Evening star., 1914-03-22

tion to the Barnegat beach apparatus of
these degenerate times that they had seen.
The combined qualities of the hydro
plane appealed to the pair of adventures
of dozen and two years; whose general
trend of mind and mschievousness was the
same, like their own abbreviated, bare and
sunburnt legs The "hydro' part of the marine
monster presented difficulties of construction beyond
personal hazard in the way of couple of BORROWED
claiming slis and few planks, to nautical genuses
like Flotsam and Jetsam toiling manully the land
ward side of the sand strip that guarded the
reaches of Barnegat Bay, adjacent to Ships Bottom
Station and the inlet.
NATURAL-BORN boat builders they were; but,
- like boys, accustomed to do thing at time.
1t only when the pontoon finished and foated
in the inlet that they realized they had hand nothing
more than waterlogged catamaran that would take
the derrick of of the visiting warshps to hoist
of the water, to say nothing about flying.
3She amt got motion power" said Jetsam, dis
gusted with their lack of foresight.
@What's the matter with Quin9' said Flotsam, who
had way of making the best of things looking up at
the sleepy head nodding between them, awaiting the
boys Imagination.
II don'no what en- do with him. said Jetsam
obviously @Sides, it's whtenin up to BASTARD thick
Murk's comm in ag'in the land breeze"
@Reg'lar blanketer," Flotsam agreed. with sailors
wisdom of fogs, wise to these latitudes.
All their brief lives the boys had lived on the Bar
negat coast, and knew it like book
@You three pirates from Borneo better look for that
fool catamaran!' Cascos warning came booming
the sands. you'll lose her through the inlet this wind
then whereT1 ye be?'
@Les be pirates,' Flotsam said, graspng at the
thought. 4Le's kidnap Quin, an carry him off to sea-
an hold him for ransom
3An' write Black Hand letters, an cut off one of his
once in awhile an send 'em to Ships Bottom to
show mean business said Jetsam. "Say, Sam,
amt that the old Gridiron foghorn braying again?
Sounds like them navy ships're gettin ready to give
them far-out rocks blast an then quit for the
night"
Gee! If could on'y work out to 'em in the
smother an take 'em by Storm an force 'em the
side' Flotsam said, glancing at the uneasy feet.
Out at the big warships, lined up, bows shoreward
to wind and tide, fast becoming slanty b1urs
Closer in the far side of Grdiron Reef the
cutter having trouble setting off her final charge of
dynamite, and reconnoiterng torpedoboat fuss
ing round the side of the rocks, eager lend
hand-or torpedo.
But Flotsam and Jetsam were not bothered with
already become too familiar The trend of
the wind and the tide and Casco warning had suggested
a substitute @moon power in the shape of old cot
ton umbrella, relic of feminine wreck, left
guarded. Mounted on the catamarans bow, and its
ribs stayed down, it made rstclass round sai-and
all the work of few minutes to such expert hands
But Quin was different matter. The buccaneers
did not need him particularly; but he handy for
"ballast" Besides, for esoterc of his own,
the burro baked going to Neither Flotsam
Jetsam Qun, not of the precious three of
kind dreamed that the safety of the entire North
Atlantic squadron, men, money, and guns,-twenty
million dollars worth of battleships including the On
ondaga, R. C,-depended on this whim of two boys and
the ertium quid in the shape of Quin.
As they arguing the matter out the deck of
the pontoon the double catastrophe happened.
The struggles of the VICTIM the swift current of the
inlet, and the pull of the open umbrella combined to
slip the catamaran from her moongs, old stuck