“I don’t like that much, but I’ll stand it for your sake. I’ll even things up at the supper table. A Boy Scout should learn to suffer when it can’t be helped.”
“I’ve found out the same,” replied Mike with a significance which his companion did not catch; “I hope we shan’t starve to death.”
“No danger of that,” remarked Hoke, not absolutely certain that some such calamity did not threaten them.
Mike Murphy like a philosopher made up his mind to accept the inevitable. It seemed to be decreed by fate that he should have this young man as a companion throughout at least this day, so what was the use of kicking against it? Besides, it was not impossible that where there was so much eagerness on the part of Hoke to help, he might be able to do so in the strange task Mike had laid out for himself.
One pleasing fact about the intruder was that he never lost his way. He pointed out the direction in which the lake lay and Mike took care not to let him know he himself had believed that an altogether different course led to it. Pausing on the shore they looked out upon one of the most beautiful and romantic bodies of water to be found in a region which abounds with them. Both saw the canoe laden deeply with three men which was heading for a point to the westward of Dr. Spellman’s home. The boys studied it closely, but the distance was too great to identify the old man, and his companions were strangers.
Mike had told young Butler nothing of his experience of the day before, nor did he do so now. Whatever Hoke was able to do in the way of aid he could accomplish as well while ignorant as if he knew everything.
“Would it be too far, Hoke, for ye to walk wid me round the end of the lake to the spot where the canoe wint from sight?”
“It’s a pretty good walk, Mike, but it’s nothing so long as I am with you. I can’t think of anything I wouldn’t do to please you.”
“I could, but I’ll not mintion it,” grinned Mike as they resumed their course with Hoke in the lead.
The forenoon was half gone when they came to the western end of the lake and changed their course so as to follow the curvature that would take them to the northern shore. All the time they were in sight of the water, which they examined at intervals in quest of other boats. While the home of Dr. Spellman, as we remember, was invisible from the lake, it was easy to locate it by the thin wisp of smoke which filtered through the tree-tops. The same could have been said of Uncle Elk’s cabin had there been any fire burning.