by Quincy Allen
CHAPTER VII--EXPLORING THE ISLAND
Again the bushes moved. Undoubtedly there was some person or animaladvancing in the direction of the twin tents, with the intention ofsecuring a coveted article of food.
Frank never moved, only watched, and presently he chuckled softly tohimself, for he had caught a glimpse of two yellow, glowing balls oflight that shone in the semi-darkness under the trees like globes ofphosphorus.
"Our first wildcat, come to see what sort of fellows have invaded itsterritory. Well, I believe in giving all strangers a warm reception, andhere's to you, old chap."
As he thought thus he gently began to elevate his gun. The invadermeanwhile had continued to advance until its whole crouching figure wasplainly outlined.
HE DODGED JUST IN TIME TO ESCAPE THE FURIOUS LEAP OF AWILDCAT.]
The crash of the gun brought the other three out of the tents in a madscramble, under the impression that either the wild man or the twohoboes had invaded the camp.
"Where are they? Let me get a crack at the scamps!" shouted Jerry.
There was an angry snarl, and he dodged just in time to escape thefurious leap of a wildcat that had been crouching on some part of thelower bluff, entirely unseen by the sentinel.
Jerry was as quick as lightning with his gun. He whirled around and letgo almost before any of the others had discovered what object it was hehad dodged.
"Talk to me about that, will you," exclaimed the marksman, as theriddled "varmint" tried to leap again, and fell back to breathe itslast; "where was Frank all the while--what did he fire at, tell me?"
"This," remarked the other, quietly, stepping forward and picking up amonster of a bobcat that had lain, unnoticed by Jerry, amid the leavesstill covering the ground from the previous Fall.
"Two of the critters! What do you know about that--a pair the very firstnight! Well, I reckon this old island was well named, after all. Nowonder the boys never wanted to land here, even in the daytime. But I'drather it was cats than wild men, or thieving hoboes."
After a search had failed to reveal any more of the "pestiferous cats,"as Jerry delighted in calling them, the three boys crawled back undertheir blankets again, for the night air felt chilly, after beingsnuggled down so warmly.
No more alarms came that night, and later on the sky cleared, allowingthe moon full sway.
As daylight advanced long before Jerry's watch was over, it became apart of his duty to resuscitate the fire, and begin to get ready forbreakfast.
They had laid out numerous things to be done on this day. First of allit was decided that two of them must hunt in company; and even thoseleft in camp were not to separate more than they could help. Of courseit might be necessary for one of the stay-at-homes to launch a canoe andtry the fishing, if they expected to extend the variety of food in thelarder; but there must be no solitary wandering about the strangeisland.
Frank and Jerry were chosen to make an exploration that day. They couldstart in and easily go around the island, exploring every part of it,and learning considerable about its secrets.
If the tramps were really hiding here, possibly some evidence of theirpresence would be found, the embers of a fire it might be.
Frank was somewhat provoked about the happening of the preceding night,and even thought it might be advisable to move the camp away from thatbluff. The others convinced him, however, that they were just as safethere as in any other locality, and so he did not persist in this idea.
He did climb to the top of the bluff to examine the ground. Here Jerryjoined him after a little.
"Any signs?" asked the latter, swinging over to where Frank knelt.
"Plenty. Here they crouched and watched us."
"Then there were more than one?" asked Jerry, eagerly.
"You can see the marks of two separate pair of shoes; and one of themsmall enough to belong to your Waddy Walsh. I think you said he was asquatty chap, and used to boast of his delicate hands and feet,"continued Frank, pointing.
"You're right. And that settles one thing. The hoboes stole our kettle,and not any wild man. I reckon they're a little afraid of us, seeingwe're armed, and they may not be. Wonder what they thought we wereshooting in the night?"
"All I hope is they'll give us a wide berth after this. If they keep ontrying to make us feed them, it's going to spoil our outing some, Ifear," remarked Frank, as he started to descend the bluff again.
After a serious consultation the party separated.
Frank and Jerry started off along the shore, heading to the west.
