old rose to the surface and reached out for the unfortunate man from the schooner, H

to the side of the Fortuna. The figure in his arms appeared p

" directed Harry. "Pass it down to Arnol

ded Tom, quickly

bout the man's limp form and in another moment he was safely

ed rapidly by the boys who prided thems

oco, too," commented Tom. "How'd they ha

d to that fairy tale about the Spanish Treasure Chest. Maybe they forgot to blow

" queried Arnold pee

p this chap," Jack replied, "they filled their sails

d Tom, watching the newcomer anxiousl

k of pulling a fellow's tongue out isn't near as good as tu

to bed as soon as we can, boys," adm

for both of we rescued persons," declared Arnold. "Lucky I

m into one of the berths. There every care was bestowed to ma

" advised Arnold. "I'll stay with you a

ranger. "What vessel is this, if I m

ne pleasure launc

d the stranger. "Now

had so nearly resulted in a collision. They were all exc

it seems, but we dash head foremost into excitement and trouble. The only thing we need now to start us r

t. Don't think our luck will turn yet. Just remember the

And, by the way, where did you put tha

e switchboard lamp

t there now,"

ked Arnold at that moment climbin

e says he hung it on the lamp over

just a little bit of a mule shoe. That

st tell us where you threw it overboa

and hung it on the bracket there by the compass," replied Arno

er a compass course in a thick fog all the way from Mobi

matter?" innocent

place and make as if to fling it overboard. He restrain

me vessels they would have thrown you overboard. You have rendered the compass useless and we have been steering by a crazy instru

d, "but I didn't understand it that wa

om. "Maybe now you'll agree that the thi

ittle thing can be mighty big in some ca

somewhat," announced Harry. "Maybe the ol

more than half rig

as well as outside," declared Tom. "Remember what that Carlo

Harry. "I'll volunteer to go and 'red up' the cabin as the Dut

xtracted an automatic pistol which he placed in a convenient pocket. He then busied hims

turbed. Occasionally the bulldog would enter and after sniffing suspiciously at the prostrate figure of

een dropped when he had been put into the berth. Thinking to care for them by straightening and drying them, the boy picked up t

x which fell and slid across the floor,

guess," thought the boy. "I'd better empty those wet ones out

a newspaper. Harry was about to thrust it back into the box again when a printed word caught his a

ines, Harry uttered a quick cry an

citedly. "What do you think of this? H

, mystery?" queri

ut our fitting out the Fortuna for the cruise to the Gulf of Mexico and also hazards the guess t

the old Fort on Biloxi Bay, that must be dug up in the full o

xi and that we are known to be daring lad

y," cried Jack. "I'm

paper that says: 'Get these fellows at

little pleasure trip and all at once it begins to rain adventurous spirits from any old place and each of them is posted to make away with

o we'll have to take them as they come. We'll remember our mott

ine tank?" asked Arnold. "If he is, I'm going down to mount gu

he's on yet," declared Harry. "He aske

ain," announced Tom

. "Now maybe we can get a bearing and kno

a sailor say when he sees a smoke? Should

m sure," Jack ans

ried Tom. "That means that some Boy

there and the 'ash cats' are busy while

along there and see the smoke rising from the sand beyond them

ver in that direction to discover who m

e smokes with increased speed of the motors. Every moment now the fog was lifting and

ee bottom now, I believe. We'd better slip along shore unti

eed Jack. "What

o do you suppose it is making the smok

our passenger is getting on," suggested

way and in a moment the boys h

r fast. It's up over the floor boards now and the engine i