"That's the ticket, Thad!" said Step Hen; "let 'em see they ain't the
only pebbles on the beach. We've got a marine glass, too. Now, tell us
what you think, are they really lake buccaneers; and will we have to put
up a desperate fight to keep from being robbed, and sunk, and perhaps
made slaves?"

Bumpus gasped for breath, at hearing such doleful things; but as, Step
Hen gave a quick glance toward the fat chum, possibly what he said was
only meant to cause the other's flesh to quiver with dread.

"Oh! they don't seem to be altering their course in the least," spoke up
Allan; "and as for them watching us, who wouldn't stare on seeing a
crowd of boys afloat up here on Superior waters?"

"I was thinking that our uniforms as scouts might make them sit up and
take notice," said Giraffe. "P'raps they think we're U. S. soldiers,
because the dough-boys all wear this same khaki now instead of the old
army blue. And in case they're real bold smugglers or pirates, that
would give them cause for a scare. Do they look like they're ready to
run away, Thad?"

"Well, not any more than would be the case if they were honest
cruisers," replied the other, as he handed the glasses to Allan, who in
turn would pass them around. "Seems to me one of them wears some kind
of a blue cap, as though he might be an officer of some sort."

"Oh! don't count on that," spoke up Bumpus, "anybody can buy one like
that. Ain't I got one right here in my duffel bag; but I hadn't found a
chance to spring it on the rest of the bunch. They, may be a tough lot,
even if one does wear an officer's cap."