Out came the moon again, sailing into a clear field.
But Jack no longer stood there on the little beach. He had taken time by the forelock, and slipped among the rank growth; so that although Josh strained his eyes to the utmost, not the faintest sign of his comrade did he discover.
Jack’s idea, of course, was to reach the vicinity of that tumbledown shack. In his mind, that must be the central point of interest in the game. He fully believed, though he had not mentioned the fact to the rest, that the attempt to frighten the boys off with such a ridiculous show of a pretended spirit waving them away, was meant to cover this cabin.
What did it all mean? Why should any man, or set of men, wish to keep others from prowling around that rickety building? Surely, any one with common sense would hardly think to occupy it for a night’s refuge. The open air would be far more preferable in every way.
Still, Jack was positive that there was something in connection with this same cabin that moved the unknown parties to endeavor to influence an early departure on the part of the motor boys.
And he wanted to know what that mystery might be.
That was why he had come ashore so silently. It also accounted for his creeping along through the bushes as carefully as he knew how, avoiding the trail which he and Josh had followed on that other occasion.
It took him considerable time to draw near the vicinity of the cabin, because he wanted to go without making any noise; and he was not positive but that hostile eyes and ears might not be on the alert.
Twice some sudden little sound close by had sent a thrill of alarm through his heart. But nothing followed, and he realized that these noises must have been made by some little animal, disturbed in his retreat by the creeping past of the intruder.
Jack had made a discovery before he was more than half way between the beach of the cove and the cabin. There was a light inside the old building! He could see little glimpses of it through what must be holes in the walls, where the chinks between the logs were open, the mud having fallen away in the process of decay.