“Yes, I must have imagined it,” Rosie admitted. “Still when I try to make myself believe I didn’t see anything, something inside tells me I did.”
“Let’s look about,” Arthur suggested. They scattered exploring; diving into bush clumps, and peering behind rocks. Fifteen minutes went by.
“Well we’ve found nothing.” Arthur ended the search as he had begun it. “Let’s go back and eat lunch.”
“Oh let’s!” begged Harold. “I never was so hungry in all my life.”
“Nor I!” “Nor I!” came from the others. Maida alone remained thoughtful. She led the file, however, back to the waterfall. And it was she who suddenly stopped and called, “Look! Look what’s happened—” She stopped as though her breath had given out.
CHAPTER XIV THE TERROR
In the midst of the clearing, the paper tablecloth still lay on the ground, a great shining rectangle of white. Scattered about, crumpled, soiled, or torn were the paper napkins. Everything else, even the ice cream from the freezer, had disappeared.
“Why, who took it?” Arthur demanded in a dazed voice. “Who could have taken it?” he went on in a puzzled one. “Is any one of you playing a joke?” he asked suddenly of the others.