ied the relentless law, "if you'd let me do that he couldn't run
away, it's so far, and he said he was hungry and--and anyway there isn't
anything to steal at my house."

That was better than reading the signal. And Peter Piper, pioneer scout
of Piper's Crossroads was a better scout than he knew....

CHAPTER XXVII

SOME NOISE

There was one place where the searchlight message was translated with a
readier skill than at Piper's Crossroads, and where it created quite as
great consternation. That was at the camp on Frying-pan Island. It was
like A.B.C. to half a dozen of those practiced scouts, and to others not
so well practiced, for the skill of the sender had made the reading
easy. In less than a minute the camp was the scene of hurried talk and
lightning preparation.

"What do you know about that?" asked Sparrow Blake. He was in the
Mammoth Patrol, made up of the smaller scouts in Safety First's troop.

"I don't know _anything_ about it," said Scoutmaster Ned, reaching for
his plaited khaki jacket; "I don't know any more about it than you do.
Nobody could get in that place, so I don't see how anyone could get out.
Come ahead, Bill," he added hastily, addressing the other scoutmaster.
This was followed by a vociferous chorus.

"Can I go?"

"I'm with you."

"I'll row."

"No you won't, _I_ will."

"You mean me."

"Get from under and go back to bed," said Scoutmaster Ned, excitedly.
"What do you fellows think this is; a regatta?"

"Aren't we going to chase them?"

"You're going to chase yourselves. Do you think we've got a battleship?
We've only got one of the boats here. Chuck me that leather case--"

"Your pistol?"

"Never you mind what's in it. Come ahead, Bill, and you Norris, and look
out you don't step in the soup bucket. Is there a light over on shore?"

"Sure, they've got a lantern; trust Nick not to forget anything."

"I'm going so as to carry the lantern."

"Yes, you're not," said Scoutmaster Ned; "never mind your coat, Bill,
come ahead. I hope they had sense enough to get hold of a machine
somewhere. They could get Barney's flivver."

"Shall we signal over to them?" called a dozen excited voices.

"No, there isn't time. Come on now, _hustle_, and the rest of you go to
sleep."

"While you're chasing thieves? Did you hear what he said? Go to sleep!
Can you beat that, from a scoutmaster! And him always telling us to be
wide awake."

"Get out of the way, all of you," said Scout