After that the boys did not talk quite so volubly; possibly some suspicion may have entered their minds that perhaps things were not quite so peaceful as they appeared on the surface; and that Thad might know of some reason for expecting a new batch of troubles to descend upon them.
Allan kept sitting there, gun in hand. He was waiting to receive some sort of sign from Thad, to tell him his presence was desired once again out there beside the tree where they had previously conferred.
It seemed a very long time before he caught a movement there, and then saw the hand of the scout-master beckoning to him.
"Stay here, as Thad wants to talk with me," he told the rest, after which he strode forth to join the other.
"Well, did you find out anything?" he asked, the first thing.
"Only this," replied Thad, solemnly, "the island is occupied by a party of several rough men, who have a boat in a sheltered cove over there, and a cabin half hidden among the rocks and brushwood; but the mystery of it all is, what they may be doing here, and why they look on us as enemies!"
CHAPTER XIX
BAD NEIGHBORS
"It seems to be getting worse and worse, the further we go, don't it, Thad?" Allan asked, after he had had time to digest the startling information which his chum had imparted, as they stood there within the outer edge of the glow cast by Giraffe's camp-fire under the overhanging ledge of rock.
"Looks that way," replied the other, seriously enough, for he did not exactly like the situation.