They had passed nearly halfway when Giraffe beckoned to the leader, without saying a single word, upon which Thad of course hastened toward him.
When the lanky scout pointed to the ground, Thad immediately turned his eyes in that quarter. He was not very much surprised at discovering the plain imprint of a shoe there in the soil.
“George made it,” said Giraffe solemnly, “because there’s that old rag tied about his foot, as we’ve always found it. And, Thad, of course you notice that he was heading up country when he passed by here?”
“Yes, that’s certainly a fact, Giraffe.”
“Showing he came down out of his tree, and went on after we passed him. Davy was right when he said he believed he could see signs in that last hemlock as if some one had broken the bark with his heels. It was Wandering George, all right; and this time we’ve got him ahead of us. We’ll not let him give us the slip again; and it’ll be something of a joke to get a tramp at each end of the island. But what are you thinking about, Thad, to look so serious?”
“I was wondering whether anything could have happened to our two chums, Giraffe.”
“Oh! you must mean Bumpus and Smithy!” ejaculated the lanky scout, with a quick intake of his breath, as though a thrill had passed over him at the same time; “but, Thad, they had a gun, you remember; and if they kept on the watch, as you told ’em, what could happen to hurt the boys?”
“I don’t know, only it bothers me,” replied the other; “and if we can hurry on any faster now I’d like to do it.”
The word was passed along the line, and after that they tried to increase their speed, though trying not to neglect their work, if it could be avoided.
As they drew closer to the region where the camp had been made, Thad was conscious of feeling a strange sensation in the region of his heart, which he could not wholly understand.