"Put here for a purpose," he thought. "Can it be an explosive!"
Internally Dave became immensely excited. Coolly, however, though carrying the dubious object as though it were an egg, he proceeded to the ship's rail nearest the shore.
Dave set the object gently on the rail, climbed over, took it up again, and, holding it above his head in one hand, dropped into the water.
The splash, slight as it was, aroused the watch. Two men came hurrying to the rail.
"Hold on, there," challenged one of them.
"It's only me--Dave Fearless," came the retort promptly, "cooling off--a little swim, that's all."
"You pick a fine time for it."
Dave laughed. He liked water, and swam with one hand, came ashore, and went past its fringe of brush to a clearing.
"Now then," said Dave, with a great sigh of relief, at a safe distance from the ship, "burst, if you want to!"
Dave had set the object he carried down on the ground. He stepped back a few feet and surveyed it suspiciously.