No Man's Island

by Herbert Strang

  CHAPTER XIV

  A CIRCULAR TOUR

  Fatigued though they were, the boys lay long awake in the room Mrs.Rogers provided for them, discussing the situation into which they hadbeen thrown by the fire, and their plans for the future. They had savednext to nothing but their clothes. If they were to start another camp anew tent--almost a complete new outfit--would be necessary. Prattsuggested that they should accept Mr. Crawshay's offer and take up theirabode with him until the mystery of the island had been solved; but thisidea was opposed by the others, Armstrong in particular pointing outthat they would stand a better chance of success if they remained moreclosely in touch with their former encampment.

  "We must do our best to throw the beggars off the scent," he said. "Ifwe rig up barbed wire round our new camp, they'll imagine we're merelyon the defensive, and the longer we keep up that illusion, the better."

  "I agree," said Warrender. "There can't be the slightest doubt now thatsomething is going on on the island that they'll stick at nothing toprevent our discovering. We've got to make them believe we can't seefarther than the ends of our noses, so we must keep quiet, pretend wethink the fire was caused by our cigarettes--anything to put them offtheir guard. But, of course, we must take the first opportunity ofmaking another search in the ruins. It's as plain as a pikestaff thatthat moaning sound is artificial; that is to say, they've got some sortof an instrument rigged up that catches the wind just when they wish,and only then. And that signal must have something to do with theirschemes; I'm inclined to think you're mistaken, Armstrong, and it's notS.O.S. at all."

  "Perhaps," replied Armstrong.

  "I stick to it that Molly Rogers or Rod is in distress," said Pratt."Rogers was a seaman, and there's nothing unlikely in his sister knowingsomething of Morse. I had a passion for ciphers at one time, and mysister Joan was very keen on it, I can tell you. Anyway, we'll askRogers in the morning."

  They got up to a late breakfast. Rogers brought them their bacon andeggs, and they were struck by a peculiarity in his appearance.

  "I say, Rogers, what's happened to your beautiful auburn locks?" askedPratt.

  The innkeeper looked profoundly depressed.

  "I begged and prayed the missus, but 'twas no good," he answered. "Shewill have me wear a nightcap at night, and my hair by day, no matter howhot it be. I said as every one will laugh at me, and she said as healthcomes afore feelings."

  "A very wise woman. Still, as a mere matter of scientific curiosity,we'd like to know how that brown became apple-green."

  Rogers snatched off his wig and held it out with a gesture ofindignation.

  "'Tis a trick of some blessed young scug in the village, and if I catchhim I'll give him all the colours of the rainbow. I did but set my hairon a pea-stick while I was digging yesterday, the missus being out forthe day. I own I forgot it, and when, come night, I thought I'd betterput it on, bless me if I could find it. Half an hour after I'd closedthe door the missus came home. 'Here's a parcel on the doorstep,' saysshe, and then she undoes it, and gives a shriek. 'You wicked man!' saysshe: 'you've done it just to rile me.' As if the cussed thing warn'tbad enough brown, for one to want it green! Of course I telled her ashow I'd put it down and missed it, and she went on like one o'clock,said I'd have to wear it, green or blue, and I'd better stand out in thefirst shower of rain and see if it'd wash clean, and 'twould be a lessonto me. Don't you never go bald, young gentlemen: 'tis the way to breakup a happy home."

  "Hard luck, Rogers," said Pratt. "But the colour will soon wear off.You'll be piebald for a bit, I dare say--sort of mottled, you know; butnobody will think the worse of you. I say, you and your sister weregreat pals, weren't you?"

  "Till the missus come along, sir."

  "And no doubt you taught her how to splice ropes and reef sails, andmake signals, and all that?"

  "There you're wrong, sir. The lass don't know more than a babby aboutsuch things; and as for signals, I don't know nothing about 'em myself."

  Pratt looked crestfallen.

  "One theory exploded," remarked Armstrong.

  "Did 'ee signal for help last night?" asked Rogers.

  "Well, we----" Pratt began, but Warrender interrupted him.

  "No, we hadn't time," he said. "The fire came on us too suddenly. Bythe way, we shall have to buy some new things. I suppose Blevins canprovide us with a tent?"

  "Surely, sir; he've most everything somewhere about. I always thoughtno good 'ud come of camping on that island. There's a fate in it."

  "How long has it had this ill name?" asked Armstrong.

  "Not so long, sir. You see, nobody bothered much about it after the oldman died years ago. It didn't belong to no one, seemingly; there wasnothing to take any of the folk there; and 'twasn't till a month or twoago that they began to talk of sperits. Nick Rush came in all of atremble one night--he'd been away for a bit--and said he was setting asnare there when he heard most horrible groanings and moanings. He tooksome of the folk along, and they heard 'em too, and ever since then thevillage have give it a wide berth. You're well out of it, that's what Isay. Not as ghosts carry matches, though; I reckon 'twas one of youyoung gentlemen a-smoking as did the mischief."

