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a noise in the distance, though he was not sure of it. He listened with
all his ears, and some confused sounds came to him; but he could make
nothing of them.

"I heard some sort of a noise," said Flint, rising from his recumbent
position. "But I can make nothing of what I hear. If there was a fresh
breeze, I should say that it was the surf."

"I heard it, too; but I am bothered to make out what it is. Did you get
an idea of any kind?" asked Christy.

"It sounded as though something of a gang of men were at work off in
this direction," replied Flint, pointing east of north. "I am almost
sure I heard the blows of hammers, or something like them."

"The noise I heard might have been almost anything," added Christy.

"What is there off in that direction?" asked Flint, pointing again.

"About north of us is Town Point, and just beyond it is Old Navy Cove,"
said the lieutenant, who had been up the bay in the Bellevite on an
excursion, and who had studied up all the localities.

"Possibly they are repairing a vessel there," suggested Flint.

"They would not do that over there, and certainly not on a dark night,"
argued Christy. "But we will soon find out all about it."

He led the way back to the boat, which he had ordered Beeks to have
carried on the shore. Then they proceeded to bear it across the island
to the bay, where it was put into the water again.

CHAPTER XIX

SOME TROUBLE ON BOARD THE TEASER

It was not a difficult thing for so many men to carry the whaleboat
across the island, and they were disposed to make merry over the novelty
of the task; but they had been instructed not to speak a loud word after
the party left the south side of the island. The noise to which Christy
and Flint had listened indicated that something was going on, though
they could not decide what it was. In the stillness of the night, and
in the absence of any roar of breakers, sounds could be heard a long
distance, though whether they came one mile or two, they could not
determine.

"Get out those cloths, Beeks," said Christy, as soon as the boat had
been put into the water. "Every oar must be very carefully muffled, and
you will see that it is properly done."

"I will have it done in a few minutes, sir," replied the acting
coxswain.

"As I said before, we are in no hurry, and you may take your time to do
it properly," added the lieutenant.

"Those sounds are still to be heard," said Flint, who had been a short
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