“No,” said Sleuth, “you’re wrong; it’s this way.”
But, fearing to be left alone on that terrible island, he turned and followed Rod.
In a few moments they discovered Springer in the act of launching the canoe, and Grant shouted at him angrily.
“What do you reckon you’re doing?” cried the exasperated Texan. “Are you trying to run away and leave us, you coward?”
Phil’s face was almost ghastly, but he paused and waited for them. “I wasn’t gug-going away,” he declared.
“It sure didn’t look like it!” retorted Rodney sarcastically.
“I was just gug-going to get the canoe into the water and wait for you,” explained Springer. “I’m gug-glad you’ve come. It isn’t raining yet, and——”
“But it will be right soon. We’re due to get a drenching if we start out.”
“We’ll get a dud-drenching if we stay here.”
“We might,” suggested Sleuth, with pretended bravado, “succeed in finding poor shelter beneath the thickest pines.”