Chapter I: Front Matter

{Illustration: cover}

THE BOYS OF THE "PUFFIN"

BRITISH BOYS' LIBRARY
_Titles uniform with this volume_

THE WAY OF THE WEASEL
(A Public School Story)
_John Mowbray_

GENERAL JOHN
_Evelyn Everett-Green_

DICK'S DARING _A. H. Biggs_

SLEEPY SAUNDERS _Rowland Walker_

LOYALTY BOB _Walter Copeland_

THE HON. MASTER JINX
_Rowland Walker_

BROWN A1 _E. M. Stooke_

THE YELLOW PUP
_Evelyn Everett-Green_

THE MYSTERY OF STOCKMERE SCHOOL
_Percy F. Westerman_

THE LITTLE DUKE
_Charlotte M. Yonge_

----
S. W. PARTRIDGE & Co.,
4, 5 & 6, SOHO SQUARE, LONDON, W.1

{illustration: "'DON'T LET IT BUMP ALONGSIDE, WHATEVER YOU DO!'"
[_P_. 36}

THE
BOYS OF THE "PUFFIN"
A SEA SCOUT YARN

By
PERCY F. WESTERMAN

Author of "The Mystery of Stockmere School,"
"Sinclair's Luck," etc.

_Illustrated by_
G. W. GOSS

{illustration: logo}

S. W. PARTRIDGE & CO.
4, 5 & 6, SOHO SQUARE, LONDON, W.1.

MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE
I. THE DEPUTY SCOUTMASTER . . . . . . . . . . . 7
II. A LONG PASSAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
III. "LET ME OUT, OR----" . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
IV. THE MIS-SPELT WORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
V. THE PERIL IN THE FAIRWAY . . . . . . . . . . 32
VI. TO SCUTTLE HIS SHIP . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
VII. THROUGH THE FOG BANK . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
VIII. THE DESERTED STEAMER . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
IX. TOWED INTO PORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
X. A SURPRISE--AND AN ARREST . . . . . . . . . 63
XI. THE MYSTERIOUS VISITOR . . . . . . . . . . . 66
XII. ADRIFT--THEN AGROUND . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
XIII. A SUCCESSFUL RUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
XIV. ON THE TRACK OF THE "PUFFIN" . . . . . . . . 87
XV. THE FISHING EXPEDITION . . . . . . . . . . . 93
XVI. CATCHING A TARTAR . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
XVII. THE ATTACK ON THE "FROLIC" . . . . . . . . 106
XVIII. CLEARING UP THE MYSTERY . . . . . . . . . 112
XIX. THE SHIP-KEEPERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
XX. THE CURMUDGEON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
XXI. THE MISSING BIRDS . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
XXII. FIRE! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
XXIII. CAUGHT BY THE SQUALL . . . . . . . . . . . 141
XXIV. OVERBOARD! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
XXV. SAFE AND SOUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

"DON'T LET IT BUMP ALONGSIDE WHATEVER YOU DO!"
_Frontispiece_

_Facing page_
THE SQUAT LITTLE TUG LOOMED UP, HER CREW
AUGMENTED BY SIXTEEN WILDLY EXCITED SEA
SCOUTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

A WELL-DIRECTED THRUST ENABLED BRANDON TO
REDUCE THE NUMBER BY ONE . . . . . . . . . . . 108

THE FIERCELY FLOGGING MAINSAIL THREATENED TO
SWEEP THE SEA SCOUT FROM HIS PRECARIOUS
POSITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

The Boys of the "Puffin"