The River Motor Boat Boys on the St. Lawrence

, but the clouds drifting in from the bay might or might not hold the landscape in darkness until mo

a motor boat, anchored well out from the landing on the south side of the stream, fifty miles or more from Point de

at the prow, six feet above the deck. It showed as trim and

he motors were suitable for a sea-going tug, and the boat had all the conveniences known to modern shipbuilders. She had carried her present crew in safety up the A

ual to every emergency. At the conclusion of the Mississippi journey, the boys of the Six Riv

. Luce had been made by water along the treacherous coasts of New Brunswick and Quebec. A fresh supply of gasoline ha

snugly around a coal fire in the cabin. They were sturdy, healthy, merry-hearted lads of about sixteen, all from Chicago, and all without family ties of any kind so far as they knew. They h

the Rambler about drunkenly. Clayton Emmett-always just "Clay" to his chums-arose from

mashing through the back wall if you do. This night makes me thi

excitedly, "We're going

ashlight of any one rowing out to us to-ni

n Joe," Clay went on, "don

rner of the cabin and now stood at Clay's side, growling threateningly. Joe wagged a stumpy tail in

door closed behind the two. "Stick out on

to the door and looked out through the blurred glass, wiping the i

ing off?" d

way on one trip without some o

eddy," cried Jule, s

he boys ever since. He now rose from the rug which he had occupied in company with Captain Joe, the white bulldog,

ed Alex, digging t

to wash dishes for a week. We all agreed to that, you know," he added as Alex

"If the wind blows his hide off, we'l

on deck. The first thing Teddy did was to sit up on his hind legs and box at the wind, which rumpled his fur and brought mo

stood looking out on deck. Clay, Case and the two

unwale of the boat, followed almost immediately by the head and sh

to us in a canoe over that rough water to-nigh

which promised a successful leap for the deck. When at last he came over the rail, the boys saw a heavily-built man with thin whiskers gr

cket for a second, and then brought forth a sealed package which he handed to Clay. As the boy took the package, the man who had delivered it sprang, without

ine of darkness beyond the round circle of the prow light. Nothing was to be seen. The boat had come and gone in th

now about that

l facilities on the St.

with a wink at Alex. "That letter will

r for a long distance, spread apart, like the two arms of a pair of tongs, at their mouths, making an egg-shaped peninsula which extended far into the mai

an old-fashioned safe resting high up in a niche in a rocky wall. The

g of the safe, w

Success is certain. Map enclose

the brilliant prow light, and examined the paper, pa

"that we are drawing s

at's a queer kind of a hand

ravelers on the St. Lawrence with these l

orth," repeated Clay. "I

eans," Alex asserted. "It looks to

on every trip with a mystery to unravel, a

on the Columbia, found a secret treasure in the Grand Canyon, and chased pirates on

ith it?" asked Clay

ver and be on our w

barrel of money in that safe they've made a

me," Case said. "I'm for dumping this map thi

ll the fun. I want to go to this 'North,' whereve

nterest, now passed back to the cabin, leaped upon the low roof, and bounded to the af

had been lying, sniffed at the gunwale of the

ie to-night," demanded Alex. "There

man, and he's got a letter, you go get it. Some other f

plash of a paddle came faintly

D. postman number

ings of the paddle came louder f

lex cried. "Have you

the clouds, and the moon shone sharply down up

comes!"

d just at the edge of the circle of light which came from the prow,