back contents forward {{frabfp154.png}} || eagles of the sky || CHAPTER XVIII THE MASTER CROOK One thing Perk noticed with more or less satisfaction as they drew closer to the surface of the water was the fact that quite a stiff breeze seemed to be blowing out of the north. The waves were running up along the shore with ocr> considerable vigor and. noise while the dead fix> considerable vigor and noise while the dead leaves hanging from the palmetto trees fringing the bank above the meagre beach kept up a loud rustling, such as would effectually drown any ordinary splash made by the contact of their pontoons with the surface of the lake. Conditions could hardly have been more favorable for an undetected landing--the time was late, so that it hardly seemed as though any one would be abroad, the moon kept dodging behind successive clumps of dark clouds that had swept up from the southwest and everything seemed to be arranged just as Jack would have wished. Perk had received instructions from his mate to keep on the watch for certain landmarks that would serve to tell them they were not far [[154]] back contents forward