Mildred dried her eyes, and then began scrutinizing the shore of the island. “Where is that boy who tried to warn us?” she asked.
“Dummy? I declare! he’s skipped out,” Billy said. “Now, Dan! what do you think? Didn’t I tell you he was living on this island?”
“And guarding a buried treasure—eh?” chuckled the older boy.
“I’m going to see him—and talk to him!” declared Billy, earnestly.
“Not that he’ll be able to talk to us—eh?” queried his brother.
“Well, he can make himself understood somehow,” said Lettie, taking up the idea. “Come on, Billy! let’s find him.”
Mildred looked at Dan as though she thought he might forbid the search; but he did nothing of the kind. “Let the young ones run their legs off, if they want,” he said to Mildred, as Billy and Lettie climbed the rocky shore of the island. “I bet they don’t catch that dummy.”
“Why?” she asked, in wonder.
“He’s too blamed elusive,” declared Dan, hard at work mending the cordage that had been ripped loose by the collision.
Dan flung aside his coat to be less hampered. Mildred held things for him, and helped as she could until, when Billy and Lettie came back—disappointed—the iceboat was in some sort of shape for the start back.