“Why yais, dis mawning early I was ober to de udder side. Ah go to look at de Polly Ann cos it wuz dark when we leabed her.�
“Then it was the track of your foot I saw on the shore,� laughed Raynor, much relieved, and he explained to the mystified Pompey the “Robinson Crusoe� incident.
As they neared the hut, Noddy came running to meet them. As he saw who was with Pompey, he broke into an exultant yell.
“Whoopee! Gee, ain’t I glad! Bill, old socks, I thought you wus off in de boats wid Terror an’ dat crew. Come on in an’ tell us all about it.�
Raynor found a cheery fire burning in an old iron stove inside the hut, which was lighted by a ship’s lantern Pompey had had the foresight to bring from the schooner. It looked quite cozy. Pompey soon cooked a good supper and made boiling hot tea, to which they all did ample justice.
Then they all had to tell their stories over again, both the boys and Pompey, too, shouting with laughter over the wild chase the frightened colored man had led Raynor across the island.
“Some day you’ll see a real blown-in-the-panel ghost,� chuckled Noddy, “and then you’ll jes’ naturally lie down and die of scare.�
“Ah seen ghostesses, real ones afore now,� affirmed Pompey with dignity, “ah see two ob dem on board dat Polly Ann. Right den ah knowed dat dat l’il schooner wuz goin’ ter git busted. Yassah.�
It was agreed that in the morning they should all go to Raynor’s camp by boat, and bring his provisions and so forth, round to Camp Hope, as they decided to christen the hut. After the exertions of the day, they were disinclined to sit up late, and having made up a roaring fire, they turned into their blankets, of which Pompey had brought a big supply, and were soon asleep.
It must have been after midnight that the boys were awakened by an appalling yell from Pompey.