at--going not so fast now--crossed their line of vision and finally
rounded the end of the island on which the two chums believed the queer
old man resided. At least, somebody had uttered the strange, shrill cry
from that very spot.

"Oh, dear! If we were not marooned here!" grumbled Helen.

"What would you do?"

"If we had a boat--even a canoe--we could follow that motor-launch and
see if those pirates make a landing."

"Pirates!" repeated Ruth.

"Smugglers, then. Your own Chess Copley says they may be smugglers, you
know."

"I wish you would not speak in that way, Helen," objected Ruth. "He is
not my Chess Copley----or anything else."

"Well, he certainly isn't mine," retorted Helen, with more gaiety. "I
can't say I approve of him--and I long since told you why."

"I believe you are unfair, Helen," said Ruth seriously.

"Dear me! if you don't care anything about him, why are you so anxious to
have me change my opinion of 'Lasses?"

"For your own sake," said her friend shortly.

"I wonder! For _my_ sake?"

"Yes. Because you are not naturally unfair--and Chess feels it."

"Oh, he does, does he?" snapped Helen. "I hope he does. Let him feel!"

This heartless observation closed Ruth's lips on the subject. The two
girls watched the other island. They did not see the boat again. Nor did
they see anybody on the island or hear any other cry from there.

They both began to grow anxious. No boat appeared from the direction of
the camp, and it was past the hour now when Willie was to have called for
them with the _Gem_. Why didn't he come?

"Of course, Mr. Hammond doesn't expect us to swim home," complained
Helen.

"Something must have occurred. Totantora's being sent off so suddenly
really worries me. Perhaps Mr. Hammond himself was obliged to leave the
camp and perhaps he went in the _Gem_, and Willie cannot return for us
until later."

"But where is Tom? Surely he must know all about this sudden trouble."

"What was Tom going to do to-day?" asked Ruth quietly.

"Oh, that's so! I had forgotten," said Tom's sister, in despair. "He was
going around to Oak Point with some of the men. That's down the river,
beyond Chippewa Point, and they could scarcely get back in the other
motor-boat before dark."

"That's the answer, I guess," sighed Ruth.

"Then we are marooned!" ejaculated Helen. "I do think it is too mean--and
my goodness! we ate every crumb of lunch."

"The two 'Robinson Crusoesses,' then, may h