“That’s so,” Nelson concurred. “And so we’re going to get square with them.” “Hooray!” said Tom in a husky whisper. “How?” questioned Nelson. “I’m coming to that,” answered Dan importantly. “You’re a long old time coming,” Tom grumbled. “I’ll bet that fellow has got up-stairs by now and murdered the hero and the girl, and I wasn’t there to----” “Cut it out, Tommy!” commanded Dan. “You see that flag over there at Wickasaw’s landing?” “I see something sort of white that may be a flag, or may be some fellow’s Sunday shirt,” answered Nelson. “Well, that’s that old white flag with the score on it. They’re too lazy to do anything shipshape, and so instead of tying it onto the lanyards under the camp-flag----” “Bending it on, you mean,” said Tom. “You be blowed,” said Dan. “You know too much, Tommy. Well, instead of _fixing_ it on to the rope they just nailed it on to the pole. That’s the lucky part of it; see?” The others looked across at the blur of white and then looked at Dan. Then they shook their heads. “I may be stupid, Dan,” said Nelson apologetically, “but I’m blowed if I do see.” “I guess the answer’s a bottle of ink,” said Tom flippantly. “Why,” said Dan impatiently, “if they’d taken it in we couldn’t have got it.” “Oh!” exclaimed Nelson. “Then we’re going--to--to----” “Swipe it!” said Dan. Tom heaved a sigh of relief. “Bully! I was afraid it was something to do with blue paint!” “What’s your scheme?” asked Nelson, beginning to take interest. But Dan had nothing more to say until the motor-dory had come alongside and its occupants had finally taken themselves off up the hill, whooping like an Indian war-party. “When it’s good and dark,” he continued then, “we’ll swim over there and get the old rag; that’s all.” “But why not take a boat?” asked Tom. “Because somebody would be sure to hear us.” “Then what’s the matter with a canoe?” “Well, that might do,” answered Dan thoughtfully. “But we don’t want to have any trouble about it; Clint’s got his eye on us, I’ll bet, and if we get caught swiping Wickasaw’s flag we’ll get what for!” “But there won’t be any fun in it if they don’t know who’s taken it,” Nelson objected. “Oh, they’ll know all right,” said Dan; “only they won’t be able to prove anything.” “I tell you what,” Tom exclaimed. “We’ll tear it up and tie it around that stake off the end of the island, the one that marks the sand-bar.” “That’s so,” said Nelson. “And look, Dan, we can take a canoe and paddle down the shore until we’re opposite the landing and then swim across. That way we won’t have to swim over a half mile in all.” “All right,” agreed Dan. “I don’t care whether we paddle or swim; but that flag’s got to come down from there.” “They’ll probably put another one up,” said Tom. “Let ’em! We’ll have had our fun,” said Nelson. “What time had we better go, Dan?” “About eleven, I guess. We want to wait until Verder and Smith are asleep so that they won’t hear us sneak out.”