during the long night.




CHAPTER V

JUST AFTER THE CLOCK STRUCK TEN


"Here we are, monarchs of all we survey," remarked Bobolink, as the last
of the other scouts went off, leaving the four guards to their task of
taking care of those two fine motorboats for the night.

It was nine o'clock.

The well-known sounds from the church steeple had told them that; and
somehow every fellow counted the strokes aloud, as though on this night
in particular they meant far more than at other times.

Stanhope, not being a manufacturing town, like Manchester, was, as a
rule, rather quiet of nights; except when the Glorious Fourth was being
celebrated; or some other holiday kept the younger element on the move.

Bobolink had been given the post of "Captain of the Guards;" while Tom
Betts was to be considered the second in command. They were to divide the
duties in such fashion that there would be two of them on deck at a time.

"I'll take Andy for my mate; and you can have Spider to help out,"
Bobolink had told Tom, when they were arranging the programme.