The Banner Boy Scouts Afloat or, the Secret of Cedar Island   By: George A. Warren

OR

The Secret of Cedar Island

By GEORGE A. WARREN

1913

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?