"If all goes well look for us some time before sunset. We've got a lunchalong and want to do the job up brown while we're at it, you know," saidFrank, as he turned to wave his two comrades farewell.
"Good luck!" called Bluff, who was washing the dishes.
Snap!
"I've got you as you appear starting off on the great exploringexpedition, fellows. If by any evil chance you never show up again, thatpicture will be cherished by your relatives," called Will.
"Talk to me about your croakers, will you? That's a pleasant send-off,now," said Jerry, as he fell in beside his chum, and lost sight of thecheery camp.
They found the going rather rough at times, and what with climbing overobstacles and cutting a passage through creepers that trailed down fromthe trees at such times as they pushed in from the shore, progress wasrather slow.
At noon they had not gone more than a third of the way around theisland.
"Here's a good place to rest. I move we sit down, eat our grub, and takea few winks. I didn't get much sleep last night, and feel dopy,"remarked Jerry.
Truth to tell, Frank was not unwilling to comply. He was sleepy himself,and the April sun seemed unusually warm at this time of day.
"Just as you say. That snack of crackers and cheese and cold tonguewould strike me about right. Down it is, then," he replied, dropping onthe green grass.
They drank from the lake when thirsty, for the water was pure and cold.After finishing their frugal meal the two lay back to rest. Frankwatched the clouds passing over for a time, but finally his eyes closedand he slept.
"Here, get up!" he heard some one say close to his ear.
Jerry was yawning and stretching. The sun seemed to be pretty well downthe first half of the western heavens.
"How long have we been asleep here?" demanded Jerry, curiously.
"I'm ashamed to say several hours. It's now three," laughed his comrade.
"Then we'd better be on the jump if we expect to get around the blessedold island to-day. I won't hear of going back after starting out withsuch a grand hurrah."
Frank was quite of the same opinion. Accordingly the two pedestriansbegan to move along their way, following the shore line save in certainplaces where something out of the usual run attracted their attention.
All the while they were on the keen watch for any signs that wouldindicate the presence of human beings on the island.
Being able to keep track of their progress by watching the shore of themainland, they knew when they had reached a point half way around.
"Now we're on the home stretch," announced Jerry, as he looked over thelake in the direction of its southern terminus, not more than a quarterof a mile off.
"But the worst is yet to come," laughed Frank, simply to hear Jerrygroan, and not because he really believed it to be the case.
A short time later they were tempted to enter the depths of the timberagain to investigate some curious formation that Frank believed might bean Indian mound.
"I'd like to dig into it some time, and satisfy my curiosity," hedeclared.
"It makes a bully support for a fellow's tired back, I know," saidJerry, as he spread himself upon the ground.
"Well, take a little rest, then, while I examine that other rise overthere. It looks larger than this one, and if my suspicions prove truethere ought to be a jolly lot of relics dug out of these mounds."
"All right, Frank, I'm agreeable. Don't forget me, and go back to
campalone, you know," said Jerry, laughing, as he stretched himself out.
"I declare if the fellow isn't thinking of taking another nap. Well, wemay see fit to keep you on duty the whole of to-night, so prepareyourself."
With which warning Frank walked away. He arrived at the larger mound,and was so deeply interested in examining the same that the minutescrept along unheeded. He heard the cries of hawks quarreling in somenearby tree; then again sounds as of small animals snarling came fromthe brush beyond; but Frank paid little heed to any of these things.
Finally he aroused himself.
"Come, this won't do. I must get back to Jerry, and we'll have to dosome hustling to reach the camp by dusk," he exclaimed.
When he arrived at the other mound he was surprised not to find his chumlying there sleeping. Jerry had vanished in a most incomprehensiblemanner!
At first, Frank thought the other might be trying to play one of hispractical jokes upon him. He called, but there came back no answer.
Then he dropped down to examine the ground, having been tutored by thePenobscot Indians of the northern woods; and, finding tracks, he knewthat the worst had happened. Jerry had undoubtedly fallen into the handsof their foes!
