more, coming toward him. Gus stopped.

"You shoot in these woods?" asked the man.

"I reckon I might an' I reckon I do if I kin find any durn thing fer t'
shoot," said Gus, easily falling into the native vernacular.

The man approached and the boy quickly observed that the pocket of the
loose coat, worn even this hot day, bulged perceptibly, and the man put
his hand within it. He showed an interest in the shotgun and extended
his hand.

"Where you get so fine gun, eh?" he questioned.

"Man give her t' me fer beatin' him at shootin'." This was literally
true, the said man being Mr. Grier. "He's a sportin' feller, but he
don't shoot no more. Hain't seen him round these here parts fer two
year."

The fellow took the fowling-piece and looked it over. He said:

"I buy her, eh?"

"You couldn't buy her if you had her heft in gold," said the boy. "An'
you couldn't shoot her, anyway--not to hit anything. Could you get a
bird with her goin' like a bullet through these pine trees? Shucks! I
kin."

"No! Yes? I get you shoot for me, eh?" handing back the gun.

"Shoot fer you? How?"

"You don't like law policemans, eh?"

"You wouldn't like 'em if they chased you fer shootin' when the game
laws was on."

"I think of that. You come into woods along of me, now, eh? I show you
what do and how make large lot money. Big! And maybe how shoot
policemans to keep away. Big money you get."

"Lead me to it!" said Gus, his swift guess at what might be coming
making him shove in a less backwoodsy phrase.

Without another word the man started along a tortuous and narrow path
and Gus followed for more than half a mile. They were just off the
thoroughfare when they started, but the youth could hear the distant
booming of the ocean waves on the beach before they stopped.

To the righ