“Where—–­how——­did you get it?” asked Norton in surprise.

“The boat?  Oh, we just borrowed it from Joe Durgan and his friends!” Billy declared.  “We saw the boat tied to a little trestle over there at the deserted settlement, and when we saw Durgan and two other men go into one of the cabins, we sneaked up quickly and took the boat from them without asking permission and got away with it!”

“Didn’t they see you, or hear the engine?”

“No,” answered Billy.

“That’s strange!  Are you sure?”

“There were no windows in the cabin, that we could see,” explained Billy, “and when they got inside, they made a lot of noise.”

“Gee! won’t they be wild when they find their boat gone!” said Mark.

“They may think it slipped its moorings and drifted away on the tide.  At least, that’s what Dave says.”

The Seminole grinned.  “Anyhow, they look for boat soon,” he said. 
“Something doin’ tonight, you bet!”

Alec had risen and was standing erect, his face turned toward the ocean.

“What are you staring at?” queried chester.  “See any stars?”

“There’s just one,” replied young Sands, pointing southwest.  “Mighty low down—–­there!  Now it’s out.”

“No, it isn’t.  I see it!”

“So do I!” exclaimed Billy and Norton.

“There it is again!”

“What a queer star!”

“Perhaps it’s a lighthouse.  Captain Vinton said that there is one somewhere near this locality.”

The sky was cloudy; there was no moon.  Overhead, a few large stars glittered brilliantly, but the seeming star at which they were gazing was unlike any of those celestial lights.  It steadily grew larger, yellower.  Finally two lower gleams appeared, and then all three vanished, as if they had been snuffed out.

“What is it?” asked Norton, turning to Dave.

But the Seminole guide apparently did not hear the question.  He was staring in the direction of the three cabins, whence arose in the murky darkness a shower of sparks, then one—–­two——­three shooting green stars.

“Look!” he exclaimed hoarsely.

“By Jove! a Roman candle!” ejaculated Norton.  “It’s a signal!”

“No star out to sea,” Dave said.  “No star, but um boat.”

“Boat?   You mean-----”

“Esperanza!  She come here to-night.”

CHAPTER VIII

THE BLAZING BEACON

Had it been daylight, the boy scouts on picket duty would have seen the same long, low, gray craft something like a built-for-speed tug boat, which had surprised Captain Vinton when it first appeared among the Keys, now coming to anchor outside Durgan’s Cove, in the darkness.

As it was, however, they could see nothing after the Esperanza’s lights went out; but, waiting impatiently, they presently heard the dip of oars, the faint rattle and squeaking of row-locks, and then a low whistle which seemed to come out of the quiet that brooded over the ocean.