“What was the word?” Rod eagerly enquired, as the captain paused for an instant.

“It was the word ‘Death,’ in big letters.  I tell yez it must have glared out pretty ghastly in the night, fer the way them men yelled, and made fer their boat was something wonderful.  Ho, ho’ I kin never think of them fellers, and the scare they got, without havin’ a good laugh.”

“Did they ever find out who did the trick?” Phil asked.

“Not that I know of.  But, somehow, word got around, and the lives of them men were made miserable by the questions they were asked about the gold on the island, and when they intended to go over and dig fer it.”

For some time the captain told other stories to the boys.  Most of these were about his experiences at sea, the gales he had encountered, and his numerous narrow escapes from death.  It was a novel experience for the scouts to be lying there listening to these yarns, with the stars twinkling overhead.  At last, however, their eyes became heavy and, wrapped in their blankets, they were soon sound asleep upon the hard ground.  The captain sat for awhile before the dying embers, smoking his clay pipe.  At length, knocking the ashes out of the bowl, he, too, stretched himself out full length near the scouts.

Rod was the last of the boys to go to sleep.  His mind was busy with the joke the captain had told, and his experiences at sea.  He thought, too, of the sweet singer, and wondered if he should ever see her again.  When he did go to sleep he had a dream of a great crowd of men landing on the island, attacking the scouts, and carrying off a large chest of gold.

From this dream he woke with a start, and sat up.  For a moment he was dazed, and could not imagine where he was.  Then he remembered, and he was about to lie down again when the sound of a motor-boat fell upon his ears.  He listened intently, wondering what people could be doing on the water at that time of the night.  He could hear the regular breathing of his companions, and as his eyes became accustomed to the darkness, he could make out the form of the captain lying not far off.

The sound of the boat was more distinct now, and it appeared to be approaching the island.  Was his dream really coming true?  Rising, he groped his way to the captain’s side, and touched his arm.  Light though it was, the captain suddenly woke, and asked who was there.  In a few whispered words Rod told him what he had heard.  At this, the captain sat up, and listened.

“Sure enough,” he remarked.  “Somebody’s astir at a queer hour.  Guess we might as well look into this.  Come on, let’s go and find out.  But we must be very careful, and not talk out loud.”

Together they made their way cautiously along the shore, keeping as close as possible to the edge of the forest.  They had not gone far, however, before the motor-boat drew into the island on their right.  Then the engine slowed down and at last stopped, showing that those on board were about to land.