“I’d like to know how?” demanded Josh. “Expect him to interview that thing, and get a written confession? I’m just wondering what we’ll run up against if we’re bound to stay here in this cove another night.”
“Piffle!” scoffed Nick. “What about guns, hey, tell me that? Ghosts don’t appear to like guns much, do they? Jack says not, and Jack, he ought to know. Stay here? Of course we will; a week, two of ’em, if we feel like it!”
“Oh! yes, how brave some people are in the middle of the day, when the sun’s shining,” jeered Josh. “But wait; that’s all! I expect to see you get the scare of your life tonight, don’t you know. If that thing gets real mad, and digs in for us you needn’t bother worrying about taking on any more fat, because you’ll shake that hard you’ll lose pounds and pounds! But let’s wait till Jack comes back, and find out what he’s discovered. I’ve got a good notion to follow him ashore, if I can pull up the anchor and beach the Comfort. Watch how I manage it.”
[CHAPTER X—FOLLOWING A TRAIL]
Josh found his little plan was not hard of accomplishment. All he had to do was to push the Wireless around, after letting out all the cable connected with the anchor, when he was able to jump ashore.
He took with him another rope that was fastened to the stern of the motor boat, and this he fastened to the nearest tree. Now, when he wanted to go aboard, all he had to do was to unfasten this latter hawser, climb over the side, and draw the Wireless back to her original anchorage.
“Good boy!” cried Nick, who had been a close observer of this clever little game. “You go up head. When it comes to dodges like that, you take the cake.”
It was not often that Josh heard a compliment from this source, and he had to stop and wave his hand toward the cook of the Comfort, before following after Jack.
He had not gone twenty feet before he discovered the object of his concern, who appeared to be bending over something that seemed to greatly interest him.
“Hello! there, what’ve you found, Jack? Signs of a diamond mine, or traces of the ice age they tell us about?” Josh demanded, as he reached the side of the other.