"Have the police been there?" asked Bob.
"You can bet they've been there," said Mr. Waterman. "A party left Escoumains the very day we were there."
They were a picturesque party as they set out. Pierre was the only one left behind. Jean, Jack and Joe were there; Joe with his little pointed hat, mackinaw and shoe pack, looking all the world like the pictures of the old voyageurs that one sees in the illustrations of the early French occupation of Canada. With the three guides, Mr. Waterman, Mr. Anderson, and the three boys, there were eight in the party. Mr. Waterman led the way, taking Bob in his canoe. Jack had Pud with him, Jean was paired with Bill, while Mr. Anderson and Joe brought up the "honorable rear," as they say in Japan. In their blue shirts, khaki trousers, bandanna handkerchiefs around their necks and shoe packs, they looked ready to tackle a journey to James Bay. In fact, Jean and Joe had both made the trip to James Bay and back, over the Great Divide almost due north of Tadousac, going first up the St. John River from Chicoutimi. They would have been quite willing to make the trip again but, no doubt, they would have objected to the presence of the boys on such a trip. Such a canoe journey needs real woodsmen and is not for novices such as the boys were.
They were soon over into the lake from which the path led to the spy's cabin. Mr. Waterman steered straight for the trail. They got out and were soon over the short divide and into the big gulch. They found the cabin still standing and apparently with everything just as it had been left by them. When, however, they came to the wireless on the top of the mountain, they could not find a trace of it. It had been taken away entirely. The boys enjoyed the view from the top of the mountain.
"I almost believe that in clear weather Field and his mates could recognize the ships on the St. Lawrence if they had strong glasses, as they most probably had," said Mr. Waterman.
"Yes, it's so clear to-day," said Mr. Anderson, "that your idea seems not only possible but very probable. This was a very fine place for such a purpose. They could read the wireless messages that were sent from vessels going or coming from Quebec, and if they could get out to the United States now and then they could very easily keep their Government informed as to the movements of the British vessels, at least the most important vessels plying in and out of Quebec."
In a short time they were down the mountain and at the cabin once more.
"I must come in here some time and look for the outlet of this gulch," said Mr. Waterman. "There is quite a big watershed here, and the fact that there is no lake shows that there is a good outlet. Unless this outlet is underground it will lead down to either the Portneuf River or the Escoumains or some lake that empties into one or other of these streams."
"Have we time to look for it now?" asked Mr. Anderson.
"No," was the reply, "I have planned the trip for the week and it will be best to make a day's trip here just for the purpose."