a pleasure to meet them. We'll
all remember, after you are all hanged, that we met you here."

"Thank you!" replied French, not at all indignant at the remark, "and
now if you'll hand over the guns you have, and tell me where the others
are hidden, you can walk about the boat in comparative freedom while we
get supper. You see it is beginning to get dark, and I'm hungry."

There was nothing to do but to comply with the polite request, and soon
the intruders were making themselves at home all over the boat. French
brought one of the Filipinos into the cabin, where he sat with his gun
pointing ominously at the boys whenever they moved toward the door,
while the others were stationed on the prow, where they sat stolidly in
the rain, with their guns under their coarse coats to keep them dry.

"Rather a scanty supply of provisions!" French said, as he investigated
the lockers. "I really think I'll have to send one of my men ashore for
dinner. Two men with perfectly good guns and eyesight ought to be able
to keep us on friendly terms here. Besides, it seems a waste of good
material to feed those fellows from this choice stock when they prefer
boiled dog."

"Say, French," Jack said, "if you weren't crooked enough to make a
corkscrew look like a straight-edge, you'd be a pretty good sort of a
chap to go on a cruise with."

"Oh, I'm all right when I'm not abused," French replied. "If Dad had
presented me with a million instead of a thirst for other people's
property, I'd have had my name in the society columns every day! Isn't
it about time for Ned and Jimmie to come home?" he added. "If you don't
mind, I'll run the boat out a little farther, so they'll have to call
and signal when they do come."

"They should have been here long ago," was the reply.

"I must insist that you remain perfectly quiet when they do come,"
French said, after the boat had changed position, in a moment. "I don't
want to spoil this pretty boat with dark stains. Perhaps, however, they
have been captured."

"You would know if they had, wouldn't you?" asked Jack.

"Why, no, I think not. You see I have just arrived, coming in the second
launch, now over there in the bay. I did not go to the camp, but edged
around the hill with half a dozen men in order to see if all was safe.
We've got some pretty high-up men in this game with us, and I'm afraid
Wall street would stand up on its hind legs and howl if their names were
known. Hence this caution."