"Say, you'd believe the moon was made of green cheese if someone told you," said Frank.

"Oh, I would; eh?" returned Sammy. "Well, you just wait and see."

The days that followed were happy ones for the Fairview boys. They went in swimming so often that Mrs. Bouncer said they might as well live in their bathing suits, and save their other clothes. They often went clamming, bringing home big baskets filled with the soft kind.

These clams were steamed, or made into toothsome chowder, which the boys enjoyed very much.

At other times the lads would take their own safe boat, and go to the distant sand flats, where they learned to tread for hard clams.

Crabbing was one of their chief delights, and many a basketfull of the clashing, clawing creatures they pulled out[Pg 42] of the waters of Lighthouse Cove. Sometimes they would get soft crabs, by hauling the seine, or straight net, along shore.

[Pg 42]

But, though they made many inquiries, or, rather, though Sammy did, he could not find out who the old man was whom they had seen digging by lantern-light. They had had a fairly good view of him, but in the Cove settlement were many old fishermen and sailors, who looked much the same as that elderly man did, so they were not sure which of the many villagers he might have been; and they did not like to ask.

One day, after the three chums had been rowing for some distance around the Cove, Sammy Brown suddenly exclaimed:

"I say, fellows, I've got an idea!"

"What, another one?" laughed Bob. "You're full of them lately."

"Let's hear it, anyhow," suggested Frank. "Can we have any fun by it, Sammy?"

"Sure. What do you say to rowing ashore, and digging a pirate cave."

"You mean dig a cave and look for the pirate gold?" asked Bob.

"No, I mean let's play we're pirates ourselves. We can go over to one of those sand dunes, and hollow out a hole in the side of it. We can make believe that's where we live, and we can make a fire of driftwood."

"Say, that'll be great!" cried Bob. "And we can bring some grub there and cook it! Sammy, you're all right!"

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