"Say, sounds to me as if somebody was in trouble!" exclaimed Sam.
"Perhaps we had better go and see," returned Tom.
"All right, but we don't want to get into trouble ourselves. Those fellows, whoever they are, or at least one of them, seems to be armed."
"We'll take a few stones along, Sam, and a couple of sticks, too, if we can find them."
Stones were to be had in plenty, and having picked up several of them, and cast their eyes around for a couple of clubs, the lads lost no time in making their way towards the spot from whence the voices had proceeded. This was at a point where the river made a turn and was divided by a long, narrow island into two channels. The island was covered with brushwood, while the banks of the stream were lined with overhanging trees.
"Now, I am going to shoot him!" cried one of the voices which the boys had heard before.
"No, don't do it, just wait a minute!" answered some one else.
"Maybe they have got some poor fellow, and have robbed him," suggested Sam, as he and his brother hurried forward as quickly as the trees and tangled brushwood would permit.
"One thing is certain, that fellow, whoever he is, is in trouble," returned Tom. "Perhaps we had better yell to those other fellows to stop."
"If we do that, they may shoot the poor chap, and then run away."