There was still a little ice in the lake, but they rowed to the spot without great difficulty and made their way to the tumble-down cabin.
It was not an inviting sight and it made Joe feel sober to view the locality.
“Joe, you never heard anything of that blue box, did you?” asked Ned, after several minutes of silence.
“No.”
“It ought to be somewhere in this vicinity.”
“It's gone, and that is all there is to it,” said our hero, and gave a long sigh.
The boys tramped around the vicinity for a good half hour, and then sat down on a hollow log to eat a lunch they had brought along.
“Let us build a fire beside the old log,” said Ned. “It will help to keep us warm.”
Joe was willing and the two boys soon had some leaves and twigs gathered, and placed some good-sized branches on top to make the blaze last. Then they began to eat and to warm themselves at the same time.
“This log would make a good hiding-place for some wild animal,” remarked Ned. “Can anything be inside?”