“Oh, ho!  A game of ring-toss, is it?” cried Chester, rising eagerly.  “Say, boys, let’s form rival teams and have a tournament.”

“Good!” echoed Billy.  “The Pickets versus the Pirates!”

“That sounds exciting!” called Hugh, sitting up in the hammock.  “Count me in on that, boys.  Guess I can get up long enough to take my turn now and then.”

“Let Dave and Mr. Norton choose sides,” suggested Alec, “Dave for the Pirates and Mr. Norton for the Pickets.”

“Hurrah!” cried Mark.  “On with the game!”

In less time than it takes to tell it, Dave, grinning broadly at his prominence, and Norton, entering into the contest with his usual spirit of enthusiasm, had chosen sides and a list was hastily written and posted on the cabin wall as follows: 

Pirates vs Pickets

Dave Norton

Hugh Billy

Chester Alec

Mark Captain Vinton

“Oh, but I can’t play!” protested the captain.  “I’ve got my hands full with the Arrow!”

“We’ll take turns and spell you at the helm,” returned Norton.  “All hands on board are enlisted in this fight.”

Pleased at his insistence, the old captain yielded the wheel whenever it came his turn to toss, and he proved to be an adept at the game, to everybody’s delight.

Norton and Dave had agreed that the contest should consist of five complete rounds, giving just twenty opportunities to each side.  Only the total successful tosses would determine the winning score, but the best individual records would decide who should be the team captains in subsequent games.

The fun of the thing entered into every one of the contestants, yet not one of them failed to put his best efforts into the game.

“Now we’ll see some accurate shooting,” called Billy as Hugh took the rings for his fourth turn.

“No fair trying to rattle me,” returned Hugh, laughing good-naturedly.  “I’m still the interesting invalid.”

“Hush!” whispered the irrepressible Billy quite audibly.  “Don’t say a word, boys!  It might shake his nerve, you know, and he might suffer a relapse!”

“You teaser!” commented Hugh, beginning his play.

One after another, Hugh steadily tossed the rings over the post.

“Pshaw!  You can’t disturb him,” ejaculated Alec.  “He is as calm as the sea is just now.”

“Five!” counted Chester softly.  “Six!  You put every one over this time, Hugh.  Billy’s jollying just inspired you!”

“And now it is his turn,” said Hugh, returning to his hammock.  “Now we shall see something!”

Billy flushed a little, grinned, set his teeth, poised his body firmly, and then swung into the position of the famous “disk thrower.”

Thump!  The first ring struck the deck a good foot beyond the post, rebounded, and rolled rapidly toward the railing.