They could perceive some one standing there and waving a handkerchief aloft on a stick. The faint sound of his call was sufficient to interest the boys at once, and without uttering a word they began to row swiftly in that direction. Bert was peering eagerly at the figure of the man standing on the rock, and as soon as the sound of the hallo became a little more distinct, he said in a low, intense voice, “I believe it’s Ben, boys. Give him the school cheer, and let’s see.”
The boys stopped, and the school cheer rang out, and then they waited a moment in breathless suspense for the response.
Faintly across the water came the answering cheer, and then, half laughing and half crying, Jock said, “Did you ever see such a fellow in your lives? It’s just as Bob here says. Ben can get into more scrapes, and get out of them too, than any chap that ever lived.”
“Never mind that part of it now,” said Bob, quickly. “Give way, Jock, and let’s go for him. Of all his scrapes this is the worst.”
There was no mistaking the reaction now as the boys swept over the river, making every stroke tell. As they approached the point, they perceived Ben seated on one of the rocks, and leaning upon his paddle as if he was the most unconcerned spectator of their movements. Quickly the skiff was sent ashore, and as Bert leaped out, Ben, who had not stirred from his seat on the rocks, said,—
“I must say, fellows, you have taken your time. I didn’t know but you were going to leave me here all night. I’ve travelled clear around this island three times since I landed, and I haven’t seen a boat or a man. I thought I was Robinson Crusoe for certain, and done into modern English.”
“Oh, Ben,” said Jock, in a trembling voice, “don’t talk that way. You don’t know how frightened we were. We started out to search for you just the minute we got back to camp, and when we found that canoe of yours empty and floating down the river, we didn’t know what had happened—”
“Did you find my canoe?” interrupted Ben, eagerly.
“Yes, yes,” said Jock, laughing in spite of himself.