before this game came to an end," remarked Allan.

"Oh! not necessarily," replied his chum. "It's only following out our
motto, 'be prepared.' You know there are a whole lot of sayings along
that line, such as 'fore-warned is fore-armed,' and as the old pilgrim
fathers used to say: 'trust in the Lord; but, keep your powder dry!' We
want to keep our ammunition ready. But while you go back to the rest of
the boys I'll take a sneak."

"Don't think you'd better take that gun along with you, Thad?"

"Not at all," was the quick reply. "I'll depend on the darkness, and
the noise of the storm, to keep from being seen or heard. But I'm bent
on trying to find out whether there's any sort of shack or cabin built
here on Sturgeon Island.

"Well, take good care of yourself," warned Allan, a little uneasily; for
it was almost on his lips to ask why he might not be permitted to keep
the scout-master company, for he did hate so much to see Thad pull out
alone.

He insisted on gravely shaking hands before he would leave his partner,
to return to the camp under the rocky shelf. They had been so much
together of recent years that these two boys were exceedingly fond of
each other, more so than brothers could ever have been; which was one
reason why Allan disliked seeing the other moving away into the
darkness, and taking voluntarily upon himself the dangers such a scout
involved.

Obeying orders he himself made his way back to where the other sat.