“How could they have gone?” Fritz asked, who would have been glad to have this hope to cling to.
“Aboard some ship that came to these waters,” Captain Gould replied; “one of the ships which must have been sent from England or perhaps another vessel which arrived off the island in the ordinary chances of navigation.”
This theory was possible. And yet there were many grave reasons to suppose that the desertion of New Switzerland was not due to any such circumstance.
Fritz spoke again.
“We must not hesitate any longer. Let us go and look!”
“Yes, let us go!” said Frank.
Fritz was just preparing to go down again when Jenny stopped him.
“Smoke!” she said. “I think I can see smoke rising above Rock Castle.”
Fritz seized the telescope and turned it towards the south; for more than a minute his eye stayed glued to the instrument.
Jenny was right. Smoke was passing across the curtain of green, above the rocks which enclosed Rock Castle to the rear.