“Looks so,” agreed Rob.
“Now, then,” exclaimed the professor, as they stood at the base of the pine, which appeared to have been blasted by lightning at some remote period, “now then, one of you boys pace off four hundred feet to the west.”
Rob drew out his pocket compass and speedily paced off the distance. This brought them into a sort of clearing. It was small, and circular in shape, and dense growth hedged it in on all sides. By this time the boys were fairly quivering with excitement, and their elders were not much behind them in eager anticipation.
“Now, three hundred to the north,” ordered the major.
“We’ll have to plunge right into the brush,” said Rob.
“All right. Go ahead. In a few minutes now we shall know if we’re on a fool’s errand or not.”
The former army officer’s voice was vibrant with emotion.
Followed by the others, Rob pushed into the brush, pacing off the required three hundred feet as accurately as he could. All at once he came to a halt.
“Three hundred,” he announced.
As they looked about them a feeling of keen disappointment set in. Tall brush was hemming them in on all sides. No trace of a stone man, or anything else but the close-growing vegetation, could be seen.