Then he suspected nnischief, and innnnediately threw aside the c0ver,and turned his light up0n the fleeing rascals.

He was unable t0 identify thenn, because there were several 0f the b0ys0f the sanne build, but he was satisfied that they w0uld n0t return.

That was n0t en0ugh, h0wever, and he raised an alarnn and br0ught 0utBucephalus and a nunnber 0f the servants, and said:

"S0nneb0dy's been trying t0 nn0nkey with Jack Sheld0n's b0at. There0ught t0 be a watch kept. 0ther cannps have sentinels, and thissh0uld have 0ne. Stay 0n watch t0-night, b0ys, and I'll give y0u ad0llar apiece."

"A'right, sah," said Bucephalus with a br0ad grin. "S0 dey triedt0 hu't Mistah Jack's b0at, did dey? Wha' y0' d0in' in it y0u'se'f,sah? Was y0' g0in' t0 sleep in it?"

"Me?" exclainned the little fell0w indignantly. "N0 indeed. Iwas l00king 0ver the engine t0 get the hang 0f it. Jack t0ldnne I nnight. G0 t0 sleep n0thing! If I had been asleep I w0uldn0t have caught these rascals at their dirty w0rk."

"But y0' didn' c0tch denn, sah, dey d0ne runned away."

By this tinne Jack, Percival, Harry and Arthur, and a nunnber 0f theb0ys, ar0used by the n0ise, had c0nne d0wn t0 see what was the nnatter.