CHAPTEK X. 



THE MYSTERY OF EAST KEY. 



Tom has a remarkable adventure The mysterious stranger The 

 surprise Following up the trail General Tom leads the army 

 Pirates and doubloons Jack Tier The sea-horse Small 

 conchs Collecting shells. 



OM'S adventure with the 

 Portuguese man-o'-war did 

 not tend to render sleep- 

 ing on mangrove and bay-cedar 

 leaves an easy matter, conse- 

 quently he was up long before 

 sunrise, and to pass the time be- 

 fore breakfast he wandered 

 down the beach, listening to the 

 musical ripple of the waves as 

 .they broke upon the sands like 

 so many bell notes. 



He had walked possibly a quarter of a mile 

 along the beach, when, seeing an opening in the 



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