“We might miss something in the dark,” he said.
“Probably you mean, that is, if there’s anything to miss,” Jack agreed.
In half an hour Bob declared that it was light enough and they started off through the thick forest paralleling the shore of the lake. They went very slowly searching every foot of the way for some sign that would serve as a clue: a fresh foot print, a newly broken twig or some other indication of the recent passing of human beings.
“It’s been so dry lately that I’m afraid foot prints wouldn’t show anyway,” Bob declared after they had gone about a hundred rods and had found nothing.
“If we only had a nose like a dog’s now we might be able to do something,” Jack added.
A few minutes later Bob stooped and picked something from the ground with an exclamation of satisfaction.
“What is it?” Jack, who at the moment was a few feet behind him, asked.
Bob held out his hand and in it was the stump of a cigarette about an inch long.
“Huh, is that all?”
“But it means that someone has been here.”