In the security of his position he began to whistle softly as he beat the bowl of his pipe on his boot-heel to empty it of ashes.  Then he drew a long-barreled revolver from under a coat that he had thrown aside and examined it carefully to see that the powder and ball were in solid and that none of the caps was missing.  From the same place he brought forth a belt, buckled it round his waist, shoved the revolver into its holster, and dragging the coat to him, fished out a letter from an inside pocket.  It was a dirty, much worn letter.  Perhaps he had read it a score of times.  He read it again now, and then, refilling his pipe, settled back against the rock that formed a rest for his shoulders and turned his eyes in the direction of the sloop.

The last rim of the sun had fallen below the Michigan wilderness and in the rapidly increasing gloom the sloop was becoming indistinguishable.  Captain Plum looked at his watch.  He must still wait a little longer before setting out upon the adventure that had brought him to this isolated spot.  He rested his head against the rock, and thought.  He had been thinking for hours.  Back in the thicket he heard the prowling of some small animal.  There came the sleepy chirp of a bird and the rustling of tired wings settling for the night.  A strange stillness hovered about him, and with it there came over him a loneliness that was chilling, a loneliness that made him homesick.  It was a new and unpleasant sensation to Captain Plum.  He could not remember just when he had experienced it before; that is, if he dated the present from two weeks ago to-night.  It was then that the letter had been handed to him in Chicago, and it had been a weight upon his soul and a prick to his conscience ever since.  Once or twice he had made up his mind to destroy it, but each time he had repented at the last moment.  In a sudden revulsion at his weakness he pulled himself together, crumpled the dirty missive into a ball, and flung it out upon the white rim of beach.

At this action there came a quick movement in the dense wall of verdure behind him.  Noiselessly the tangle of vines separated and a head thrust itself out in time to see the bit of paper fall short of the water’s edge.  Then the head shot back as swiftly and as silently as a serpent’s.  Perhaps Captain Plum heard the gloating chuckle that followed the movement.  If so he thought it only some night bird in the brush.

“Heigh-ho!” he exclaimed with some return of his old cheer, “it’s about time we were starting!” He jumped to his feet and began brushing the sand from his clothes.  When he had done, he walked out upon the rim of beach and stretched himself until his arm-bones cracked.