Giraffe, who had been stretching that long neck of his for some little time, observed that he was trying to make out what a certain queer light might stand for.
"It"s away up the sh.o.r.e yonder, fellows, and seems to be a lantern, as near as I can make out," he went on to say; "every now and then it bobs up, and down; and if you asked me I"d say it was, meant for some sort of signal!"
"A signal!" echoed b.u.mpus, in almost an awed tone; "that sounds like there might be smugglers, or something, like that around here; and perhaps they take us for revenue officers trying to nip them at their work. Whew! spells more trouble for us, I"m afraid. First the storm; then that awful spell of gone feeling; and now it"s smugglers. Whew! I say!"
CHAPTER IX
"BE PREPARED!"
b.u.mpus was not the only fellow who felt his heart beating much faster than its wont just then, though none of the others betrayed the fact; for Giraffe and Step Hen were too crafty to show that they were worried.
They seemed to be in a trap, for the heavy seas would not allow them to think of leaving their anchorage until morning came along, at least; and to remain might be exposing themselves to some unknown peril.
But then these lads had done through so many things, especially since they joined the Cranford Troop of Boy Scouts, and learned what it meant to think for themselves, that none of them really displayed the white feather, no matter if b.u.mpus, who loved peace so much that he sometimes fought to secure it, did manifest some uneasiness.
They had along with them a double-barreled shotgun that had always given a good account, of itself in times past; and would again if called to show its sterling qualities. And with this in the hands of Thad Brewster, who was a perfectly fearless chap, according to his churns, who did not know that his boy heart could hammer in his breast like a runaway steam engine, why, they surely ought to be able to stave off any ordinary attack.
Giraffe felt better when he had picked up the camp hatchet, and waved it several times in the air, making vicious stabs at an imaginary enemy.
"Get ready for boarders, fellows!" remarked Step Hen, who had reached in and secured the long bread-knife, which would make a most formidable weapon, if only he had the nerve to wield the same.
"Not on your life!" snapped Giraffe; "we"ve got enough mouths to feed as it is, without taking, on any more. Boarders nothing. You"ve got another think coming, Step Hen, don"t you see?"
"But after all, fellows," Thad told his followers, "this may be a false alarm. That light has gone now. It may only have been some farmer or miner letting his wife know he was on the way home. How do we know any different? And what interest would any rascals have in trying to come aboard this boat?"
"That sounds all very fine, Thad," remarked Davy; "but I hope we ain"t thinkin" of all going to sleep at once to-night!"
"We ought to have a sentry on duty all the time," suggested Giraffe.
"I appoint you for that onerous duty, then, Giraffe; consider that settled," the scout-master said, like a flash; whereupon the tall chap began to hedge, and explain more fully his views.
"Oh! course I didn"t mean that one scout should sit up all night," he went on to remark; "but by taking turns we"d feel that the boat wasn"t agoing to be carried off while we slept. Sure I"m willing to stand my turn, which might be any two hours you set; and then I"ll wake up the next man. You know we"ve done that same many a time when we were up in Maine, down along the Blue Ridge, and out among the Rockies hunting big game."
"Of course I understood what you meant, Giraffe," the scout-master went on to remark; "and as you say, some of us will spell you, a new man going on duty every two hours. But I hope now n.o.body really believes that we"re going to be attacked, by lake pirates, or smugglers, or anything like that. Those who lie down to sleep, just forget everything.
We"re safe here in a splendid harbor and nothing will happen to bother us."
"But if it should, Thad, you"ll wake us all up, I hope," urged b.u.mpus.
"I promise you that, b.u.mpus," returned Thad; "because I know just how you feel about it. No fellow likes to be kicked while he"s asleep; with his eyes open he"s in a way to take care of himself. Oh! Yes, we"ll see that every one is waked up if there"s going to be a row; because we"ll have need of your fighting face then, b.u.mpus, remember."
It was hard to get the fat boy fully aroused, such was his customary good nature; but when he did get beyond the limit, he used to a.s.sume what he considered a terrible look, that was supposed to strike fear to the heart of his adversary.
