umped in in that exciting moment, you would have thought other enemies
were attacking from behind. You would have been confused and would have
lost the fight."

"By Jove, sir, but that was quick thinking and shrewdness on your part!"
ejaculated Dick Prescott.

"Then you acquit me of cowardice?"

"No," smiled the young army officer, "for I hadn't thought of accusing you
of lack of courage."

"I am glad you didn't," sighed the treasurer. "I would rather be suspected
of almost anything than of lacking manly courage. Afterwards I didn't make
my presence known to you, for, at that time, I didn't want you to know that
I had overheard a certain conversation."

"My cowardice has made a dreadful mess of things in a lot of ways, hasn't
it?" demanded Mr. Bascomb bitterly.

"That's all past now, so it doesn't matter," spoke up Tom Reade. "We have
just one move more to make in this baffling game, and then I fancy we shall
have won. When Mr. Sambo Ebony, as I have nicknamed him, is safely jailed
I think we shall find ourselves undisturbed in the future. We shall then
be permitted to go ahead and finish the million-dollar breakwater as a work
and a triumph of peace."

"Every time that one of us opens his mouth," laughed Mr. Prenter, "I am
expecting to hear a big bang down by the breakwater to punctuate the
speaker's sentence. I wonder whether the scoundrels back of Sambo have
any more novel ways for setting off their big firecrackers around our
wall?"

"It might not be a bad idea for me to get out on the watch again," Tom
suggested, rising. "If I get in more trouble than I can handle I'll just
yell 'Mr. Prenter,' for I shall know that he'll be within easy hearing
distance."

The treasurer laughed, as he, too, rose.

"My being so near you before, Reade, was just accident. I was prowling
about on my own account, when you and your army friend passed me in the
deep woods. I had an idea that you were out for some definite purpose,
and so I just trailed along at your rear in order to be near any excitement
that you might turn up."

"And I suppose you're going to follow us this time, too," smiled Tom Reade.

"Prenter," suggested the president of the company, "what do you say if you
and I prowl in some other direction? I've been such a miserable coward all
through this affair that now I'd like to go with you. If we run into any
trouble I'll try to show you that I'm not all coward."

"Come along, Bascomb," agreed t