The Boy Scouts on Picket Duty | Page 4

for the cable,
but stealthily picking up a contraband cargo of munitions of war, small
stores such as could be cast adrift along the coast in some prearranged
method and gathered in by those who had been instructed to recognize
the floating objects! What were they? Water-tight kegs of dynamite,
submerged, but buoyed up by thrice their weight of corks? Boxes of
rifle bullets? Or merely harmless glass bottles containing, perhaps,
written descriptions of the country to be invaded, photographs of
fortifications, details of naval or military equipment?
The answer was not long forthcoming.
"Ain't seen her pick up anything," shouted Vinton, "but reckon that's
her lay. What's she after?"
"Dynamite."
"By thunder!" ejaculated the captain in a low tone of awe.
"Yes, that's just what they'll do, if they can," Billy commented with one
of his irrepressible grins. "They'll buy thunder. You've said it, Cap! But
what'll they use it for?"
Vinton paid not the slightest heed to Billy's poor pun. Instead, while
Alec gave Billy a dig in the ribs, the captain put the same question to
Kelsey.
"Oh, you know they've started another one of those dinky revolutions

in Panama, two generals fighting for the presidency," explained Kelsey.
He no longer was obliged to shout curtailed messages through his
megaphone, but spoke through it in a tone only a few degrees louder
than ordinarily; for the sloop and the steamer were now almost
alongside. "Well, the U.S. and Cuba want to stay entirely out of the
little war game; but one side of the revolution, the Visteros, are sore at
Uncle Sam and trying to make him take a hand. They've got agents in
all the Gulf states, in Cuba and Hayti, and they're trying to stir up
trouble."
What kind o trouble?
"Any old kind. They're not particular as to the brand. It's war stores
they want, and discontented loafers for soldiers of fortune. And the
Visteros are stealing dynamite to threaten the Canal."
"Bosh!" roared Vinton in a loud guffaw. "They couldn't do it! Let 'em
try!"
"Yes,---let 'em! But meanwhile, we're out to put the kibosh on this
smuggling. By the way, Vinton, now that you've made your report, you
can turn around again when you've got the wind, and go back up along
the coast. No need to go to Key West now."
"Hum-mp!" grunted Dave. "Waste time, get sick---all for nuthin'!"
"Shut up, you greasy Seminole!" muttered Vinton, and he turned away
scornfully. "All right, we will," he called to the Petrel. "What you goin'
to do?"
"First find out if that craft hid anything over there behind that key
where she was lying, and then follow her."
More confabbing of an unimportant and general nature followed
between Vinton and Kelsey and the man in tweeds, who was evidently
the special correspondent of some newspaper. At the end of the
conference, Kelsey called out:

"Well, I guess we'll mosey on, Lem. Goodby and good luck to you. If
you meet any smugglers in the upper 'glades or along the coast, send
word to Tampa; they'll rush a cutter with some of the Gulf police to the
spot. Keep a sharp eye on strange-looking craft, will you?"
"Aye, aye!" responded the _Arrow's_ captain, little knowing into what
adventures this pursuit of smugglers would lead him and his crew.
In a few minutes the Petrel had swung about and was heading in the
direction from which the Esperanza had appeared. The Arrow was left
becalmed and drifting on the heavy swells of the Gulf; but her crew,
excited by the prospect of encountering freebooters of the main, forgot
to be seasick, even if they had been so inclined, and fell to preparing
their noonday meal.
Vinton tilted his cap over his left eye and surveyed the trim Arrow with
frank satisfaction, at the conclusion of their repast.
"All shipshape, boys? Good! Reckon I'll let one of you steer awhile,
and hit my bunk for an hour or two. There'll be wind out'n the sou'east,
later on; and then I'll take charge again. All you've got to do now is to
turn her around, with her nose pointin' yonder,"---he waved a hand
toward the distant Sanibel Islands that stretch along the coast south of
Charlotte Harbor,---"and take 'vantage of every puff of wind that you
can use for tackin'. Understand?"
They signified their readiness to manage the sloop, once she had gone
well beyond any reefs or bars, and they drew lots to see who should be
first to take the captain's place while he rested. The draw, fell to
Chester and he took charge of the helm. Alec came next, then Billy
took his turn, and finally Hugh. While one steered, the others kept a
look-out for the erratic _Esperanza_, thinking it might again appear
from