“I want to come, too,” said Freddie.
“Not now,” his mother told him. “It is too far for a little boy. Perhaps you and Flossie may go to-morrow. You stay and help me make the camp ready for night.”
This pleased Freddie and Flossie, and soon they were helping their mother, one of the sailors doing the heavy lifting.
Meanwhile Bert, his father and the others walked on through the woods, around to the other side of the island. They found the place where Cousin Jasper’s boat had struck the rocks and been wrecked, and Mr. Dent also showed them the place where he and Jack stayed while they were waiting for a boat to come for them.
“And here is where we set up our signal,” cried Mr. Bobbsey’s cousin, as he found a pole which had fallen over, having been broken off close to the ground. On top was still a piece of canvas that had fluttered as a flag.
“But why didn’t Jack leave it flying, to call a boat to come and get him when he found you gone?” asked Mr. Bobbsey.
“I don’t know,” said Cousin Jasper. “This is very strange. I thought surely we would find Jack as soon as we reached the island. It may be that he has been taken off by some fishermen, but I think I would have heard of it. And he was here about a week ago, for Captain Harrison saw him, you remember he told us. Well, we must look further.”
“And yell and yell some more,” added Bert. “Maybe he can hear us now.”
So they shouted and called, but no one answered them, and Cousin Jasper shook his head.
“I wonder what can have happened to the poor boy!” he said.