"Where is he?" asked Cub and Bud in chorus. Hal was at the table and the other two boys were listening-in.
"I don't know," replied the operator. "One of you boys go on deck and see what you can see."
Cub dashed up the companionway two steps at a time. In a few moments he returned with the announcement:
"There's an open stretch of four hundred yards ahead of us. He's probably on the island at the other end. I'm going back on deck and watch for developments."
There was a speaking tube communicating between the pilot house and the cabin and through this Cub kept his boy friends acquainted with the progress of the search. They reached the island in question, but not a sign of human life was discoverable on it. The motor boat passed around it, and meanwhile the radio-compass found the strength of its receiving directly down stream. Cub communicated this condition to the cabin, and Hal dot-and-dashed the following to "VAX":
"Where are you? We can't see you."
"I saw you," was the reply. "I climbed a tree and saw you headed right for this group of islands."
"No, no," objected Hal. "It must be another yacht."
"Aren't you a white cruiser with awning mid and aft, and pilot house on bridge deck?" asked "VAX".
"Yes," answered Hal.