“Here is a starting point,” called Miller, “but how far it extends into the swamp it is impossible to say.”
“Ve vill soon find ouid,” said Fritz.
“Yes, come along, Fritz. I’ll take the lead, as I am lighter and more active than you.”
“All righd.”
They started into the swamp, and proceeded slowly and cautiously. The path crooked this way and that, winding and twisting about, but gradually extending deeper and deeper into the swamp, and the two felt encouraged to proceed.
“Mebby ve reach der island afder awhile,” said Fritz.
“Yes, I hope that we may be able to do so,” was the reply. “Or at any rate, I hope that we may get close enough so that the intervening space may be bridged over.”
“Yah, dot vould be all righd.”
On they went, slowly and carefully. At some points the path was not more than a foot in width, but so long as they had that much solid ground under their feet they were well pleased.
On and still on into the swamp they went, and when they had penetrated a quarter of a mile, and had stopped a few minutes, to rest and try to figure out the continuation of the path, they suddenly heard a voice calling, it seemed, for help.