tasks. 
Over a plentiful breakfast, helping to make up for the fast of the long day on the island, they compared notes. There was a long rent in the vessel’s side, below waterline, Nicky reported, not easily to be repaired even if they could float the ship at all. Plenty of canned food and some fresh supplies, Tom stated. Five automatic pistols, two rifles and a small signaling cannon was Cliff’s list of weapons. “So far, so good,” said Nicky. “What next?” 
From a little beyond the ship came a hail. 
The chums became tense. 
“You’re captain,” his chums told Nicky. “Go and parley!” CHAPTER XVII A PARLEY AND A PLAN 
“Ahoy, _Senorita_!” came the second hail. Nicky scrambled from his wicker chair and started for the companion door; Tom looked at Cliff and then, catching his eye, glanced at the arsenal. Cliff nodded. 
“I don’t know if the rifles are loaded,” Tom commented, picking one up and breaking the breach--with a shake of his head closing it. “They aren’t. But they may come in handy.” They carried the weapons as they came on deck. 
Nicky had taken a position beside the little wheelhouse, watching the tender, manned by Tew and one sailor, come around the islet close to which their boat was careened against the coral. 
“Hello!” hailed Tew, catching sight of Nicky. “You boys got lost in the shuffle! Thought you was overboard maybe. We’ll take you off. We are hidin’ on a good island—we can climb the trees and be safe when the cutter comes.” 
Cliff and Tom ranged up beside Nicky. 
“We’re not going, are we?” whispered Cliff. Nicky shook his head. 
“Stay away!” he called. “We aren’t going to leave here.” 
Cliff and Tom, rifles held in a menacing position, ranged up beside Nicky. The sailor stopped rowing, allowing the tender to drift about fifteen feet from the _Senorita_. Tew muttered some unpleasant word. 
“You don’t want to be there when the revenue men come,” he said. “If you do, we don’t mean you to be!” 
He spoke to the sailor, but in face of two rifles, the man said something under his breath and Tew nodded. 
“Look here!” Tew called, “if they get you you’ll tell where we are! That won’t do! Come—be sensible—we’ll get you one way or another. Come decent, and we won’t harm you—but come you will!” 
“Is that so?” exclaimed Nicky defiantly. “Well we won’t! You’d better go away!” 
Tew and the sailor held a short conference. At Tew’s gesture the sailor poised the oars, while Tew tugged at a weapon in his belt. Tom leaped up onto the cabin roof, to have a better place from which to pretend to cover the sailor, but an inspiration came to him and he acted upon that instead. 
Pretending to glance by accident toward the larger expanse of the open Gulf he dropped the rifle, and waved his arm, then dragged out a handkerchief and waved that wildly. 
“Here she 

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