The Banner Boy Scouts Afloat

CONTENTS

CHAPTER


I THE MYSTERIOUS BOXES

II GLORIOUS NEWS

III FOR CEDAR ISLAND--GHOST OR NO GHOST

IV LAYING IN THE STORES

V JUST AFTER THE CLOCK STRUCK TEN

VI THE GREAT CRUISE OF THE SCOUTS BEGUN

VII STUCK FAST IN THE MUD

VIII WHAT THE WATER GAUGE SHOWED

IX ON THE SWIFT RADWAY

X DODGING THE SNAGS AND THE SNARES

XI THE CAMP ON CEDAR ISLAND

XII WAS IT A BURSTING METEOR?

XIII THE FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND

XIV TRYING TO FIGURE IT ALL OUT

XV ORDERED OFF

XVI UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS

XVII PITCHING TENTS IN THE "SINK"

XVIII WHAT LAY IN THE BRUSH

XIX LAYING PLANS

XX THE EXPLORING PARTY

XXI A MYSTERY OF THE OPEN GLADE

XXII THE WIGWAG MESSAGE

XXIII STILL FLOUNDERING IN THE MIRE

XXIV THE DISCOVERY

XXV TIME TO GO BACK

XXVI HONORABLE SCARS

XXVII ANOTHER THREATENING PERIL

XXVIII PREPARED FOR THE WORST

XXIX LIFTING THE LID

XXX GOOD-BYE TO CEDAR ISLAND

XXXI A SCOUT'S DUTY

XXXII CONCLUSION




PREFACE


Dear Boys:--

It is with the greatest pleasure that I present you with the third volume
of the "Banner Boy Scouts Series." This is a complete story in itself;
and yet most of the leading characters you, who have already read the
first and second volumes, will easily remember. I trust you will heartily
welcome the appearance once more on the stage of Paul, Jack, Bobolink and
all the other good fellows belonging to Stanhope Troop of Boy Scouts.

Those of you who are old friends will recollect that while the Red Fox
Patrol was forming, the boys had a most strenuous time, what with a deep
mystery in their midst, and the bitter strife resulting from their
competition with rival troops belonging to neighboring towns. How the
beautiful banner was cleverly won by Stanhope, I related in the first
volume, called: "The Banner Boy Scouts."

In the succeeding story the Stanhope Scouts went on their first long
hike, to camp in the open. The remarkable adventures they met with
while enjoying this experience; as well as the stirring account of how
they recovered a box of valuable papers that had been stolen from the
office of Joe Clausin's father, form the main theme of "The Banner Boy
Scouts on a Tour."

And now, in this third book, I have endeavored to interest you in another
series of happenings that befell these wide-awake boys before their
summer vacation was over. I hope you will, after reading this story
through to the last line, agree with me that what the young assistant
scout master, Paul Morrison, and his chums of Stanhope Troop endured
while afloat all went to make them better and truer scouts in every sense
of the word.

Cordially yours

GEORGE A. WARREN.





CHAPTER I

THE MYSTERIOUS BOXES


"What are you limping for, Bobolink?"

"Oh! shucks! I see there's no use trying to hide anything from your sharp
eyes, Jack Stormways. Guess I just about walked my feet off today, goin'
fishin' with our patrol leader, away over to the Radway River, and about
six miles up."

"Have any luck, Bobolink?" instantly demanded the third member of the
group of three half-grown boys, who were passing after nightfall through
some of the partly deserted streets on the outskirts of the thriving town
of Stanhope; and whose name it might be stated was Tom Betts.

"Well, I should say, yes. Between us we got seven fine bass, and a
pickerel. By the way, I caught that pickerel; Paul, he looked after the
bass end of the string, and like the bully chap he is divided with me;"
and the boy who limped chuckled as he said this, showing that he could
appreciate a joke, even when it was on himself.

About everybody in town called him Bobolink; and what boy could do
otherwise, seeing that his real name was Robert O. Link?

As the trio of lads were all dressed in the khaki suits known all over
the world nowadays as typifying Boy Scouts, it could be readily taken for
granted that they belonged to the Stanhope Troop.

Already were there three full patrols enlisted, and wearing uniforms;
while a fourth was in process of forming. The ones already in the field
were known as, first, the Red Fox, to which these three lads belonged;
then the Gray Fox, and finally the Black Fox.