lack Gull's cabin, and stammered, "We thought you were,-no, we didn't think. We knew you were not real pir

marks. Each man sat at attention as

u wish to save

tones were ringing now. "Because she tells the story of

yes glistened-"I propose three cheers

tier shouts than when those men ended with, "Ra

ad man's chest. Buckets of blood! There never was a pirate crew but

tty shudder, but Ruth

hout asking further questions they accepted the cold chicken, cof

ding with a rousing, "Heave ho, Ladies, Heave ho!" the girls pushed their punt a

a full ten minutes before she spoke. Then dro

s I ever heard of

ly, "that I had seen strange th

a feeling that this is the beginning of something ve

I feel about it," said

nto silence, and Ruth re

ious thing struck her eye. They were passing the ancient abandoned fort on House Island, a massive pile of solid granite, when through a

ere." At once she registered a resolve to visi

schooner, of the bolts of silk cloth in her hold,

lves up, woven together in a pattern like a rug. But you have to tra

hen their punt touched the sandy beach of

e and strong and ruddy. Her arms, thrown clear of the covers, showed the muscular lines of an athlete. Endless miles of rowing, clam digging in the early morning, hauling away at the floa

y. A few months before she had gone with her father to live at a school by the side of Lake Michigan. Now, for the summer, she

bs were not without their suggestion of power. Her strength was the quick, nervous strength of a squirrel; useful enough

summer together and to come to know in a few brief weeks how much of mystery, adven

ang out of bed next morning,

ow," said Betty. "Listen to the boom of c

th, "we must do s

be?" Betty's

ed with a sudden inspirat

have

them all for

an c

r to House Island in the evening and eat a picnic lunch on the grass bef

ll go into the old fort and have

m ba

They said it was no end of fun. They're all going up the bay for fireworks this

ort at night. Secret passages and dungeons with rusty old h

ink so. Is i

annons there. They're gone now. No one's been there for

u play sham ba

l of Roman candles. When you hear something move you know it is an enemy who has broken into

ll around. All of a sudden down the long passage a little stir, and like a flash your fuse sputters. Bang-pop-pop-pop-bang! R

"But it should be great sport. I'm for i