"Well," explained the other, "although I heard so poorly while I was
hanging out near that hidden shack there were times when I thought one
of the men was talking in some tongue besides plain United States. Fact
is, he rattled off something in French."

"Oh! then it's plain who they are--half-breed Canadians from the North
Shore. As this island properly belongs to Canada they would have a
right to land here, and our coming needn't bother them any--if they are
honest men."

"Thad, they wouldn't hide out like they do if they were the right sort.
Make up your mind they're doing something that's against the law.
Honest men don't carry on this way, and spy on a camp of Boy Scouts
wrecked in a storm. Why, no matter how rough they might be, they'd drop
in on us, and offer to share whatever they had. It's only fear of
arrest that makes cowards of men this way."

"I forgot to tell you that among the few words I did manage to pick up
by straining my ears to the limit, were just three that gave me an idea
they took us for a detachment of militia, either Canadian or Yankee, out
on the lake on some serious business that might interfere with their
trade. Those three words were 'soldiers,' 'khaki,' and 'arrest.'"

Allan gave a soft whistle to indicate how his state of feeling
corresponded with that of his chum.

"There isn't any doubt about it in my mind, Thad," he asserted,
vehemently; "but that they're here for no good. That fast launch means
they are in the habit of making swift trips back and forth, perhaps
taking the night for it every time, so as to run less chance of being