CHAPTER XI.

A TEMPTATION AND A VICTORY.

The four scouts were all sitting on their prisoner, and Alec Sands was feeling around the man’s throat as though half tempted to try to shut off his wind if he manifested any inclination to shout. But the captive seemed to be so overcome with surprise that he could only express his feelings in that short sentence ending the last chapter.

Quick to think, Hugh realized that he must enter into some sort of explanation if he wished to save the day. This fisherman was not supposed to be in the confidence of the fort’s commander and would know next to nothing about the rules governing the great landing game. At the same time if they allowed him to get away he might betray them to those who were defending the shore batteries.

“What’s your name?” he asked shortly, in a tense whisper.

“Bige Quick!” came the ready reply.

“You’re a fisherman?” Hugh said next.

“I got some lobster traps out yonder, boss,” answered the man.

“And you were going out to make your regular morning visit to the crawls—is that right, Bige?”

“That’s just what I calkerlated on doing as soon as sun-up kim erlong.”

“Well, you can’t go this morning, Bige,” continued Hugh. “And I’ll tell you why. We belong on board a Government war vessel, and there’s one of those war games on right now, you see? The Coast Artillery are manning the fort, and they’ve defied the jackies to get close enough to demand their surrender. We expect to hang out here all day, and you’ll have to give us your promise that you’ll act with us. For letting your lobster pots go till to-morrow I’ll promise you a five-dollar bill. Swear to stand by us, and act just as though you belonged on board the scout cruiser _Vixen_. Understand all that, do you, Bige?”

“Reckon as haow I do, Mister,” replied the man cheerfully, as it began to dawn on his mind that he had stumbled on great luck at the peep of dawn, since he could not make that much money half as easy by attending to his lobster pots.

“Will you give us your solemn promise to stick by us through thick and thin, and not try to get away at any time?” the scout master went on to say.

“Yuh kin count on me bein’ with yuh, Mister. I ain’t got any too much love for the sojers naow in thet fort. Every day they keep abangin’ away with them big guns, till nigh all the chiny we got tuh hum hes been broke. ’Sides thet, hang the luck, if they ain’t sot their old target nigh bout over where I hes my lobster pots. Skeered ’bout all the fish away sense they kim up here, they has. I give yuh my solemn promise, and I sure hopes as haow yuh captures the hull shebang. Mebbe then they’ll clear aout, an’ leave honest fishermen tuh their business.”

“All right, Bige, we’ll call it a bargain,” said Hugh, as he reached for the big fist of the prostrate coast dweller. “Get up, boys. No need of sitting on him any longer. Bige is one of us from now on. I’ll explain some of the things to him while we hide among the rocks.”

After all, the seeming difficulty had turned out to be a blessing in disguise; they had gained a recruit who might be useful to them in many ways.

Hugh managed to let considerable light in on Bige Quick’s mind as they lay hidden awaiting signs of life at the fort. In return the lobster fisherman told him not a few valuable things about the habits of the Coast Artillery, all of which Hugh soaked in, with an eye to making the knowledge useful later on.

They were close enough to the fort to see the sentries walking up and down, and when the breeze proved favorable they could even hear loud voices at times, for close to the sea, the air was a good conductor of sound.

When they knew the garrison must be at breakfast, the boys bethought them of the cooked food they had carried along in their haversacks. So Hugh gave the order that they should break their fast, which every one proceeded to do, according to his fancy. They even fed Bige, having an abundance of eatables along—trust boys for looking out to this end when allowed to stock up of their own accord, for they know how a fellow’s appetite may stretch.

Hugh crept up to his lookout to use his glass cautiously. Bige had assured him that seldom did any of the garrison venture to walk along the beach in the direction of the rocky reef; they had too many things to do each day connected with the manning of the defensive coast works, and the firing of the big disappearing guns.

About ten o’clock the first heavy detonation told that they were at their business, and at long intervals until nearly noon the boys were almost deafened by the cannonading. They could understand that the work must be progressing favorably, since hearty cheers often followed the discharge. Hugh might have noted where each projectile struck only that he could not change his position without some danger of being seen, and he was there for a different purpose than that of marking the hits and misses of the Coast Defense Artillery.

He had mapped out his plans, and knew how the jackies aboard the _Vixen_ could surprise the defenders of the fort, once they received his instructions as to how to proceed up the shore. He had closely examined every spot with his glass, and felt positive that they did not have any videttes posted below the rocks; doubtless they depended entirely on their lookouts on the ramparts to discover the first signs of a hostile ship either to the south or the north.

It was now high time, while the garrison still kept up their exciting gun practice, to get in touch with those aboard the scout cruiser. So Hugh set himself to work to manage this.

He kept his glass handy, that he might detect the least evidence tending to show that their presence was suspected. At the same time he wrote out a short sentence in cipher, which he gave to the other boys to transmit.

