he
forest. They had dropped down to rest, when Phil heard a longed-for
murmur. It tinkled and splashed and gurgled. Phil was on her feet again
in an instant, running toward the noise, her companions close after
her.

There, in an open space, lay a pool of clear water, fed by a little
stream that ran down a small embankment. At least it was a place of
hope and refreshment, and they drank their fill of the clear, cold
water. Somewhere near they must come across a house. Surely the island
was not uninhabited.

Here the party divided, continuing the search in four directions. It
was Lillian's call that brought them together again.

She stood in front of a small house. It was built of shingles, and the
roof was made of cedar boughs. About a hundred feet off was another
house of exactly the same kind. There was no sign of life anywhere
about them. The paths in front of the doors were overgrown with weeds.

The five women knocked timidly on the first door. No sound came from
behind it. They knocked again, then crossed over to the second house.
It, too, was deserted. There was nothing to do but push open the doors.

The first rusty latch yielded easily. The house contained a single
dirty room. There was no furniture, except one or two old chairs. The
four corners of the room were filled with hemlock branches, which must
once have served as beds. A rusty rifle leaned against the wall. Beside
it lay a box half filled with cartridges. An old iron pot rested on
some burned-out ashes. The place did not appear to have been occupied
for some time. The other lodge was furnished in much the same way.

"What does it mean?" inquired Miss Jenny Ann faintly, feeling her
courage about to give out. "It can't be possible that we have come
ashore on an untenanted island?"

Phyllis clapped her hands. "Never you mind, Miss Jenny Ann; here is our
home in these little houses until some one comes to find us," she
declared undaunted.

"Hurrah for Phil!" cried Madge, catching her chum's spirit. Then,
seeing the chaperon's expression, she went up to her and put her arms
about her. "See here, Miss Jenny Ann, you are not to worry over us. We
are going to have a good time. As long as we have got into this scrape,
let's make the best of it. Don't you see it is rather a lark. Of
course, I am sorry that our families and friends will be so dreadfully
worried about us. But some one is sure to rescue us in a few days. We
can keep our signals of distre