Not a word was spoken while the boys and the captain waited for the two men to approach. It was plain that they were walking toward the place where the motor-boat was anchored, although what their errand was neither of the boys understood.
At the same time George felt of the letter in his pocket. The strange epistle had not only puzzled the boys but somehow they were unable to free themselves from the thought that it was directly connected in some way with the approaching man.
At that moment George pulled the sleeve of his friend and excitedly pointed toward the lake. Not far from the shore a swift little motor-boat was passing and when George whispered, “That’s the little Jap at the wheel, I’m sure it is,” the excitement of both boys became more intense.
Abruptly the two men who had been approaching when they discovered that the boys were not alone, turned and walked along the shore in the direction in which the motor-boat, driven by the Japanese, was moving.
“There!” exclaimed Grant “We had our run for nothing. Those men didn’t want us.”
“I’m glad you are so well informed,” said George, still watching the departing men as long as they could be seen.
“Well, boys,” said their captain, “it’s about time for us to start on. If we are going to find your friends we have got to get busy or we shan’t get back to Mackinac Island to-night.”
His words at once were heeded and the search for the missing boys was quickly renewed.
George and Grant walked along the shore maintaining a careful outlook for their friends, or for any signs that would indicate that they had been there not long before. Occasionally the boys advanced into the island, but in every case they returned without having discovered any traces of their missing companions. In this way much of the afternoon passed and the sun was sinking lower in the western sky when the captain said, “There isn’t much use in trying any longer, boys. We must be starting back.”
Both George and Grant were depressed now for they had been working busily throughout most of the day and all their efforts had been unavailing. The missing boys had not been found nor had anything been discovered to indicate that their friends had even landed on Western Duck Island.