“No doubt they’ll have pickets posted at different points near Durgan’s settlement, if, as we suspect, they have a rendezvous there,” said Lieutenant Driscoll.  “But we’ll camp tonight on Palmetto Key, cross over to the shore the first thing to-morrow morning-----”

“Before daylight?”

“Of course; and then we’ll land on ’em, hot-and-heavy.  I count on their trying to ship a cargo to-morrow night, when there’ll be no moon.”

“I understand,” said Norton.  “Will you permit me to make a suggestion, Lieutenant Driscoll?”

“By all means, my dear sir.  What is it?”

“Well, the fact that you mentioned their pickets gave me an idea that it would be well if you sent some of us,—–­say these scouts and myself, for instance,—–­over to the mainland to-night to act as pickets for you fellows encamped on Palmetto Key.”

“An excellent idea!  But how do you propose to communicate with us, in case there should be anything doing to-night?”

“By means of bonfires on the shore, or by wig-wagging with torches.”

“I thought you would say that!” exclaimed the lieutenant heartily.

“You mean—–­you don’t approve of that part of the plan?”

Lieutenant Driscoll laughed.

“Oh, not at all!  That is, I meant only that I was pleased to discover a civilian who knows anything about signaling.”

Amused at the lieutenant’s patronizing comment, Norton merely smiled in his good-natured way, though he would fain have answered more sharply.  Alec and Billy glanced at him and then at each other, and Alec whispered: 

“I guess the lieutenant doesn’t know that Boy Scouts are expected to be pretty efficient signalers, does he, Bill?”

To which Billy responded with a snort: 

“What he doesn’t know would fill a book!”

Fortunately these remarks were not heard by anyone but Dave, for the lieutenant and Norton were arranging a system of signals to be used in case of necessity.  Meanwhile, with Vinton at the helm, and the men of Driscoll’s company crowded on the deck of the sloop talking with the other scouts, the trim little Arrow was making good speed over the blue water.  Billy and Alec walked restlessly up and down the deck, their minds busy with thoughts of Hugh, for whom they felt no little anxiety.

“Wonder what he’s doing now?” said Alec.

“I’d give anything to know for sure that he’s alive and safe!” was Billy’s rueful rejoinder.  “I’ve heard all sorts of stories about what rough-necks like those smugglers do to any one that butts in on their game!”

“You don’t believe they’d kill him?”

“No-o, hardly that.  But they might——­”

“The worst of it is,” interrupted Alec, “we don’t even know that he’s
alive.   He might have been drowned or-----”

“I won’t believe that, Alec!  I can’t believe it!”

“But you said just now-----”

“I don’t know what I said or what I meant!”