The sun was shining brightly, and the conditions were as nearly perfect as they could be for heliograph work, if only it could be managed that the next relay station might pick up the messages without those in the fort being any the wiser.

It required careful treatment, but Alec and Don were skillful manipulators of the mirror, and could send the quick flashes in a way that would not be seen at the other side of the rocky reef, which acted as a friendly barrier.

Alec quickly reported that he was in communication with the next station. Then the scout master gave the order for the first message to be sent along. It was going to take some little time to manage all this; but the code simplified matters, since a single sign frequently stood for a whole sentence.

When the next station gave the pleasing information that it had all been correctly received and sent along the line, Hugh felt that things were certainly progressing splendidly. And it may be mentioned that the rough lobster fisherman was watching all this wonderful work with open mouth and staring eyes; it had never occurred before to him that people could “talk” while many miles apart with only a piece of broken looking-glass and the sun’s bright rays to assist them.

So far all had gone well. Hugh could detect no sign in the region of the hostile fort to indicate that suspicion had been aroused. Nevertheless he did not mean to send a single unnecessary word along the relay line, since it would be taking needless chances of discovery.

What he told the commander of the scout cruiser was that if he landed a force of jackies they could come up the shore safely by keeping back of the scrub, and being careful not to show themselves even once. He knew only too well that the white suits of the Naval Reserve men would be instantly spotted by the glasses of those who were watching all through the livelong day for the first token of a hostile force in the vicinity.

Three different short messages did Hugh send. They took upwards of an hour to move along; and when the last sign had been given, to tell the next station on the south that the signaling was done, Hugh breathed a sigh of relief.

So far as he knew all was well. He could see nothing unusual going on in the fort, where the men were evidently getting their midday meal, and strict discipline must have been relaxed for a spell, since snatches of laughter and even of song came floating to his ears.

He lay there counting the minutes, wondering how long it would take the men from the cruiser to arrive. Again and again did Hugh turn his glasses backward and survey the beach as far as he could see it. Orders had gone forth that the natives should keep away from the vicinity of the fort as much as possible during the two weeks when the Coast Artillery manned the same for their annual practice with the big guns. This would account for the fact that the beach seemed quite deserted as far south as he could see.

But then Hugh did not expect to catch any glimpse of the coming force. If they were unwise enough to show themselves so that he could discover them, what would hinder the sharp-eyed videttes on the ramparts of the fort from doing the same, since they had been posted there with instructions to report the least suspicious sign in any direction?

The other boys were taking things easy according to their several notions of what constituted comfort. Had Billy been present, his idea would have run along the line of a nice nap, for sleeping was one of Billy’s strong points. Alec, Don and Monkey Stallings were more inclined to spy on the enemy than do anything else. Several times Alec gave a quick glance toward Hugh. He seemed to be struggling with something that was gripping him pretty hard, and apparently fighting an inward battle.

The truth of the matter was that Alec had made an important discovery, and at the same time a terrible temptation had come upon him. By the merest accident in the world he had sighted a couple of officers from the fort approaching the reef from an angle that was really beyond Hugh’s range of vision. No one else had as yet seen them but Alec. If he remained silent, the chances were that they must presently discover the figures of the scouts crouching among the rocks, taking them by surprise as it were.

Well, such a thing would spell the ruin of the game, from the standpoint of the Naval Reservists. At the same time the failure of the plan was bound to give the young scout master a black mark.

Perhaps after making a failure of this important game, Hugh might feel it incumbent to resign his position as assistant scout master of the troop; or the boys on their part might request his stepping down into the ranks. That would mean the elevation of Alec to the proud post he aspired to fill!

The temptation was very strong for a brief time. Alec hardly breathed, and had observers been watching the boy they would have seen that his hands opened and shut many times almost fiercely. In fact it was one of the greatest crises that would ever come into his young life; and much depended on the result.

Perhaps his better nature arose to denounce any such treacherous action for which he could find no excuse whatever. Possibly, too, he looked back to that time when Hugh and he had been up on the side of old Stormberg Mountain, and he sprained his ankle so that he could not walk; when instead of deserting him, that loyal comrade had taken him on his back and carried him much of the way, until he could limp along with his arm around Hugh’s neck.

Then and there the victory was won. Alec gritted his teeth hard together and his eyes flashed fire. With the resolution to do his full duty as a true blue scout, he crept over to where Hugh lay, and communicated his important discovery to the other. Of course after that, the four boys, together with the raw recruit, Bige Quick, found places of concealment. The two officers sat down on the rocks not twenty feet away, discussing all manner of matters of interest connected with the occupation of the fort and their readiness to anticipate any attack, not once up to the time they moved off suspecting that enemies hovered near by.