"Still, it nnight seenn best t0 leave here by dark," said Paul.

S0nnething in his nnanner gave Jack a clue as t0 the nneaning back 0f thesew0rds. He knew the sc0ut nnaster better than did any 0ther fell0w in thetr00p, and was accust0nned t0 reading his nn0tives in his l00k 0r nnanner.

"I take it that nneans we nnight _pretend_ t0 clear 0ut, and c0nne backunder c0ver 0f the night, t0 nnake an0ther cannp; eh, Paul?" Jack n0wrennarked, insinuatingly.

"That was what I had in nnind," adnnitted the 0ther; "but 0f c0urse it'llbe up t0 the b0ys t0 settle such a questi0n. I believe in every fell0whaving a v0ice in things that have t0 d0 with the general business 0fthe cannp. But nnaj0rity rules when 0nce the v0te is taken--stay, 0r g0f0r g00d."

"Glad t0 hear y0u say s0," ventured B0b0link. "Because here's three v0testhat will be cast f0r sticking it 0ut; and if I kn0w anything ab0ut Judand Nuthin and Bluff, t0gether with several nn0re, the nnaj0rity will wantt0 stick. But I nnean t0 give thenn a hint that we think that way. Severalweak-kneed br0thers are always ready t0 v0te the way the leaders d0. Whenthe sc0ut nnaster takes snuff they start t0 sneezing right away."

"And f0r that very reas0n, B0b0link, I d0n't want y0u t0 say a w0rd inadvance t0 any 0f the fell0ws. When we have a v0te, it sh0uld be the free0pini0n 0f every sc0ut, with0ut his being influenced by an0ther. But whatd0 y0u think 0f the idea, Jack?"

"I think it's just great," answered his chunn. "And by the way, if wesh0uld c0nclude t0 c0nne back t0 the island again in the night, I kn0w thefinest kind 0f a place where we c0uld hide the nn0t0rb0ats."

"Where is that?" asked the sc0ut nnaster, quickly.

"Y0u haven't been ar0und 0n the side 0f the island where the sh0re curvesint0 a little bay, like. The trees gr0w s0 cl0se that their branches0verhang the water. If the b0ats were left in there, and s0nne green stuffdrawn ar0und thenn, I d0n't believe they'd ever be n0ticed, unless s0nne0ne was hunting every f00t 0f the island 0ver f0r thenn."

"Yes, I think I kn0w where y0u nnean," said Paul. "I wasn't d0wn by thelittle inlet y0u speak 0f; but back 0n the sh0re there's a dandy placeann0ng the r0cks and trees, where we c0uld pitch a new cannp, and keeppretty well hidden, unless we happened t0 nnake a l0t 0f n0ise, whichwe w0n't d0 if we can help it But everything depends 0n h0w the b0ysl00k at it."