h all sorts of wild conjectures as
to the meaning of this new mystery.

"They must have," replied Thad; "because they've been around since we
were. Fact is, as you can see for yourselves, boys; here's where the
imprint of that marked shoe has half covered Smithy's track. And of
course that could mean only one thing."

"You're right, it could," admitted Davy, easily convinced.

Smithy looked around at the undergrowth, out of which they had just
pushed. No doubt his imagination was working at full speed, and he could
see a face leering out from behind every scrub bush. Smithy was at least
a great reader, even if he had until lately never been allowed to
associate with other boys; and likely enough he had spent many hours
over Stevenson's "Treasure Island" and kindred stories of adventure. And
being of a nervous temperament, the consciousness of hovering peril
acted on him to a much greater extent than it did in the cases of his
fellow scouts.

"But where do you think they could have taken the boat, Thad?" Smithy
now asked, as he stared out on the waves that were sweeping past so
merrily, and could see no sign of any craft.

"Perhaps gone around the island, hiding it in some place they know
about; or it might be they've just sunk the canoe out in deep water
there," replied Thad.

"Sunk their own boat!" remarked Smithy, in bewilderment; "now, please
explain to me just why they would want to do so remarkable a thing as
that, Thad?"

"So that we couldn't have the use of it to get back ashore again; and
our comrades over there mightn't be able to come over," was the reply of
the young scout-master.

"Do you mean they've made up their minds to try and keep us prisoners
on this terrible island?" asked the other.

"It looks a little that way to me right now, Smithy; fact is they've got
me guessing good and hard what they do mean by that sort of thing.
Perhaps they want a certain amount of time to make their escape, and
expect to get it by keeping us cooped up here. The question now is,
shall we let them carry that scheme out?"

"Not if we know it, we won't," Davy spoke up, and declared in his
positive way. "Why, I think I could manage to get over to the mainland
somehow, with that log there to help me. The wind and waves would carry
me along, you see, Thad; and I could do my clothes up in a bundle and
keep 'em dry. Seems to me that's the kind of work for a scout to try,
ain't it?"

"A pretty good idea, Davy," admit