long enough to empty the sand from the bag over a fence. The bag
itself he afterwards burned in the open fireplace in the room assigned
to him at Holt's Hotel.

For twenty minutes Jack Benson lay as he had been left. Then he began
to stir, and groan. Then he opened his eyes; after a while he managed
to sit up.

"Ugh!" he grunted. "What's the odor? Liquor! How does that happen?
Oh, my head!"

He got slowly to his feet, using the board fence as a means to help
steady himself. Then, though he found himself weak and tormented by the
pain in his head, Benson managed to feel his way along the fence until
he came to the opening made by the loose board. Holding himself here,
he thrust his head beyond.

Now, Hal and Eph, having waited for some time at the shore boat, before
going out on board the "Farnum," had at last made up their minds to go
back and look for their missing leader. They came along just at the
moment that the young captain's head appeared through the opening in
the fence.

"There he is," muttered Hal, stopping short. "Gracious! He acts
queerly. I wonder if anything can have happened to him? Come along,
Eph!"

The two raced across the street.

"Jack, old fellow! What on earth's the matter?" demanded Hal Hastings,