The next day the boys were treated to another surprise. As was their custom when the weather and their duties permitted, they went in bathing, and while diving Fred noticed a peculiar knocking sound under water. He called the attention of the others to this, and each cadet heard it quite plainly.
“It must come from the same place as those other noises we heard,” declared Jack.
“I move we make a real investigation!” cried Andy. “Let’s ask for a day off and scour the woods thoroughly.”
“That’s the talk,” cried Fred.
The others were willing, and received permission to go out two days later, the party consisting of the four Rovers and Gif and Spouter. They took their lunch with them, and also some canteens of water, expecting to be gone until nightfall.
There was quite a discussion as to how they should start the investigation. Some wanted to go along the base of the cliff at the water’s edge, while others were for making their way through the forest. The latter suggestion prevailed, and they started near the point where Randy had first heard the strange noises.
The young cadets tramped hither and thither among the trees and over the rough rocks for four hours without coming upon anything unusual. They stirred up a number of birds and small animals, but that was all.
“Looks like a wild-goose chase,” remarked Jack, when they sat down to rest and to eat their lunch.
The climbing over the rocks had been very tiring, and all of the lads were glad after eating to take their ease for a while.
Randy was resting on his side, wondering whether it would be worth while to play a trick on Gif and Spouter, who were but a few feet away, when a movement among the trees at a distance attracted his attention. He sat up, and as he did so felt certain that he had seen a man moving along.