“Now that’s a funny proposition,” the boy mused. “Why should those lights be hidden in this out of the way lagoon, and why should they pop out like that?”
Captain Joe, following close at the boy’s heels, now forced his way through the underbrush to the water’s edge and began uttering a series of low growls. Clay whistled softly but the dog refused to return. In a moment he ceased his verbal demonstrations and lay still, looking across the lagoon to the other shore.
“What’s the matter with you, Captain Joe?” Clay demanded in a whisper. “If you see some one who might have produced those lights, why don’t you say so? And don’t make so much noise about it, either!”
The dog advanced a few feet into the water until his shoulders were well covered and then backed out again. All this time his snarling muzzle was directed toward the opposite bank.
Directly he came out of the lagoon and crouched down at Clay’s feet.
“There’s something going on here, dog,” Clay whispered, patting Captain Joe on the head, “and we’ll just settle down right here and find out what it is. All you’ve got to do in order to help out is to keep still.”
The dog nodded his head knowingly, and the two crouched down in the darkness of the thicket to listen and to watch.
While they waited, the lights of the Rambler showed farther up, and Clay understood that something unusual was in progress there.
“They might as well invite that saloon boat to come sailing in here as to turn on those lights!” Clay muttered. “There must be something serious or they never would illuminate the Rambler in that way.”
Captain Joe now began moving restlessly about, and finally started up the lagoon toward the motor boat. Clay followed slowly, and soon came within the circle of light from the deck. He found Case and Jule looking over the gunwale.