Hour after hour passed, during which period they twice encountered slight rapids, up which they waded with the canoes instead of portaging. All were tiring rapidly, for not only was their number reduced by the absence of Dick and Art, and the work made correspondingly heavy, but in addition they were traveling now on reserve strength, as prior to making the last camp they already had done a big day’s work.
Farnum, however, pushed ahead until at the end of four hours of travel they came to the shore of a small lake. Here, in a secluded cove, convenient to the stream on which they had been traveling, they were about to make camp, when Frank approached Mr. Hampton and Farnum and indicated an island a half mile away.
“Isn’t that smoke over there?” he asked, pointing.
Farnum stared, and in a moment his keen eyes confirmed Frank’s observation. Mr. Hampton put up the field glasses which he always carried strapped to him, and also saw the smoke. But he saw something more—a skin kayak drawn up on the shore of the island.
“Hard to tell from that what sort of man is camping out there,” said Farnum, when informed of the kayak. “Everybody uses ’em in this country—Indian, Eskimo, and the occasional prospector. That smoke doesn’t indicate a big fire. Must be only one man, or maybe, two. Let’s investigate. If we decide to make camp out there, well, that island would be a good place and it would be hard to surprise us there if we kept guard.”
Once more, paddles were plied, and the two canoes cut diagonally across the waters of the lake towards the island. As they approached, Farnum raised his voice in a hail. A moment later an answering shout came back. Then a figure stepped from the trees to the little stretch of sand upon which the kayak was drawn up and stood, watching their approach, hand shading eyes against the glare of the sun, head bare.
“Great Godfrey’s ghost,” exclaimed Farnum in a low voice, turning his head slightly to address Mr. Hampton, “it’s a policeman.”
“What?”
“A member of the Northwest—of the Canadian Mounted Police.”
“What’s he doing here?”