“There’s only one thing to do, when a voice appeals to you like that—investigate,” said Jim.
“Yes; we must find out who it is,” Gerald readily agreed.
“But you boys mustn’t venture down the mountainside alone,” said Aurora. “No telling what will happen to you. No, no; you stay here and answer the voice. Then maybe the person will be able to find his way to the camp.”
“I’m not so sure we want him in camp,” said Aunt Betty, grimly.
“Well, the least we can do is meet him half way,” was Jim’s final decision.
Dorothy, who knew the boy, felt that further argument would be useless, particularly as Gerald seemed to agree with everything Jim said.
“But you have no revolvers,” protested Aurora. “It is nothing short of suicide to venture off into the darkness unarmed.”
“That’s right; we didn’t think to bring any fire-arms with us,” Gerald said, turning to Jim. “But we’d have a hard time finding anything to shoot in the dark, so I reckon we may as well get a couple of stout clubs and see who that fellow is.”
Two poles that had been found too short for the purpose of erecting the tents lay near at hand, and searching these out, the boys bade Ephraim not to leave the women under any circumstances and started down the side of the mountain in the direction from whence the cries had come.
“Help, help!” came the voice again, like a person in mortal terror.