Somehow no one admitted to feeling at all sleepy now. Even b.u.mpus, who as a rule could be depended on to fall asleep right after he had had his supper, was apparently as wide-awake as a hawk; and joined in all the conversation as they sat around on the deck and waited for, they hardly knew what, to happen.
"Anyhow, we didn"t tie up to the sh.o.r.e, as b.u.mpus wanted when he said he"d feel so much better if he could walk on firm ground again,"
remarked Step Hen.
"And I"m glad now that twenty feet or more of water lies between us and sh.o.r.e," the party mentioned hastened to add.
"How deep do you think it is in here, Thad?" questioned Davy.
"All of twenty feet in the place our anchor went down," replied the skipper, promptly, "it"s a regular hole, such as the trout like to lie in during the hot dog days of late summer."
"Glad to hear you say that," observed b.u.mpus; but he did not explain whether his pleasure lay in the fact that any would-be boarders might find it difficult to cross over from the rocks to the boat; or that there were likely to be fish in the pool, affording a chance for a nibble at the tempting bait he had dropped overboard, attached to the concealed hook at the end of his line.
"If anybody came along here just on purpose to take a good look at us, whereabouts d"ye think they"d be likely to show up, first of all, Thad?"
Step Hen wanted to know.
"I was thinking about that a minute ago, Step Hen," replied the scout-master; "and sort of made up my mind they"d be apt to climb that pile of rocks yonder. You see, it overlooks this pool, and a man might lie there near the top and watch us all he wanted, provided the moon came out, and gave him the light he"d need."
Everybody thereupon cast an eye aloft.
"I"m afraid that moon business is just what"s going to happen right soon," observed Giraffe.
"Yes, there isn"t going to be a storm after all," remarked the skipper; "clouds are breaking night now, and it was a false alarm, you see."
"Well, hardly, with me," ventured b.u.mpus; whereupon everybody t.i.ttered, because they knew what the fat scout meant; and there were three others, who, if they were as candid as b.u.mpus, might have added:
"Me too!"
Half an hour pa.s.sed by, and they were really getting tired, for it was now in the neighborhood of half-past ten o"clock, as Thad told them the last time he consulted his little dollar watch that gave him so much satisfaction in all his outings.
Still, none of them wanted to be the fellow to first crawl under his blanket, it being only a matter of pride that kept b.u.mpus at least on deck, blinking like an owl in the daytime, as he tried to keep his eyes open.
Jim, by the way, had been fastened to a cleat, and was perched on the edge of the cabin roof, no one as yet daring to touch him; though he had eaten some meat they placed within his reach, which proved that the owl did not mean to starve himself to death, yet awhile at least.
All at once b.u.mpus felt a galvanic shock.
"Oh!" he shouted in excitement, "it"s come at last!"
All the others started up in great alarm.
"What ails the fellow?" cried Step Hen.
"Got a fit, I reckon!" echoed Giraffe.
"Fit nothing!" mocked the fat scout, who was bending over, and seemed to be clawing wildly at the air, so that it was no wonder in the darkness they thought he must be having a return engagement with that sea sickness; "I"ve got a fish, and that"s more"n you can claim, Giraffe, with all your smartness!"
"Bah! never count your chicken"s till they"re hatched!" scoffed the other, as he saw the fat scout suddenly pause, as though there had come a sickening slackening of the line. "Imagination is a great thing, mebbe; but next time be sure of your game before you whoop it up so."
"But he"s there yet, I tell you!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed b.u.mpus, again becoming active. "Hi! somebody lend me a hand here, so I won"t lose him. We need this trout in our business, because we got to have breakfast in the morning."
"Hold on!" said Giraffe, with emphasis; "don"t forget that the terms of our wager state distinctly that no one must offer the slightest a.s.sistance in landing a fish. If you"re after that fish solely for breakfast, why, any of us"ll be glad to lend you a hand; but then it don"t count. How about that, Thad?"