"The launch?" ejaculated Harold Bird. "Do you mean my gasoline launch?"
"It must be yours—or some craft very much like it," answered Tom.
"There, it is out of sight now behind the trees."
Tom waited for fully a minute, but the launch did not reappear.
"Who was on board?" questioned Dick, as his brother came down.
"I couldn't make out."
"Which is the way to the spot where we tied up?" asked the young
Southerner, impatiently. "We must investigate this without delay."
"Over that way," answered Tom, pointing the direction out with his hand. "Come, I think I saw a good way to go."
Then all of the party struck out to reach the landing-place without delay. They felt that something unusual had occurred, but what, they could not surmise.