ck with the slow movement of the waves.

While the boy was wondering over the matter Pat came scrambling up the
side of the mountain. He threw himself on the shelf of rock by Ned's
side and pointed out to the west.

"You see that light?" he asked.

"Yes; I was just wondering about it," was the reply.

"It is at the top of a tall mast," Pat went on to explain, "and is a
signal. I can't read it, of course, but it seems to me that it means
mischief."

"I have no doubt of it," was the reply, "but we've got to wait for
developments for a time. This seems to me to be a waiting game," he
added with a laugh which did not sound at all merry.

The boys sat for a long time, watching the light, which grew nearer, and
the campfire below, which was still glowing brightly. Then Ned turned
his glass to the north and an exclamation of surprise escaped him. Where
he looked there was a duplicate of the light to the west, and that,
also, was drawing closer.

"I think," Ned said, after calling Pat's attention to the second light,
"that we'd better have that fire out. Go down and ask the boys to finish
their suppers and make everything dark."

"Why," Pat said, "you haven't any notion those ships are coming here,
have you?"

"There's a pretty good harbor here," Ned said.

"Yes, but--"

"And the insurrectos must have arms," Ned went on.

Pat thumped his hands down on his knees half a dozen times and then
brought one palm down on Ned's shoulder.

"Sure!" he said. "Sure, sure, sure! The game is to land arms and
ammunition here to-night! Now, what do you think of tumbling headfirst
into the center of the disturbance like this? Say, we'll have to receipt
for those guns!"

CHAPTER XVI.

FOR PIRACY ON THE HIGH SEAS.

The boys hastened down to the campfire and quickly extinguished it, much
to the disgust of Jimmie, who had begun the preparation of an elaborate
meal--at least as elaborate as could be gotten together out of tin cans.

This precaution taken, the _Manhattan_ was towed into the mouth of the
little creek and climbers and creepers drawn over her until no one would
have suspected her presence there. The engine was not set in motion in
making this change because of the danger from the explosions.

All this accomplished, Ned and Pat climbed back to the shelf of rock and
again looked out over the mysterious China Sea. There were the two
lights, one to the west and one to the north. They were closer to the
island