“This is an odd looking island,” Jule observed. “The land seems to be shaped like a horse shoe.”
“There are numerous odd-shaped islands in the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. You can see easily enough how this peculiar formation came about,” Clay observed, “some forest fire burned the timber out of the center of the island. When the roots and stumps died out, the river carried the soil away. If the big trees on the two arms of the island should be cut down, the river would eat the soil away in a very short time.”
“Well, what are you going to do when you get over to shore?” asked Alex.
“I’m going to sneak down to where the lights show, and see what it is that makes them.”
“All right,” Alex said with an aggrieved air, “while you’re out having fun with the blue lights and the dog I’ll go to bed.”
“Oh, come along if you want to,” Clay laughed.
“No,” Alex replied more cheerfully, “I think I’ll go to bed. You boys can blunder around all night if you want to.”
The boy made his way to the cabin, and Clay warped the boat toward the north shore. In a few moments the keel seemed to strike bottom and then the boy examined the bank with a searchlight. All was clear so he sprang lightly across the narrow stretch of water and disappeared in the darkness.
The three blue lights were still observable not far from two hundred yards from the boat. They lay in a straight line up and down the lagoon.
The boys heard Clay making his way through the thicket for a few moments, and then all sounds on the shore ceased.