a faint
murmuring sound.

"Do you know what that is?" The boys looked at each other. "I think,"
continued the Professor, "that must be the falls."

"Then why not turn to the left and go directly to the river?"

They did so, and within fifteen minutes the river was in sight. A
further trip of ten minutes brought them to the foot of the falls, where
the boat had been deposited nearly five months before and which had so
mysteriously disappeared, only to be recovered by them and again lost by
accident, as detailed.

A search along the river bank failed to reveal any trace of the tree
overhanging the stream, where the oars had been placed, and instead the
river washed out a small bay. All along the banks were evidences of
washouts which piled up driftwood every place along the shore where
there was a root or snag which would hold the accumulations. The
Professor wandered down the stream, pulling out and examining pieces of
the limbs, to find, if possible, whether there were any evidences of the
drift having been cut by human agencies.

So far as could be seen, the limbs had all been broken, not cut, and
this was a relief, in a sense. The South River drained a large part of
the island, and it might rightly be inferred that the driftwood in a
stream of this kind, if it flowed through a region inhabited by man,
would show some signs which they might interpret.

As they were returning George pointed across the river at a peculiarly
shaped log, or what appeared to be portion of a large tree. The river at
this point was about seventy-five feet wide. The Professor was silent
for some time. "My eyesight is not of the best, but it does not look to
me like a tree."

"I can easily swim the stream," and Harry had his clothing off in short
order, and plunged in. Gaining the other side, he drew himself up, and
without touching a thing in and about the debris, called out excitedly:
"It is a boat, something like our life-boat! Yes; it is exactly like our
boat!"

"Can you dislodge it? If not, I'll come over."

"Never mind, I can manage it, I think."

The interior of the boat was filled with accumulated material of all
sorts, principally leaves and bark, and when it had been lightened of
all that weight Harry put his shoulder against the stern, and soon
succeeded in dislodging it from its seat against the tree which held it
a prisoner.

Just before he had it in a position to launch the Professor called out:
"Don't put it in th