“I do,” replied John quickly. “It is that man that we saw on Cockburn Island. It is the same one that came over to Mackinac. What do you suppose he’s coming here for?”
“You know just as much about it as I do. If we keep still we may be able to learn more in a little while.”
The excitement of the watching boys did not decrease when they saw the man, who now they were convinced was indeed their recent reluctant host on Cockburn Island, step quickly ashore and then draw his boat up on the beach.
Apparently the presence of the other skiff had not yet been noted. Indeed, the boys were quite confident it had not been discovered, as the place where they had landed was around a little bend in a small cove.
The actions of the man, however, soon became more mysterious and puzzling. Out of his pocket he took a small package and seating himself upon a rock he proceeded to open it.
There were occasional flashes of light that were reflected in the eyes of the boys, although neither were able to discover the contents.
After carefully refolding the package the man restored it to his pocket and then advancing toward the higher bank stopped for a moment there and peered intently all about him.
Apparently satisfied that he was unobserved the mysterious stranger then advanced rapidly toward some woods in the distance. He had, however, gone only a part of the intervening distance when another man was seen approaching from the midst of the trees and in a brief time the two men met.
There was a hasty consultation which greatly interested the boys, although they were unable to discover its purpose. They were convinced, however, or at least Fred was positive, that there had been an exchange of packages made by the two men and then instead of returning to the shore the man whom they had been watching advanced beside the stranger and soon both were lost to sight within the borders of the woods.
Meanwhile the motor-boat had been left in charge of the man who had come to the island with the mysterious visitor.