"Perhaps some picnic children left that here," decided Eugenia. "No other sign of mortal habitation about."
"Yes, here is a child's shovel and pail, and a lot of child's play tools," said Helen.
"Relics of the same outing party," commented Louise. "Just see if you can't dig up something more humanly tangible, Helen."
Dusk made the woods almost dark, and lest they should stray too far inland Mae was to give signals on her police whistle. Three short and two long would mean "hurry back." Occasionally they stopped to listen for the call.
"Some child has been digging here very recently," insisted Cleo. "This sand and clay are damp yet."
"The picnic might have been to-day," Louise replied.
"You're not very encouraging Weasie. Just see how deep this hole is, and how it is being dug—like—a tunnel."
Every one followed Cleo's plea for an investigation, and at each turn they seemed to come upon more toys and tools, such as little boys play with.
"And here's another sign," called Helen. "On yellow paper, too."
This brought the scouts to close attention. The sign was evidently an attempt at a message, and carried the same words "Peter Pan" and "Bring me to Mamma," but with it was a pathetically written word "Please," through the letters of which were crudely drawn, by surely a childish hand, the quaintest little flowers.