As soon as the last vessel came in sight, the smugglers on shore greeted them with three hearty cheers, which George and Harry answered with a will, but the coast-guards remained silent.

In a few moments they had all landed, and the smugglers joined their companions; and Charles took off his hat, and said to the coast-guards,

“Boys, I want to have just one word with you.  We have been beaten,” he continued, as they gathered silently about him, “completely outwitted; but it was fairly done.  We took all the advantage of the smugglers that we could, but they have beaten us at our own game.  I feel as cheap as any of you do, but it can’t be helped now; and there’s no use of having unpleasant feelings about it, for that would spoil a good day’s sport.  If we didn’t catch them, we did our best, and we had a good, exciting race—­one that I wouldn’t have missed for a good deal.  Now, boys, show that you appreciate the good trick that has been played on us, by giving the smugglers three hearty cheers.”

This little speech—­showing Charles to be a boy of good feeling—­had the effect of convincing the coast-guards that to manifest any ill-will at their defeat would be both unkind and selfish, and the cheer that rose from forty strong lungs was almost deafening.  The smugglers, who had heard what Charles had said, cheered lustily, in turn, for the coast-guards, and instantly every unkind feeling vanished.  The coast-guards readily entered into conversation with the smugglers, and the latter explained the trick of which they had made use, as well as the manner in which the capture of the prisoners was affected, and the adventure with the police-boat; and, although the coast-guards were provoked at themselves for “not having more sense,” as they termed it, they could not refrain from joining in a hearty laugh.

By this time the refreshments had all been carried under the tree of which we have spoken, where there was a smooth grass-plat, which made a nice place to set the table.

The boys had spent some time relating various incidents that had occurred during the chase, when Ben suddenly inquired,

“Well, boys, what’s to be the order of the day?  You know that we came over here to enjoy ourselves, and we had better be about it.”

“I think,” said Charles, “that it would be a good plan to appoint a committee to arrange those eatables.  We came away without our breakfast, and I, for one, feel hungry.”

“There’s where we had the advantage of you,” said Thomas.  “While you were hurrying around, and taking your positions, we were eating our breakfast.  You see, we took matters easy.”

“And beat us, after all,” said one of the coast-guards; “it’s too bad.  But let’s have that committee appointed.”

A dozen boys were speedily chosen to set the table, and the others, catching up all the empty pails and baskets they could find, scattered over the island in search of strawberries.