  "A lesson to us, Rogers," said Pratt, gravely. "Smoking is a very badhabit, according to our masters at school--who all smoke likefurnaces--they ought to know."

  They had hardly finished breakfast when Mr. Crawshay drove down to theferry in a light trap, crossing on foot.

  "It's true, then," he said, as he entered the parlour. "I knew nothingabout it until an hour ago. A lighted match, they say."

  Pratt got up and closed the door.

  "Let them say, sir. We were burnt out."

  "You don't say so! Upon my word, it's time something was done. Haveyou lost much?"

  "Almost everything but our clothes."

  "Scandalous! Then you'll come up to the house?"

  "We'd rather keep to our arrangement, sir," said Warrender. "It willgive us a better chance of running the fellows to earth. We think ofmaking a thorough search on the island. The difficulty is that we can'tdo it by daylight; we are sure to be watched, at any rate for a day ortwo. There's another difficulty. They're sure to keep their eye on ourmotor-boat and dinghy; it will be too risky to use them. Of course, wecould swim the river, but it would be a bit of a nuisance."

  "I can help you there. You had better not use my skiff, but I've an oldNorwegian pram in one of my outhouses----"

  "A what, sir?" asked Pratt.

  "A pram--a sort of abbreviated punt. At one time I used it for fishingon the river. It's small and very light; two of you could carry it.You had better fetch it yourselves; my men might talk in the village. Ihave set them clearing a camping-place for you, by the way. It's abouthalf-way between here and the island. But I can't lend you a tent."

  Warrender explained that he proposed to buy one of the general dealer.

  "Very well," said Mr. Crawshay. "I shall expect you to lunch. We'lltalk over things then more at leisure."

  While Warrender went off to do the necessary shopping, Armstrong andPratt, in the dinghy, set out for their new camping-place. It lay onthe shore of a little natural bay some fifteen yards deep and about halfthat width. Mr. Crawshay's gardeners had already mown the long grassand lopped some of the lower branches of overhanging trees. A tenminutes' walk through the wood and across fields brought the two boys tothe house, where Mr. Crawshay had already arrived. Having seen thatnone of his men were about, the old gentleman led them to the outhousein which he kept his pram; and by the time that Warrender, conveying hispurchases in the motor-boat, reached the new encampment, the others hadcarried the odd little craft across the fields, and found a securehiding-place for it in the wood a little distance from the bay, almostopposite to the north end of the island, near a spot convenient forlanding under cover of the trees. With it Mr. Crawshay had lent them acouple of light o
ars.

  After erecting their new tent--a sorry specimen compared with the onethat had been destroyed--they went up to the house for lunch, discussedtheir plans with Mr. Crawshay privately in his study, and returned tofence the camp with barbed wire and get things in order. So far therehad been no sign of the enemy; but in the course of the afternoonArmstrong climbed a tree from which, unobserved himself, he could obtaina view of the opposite bank of the river, and discovered withoutsurprise that a spy was lurking among the bushes. No doubt all theirostensible proceedings had been watched, and they congratulatedthemselves on the illusion of mere defensiveness which theirbusiness-like activity must have created.

  During the remainder of the day they were careful not to depart fromtheir usual procedure. They had an early supper; when they had clearedaway and washed up, they placed three oddly assorted and shabbydeck-chairs, purchased from Blevins, in front of the tent, and whileArmstrong and Warrender read newspapers, Pratt warbled sentimentalditties to the accompaniment of his banjo.

  Just before dark Pratt and Armstrong went into the tent to go to bed,while Warrender perambulated the camp armed with a thick club. The spinof a coin had decided that he should remain on guard while the otherspaid a nocturnal visit to the island.

  About midnight, when it was quite dark, the two raiders crept out of thetent, and striking inland for a little, made their roundabout way to thespot where the pram was hidden. Reconnoitring carefully, to assurethemselves that their movements had not been followed, they lifted thepram, lowered it gently into the water, and pushed off, floating on thetide near the bank, and steering with one oar in the stern. They struckthe shore of the island about midway, seized a projecting branch, anddrawing their craft into the bank, pulled it up among the reeds at theedge. Then they started to cross the island.

  It was pitch-dark in the thicket. Spreading roots and trailing bramblestripped their feet; their faces were lashed by the foliage as theypushed their way through; thorns caught at their clothes. It wasdifficult to avoid noise. Twigs snapped underfoot, branches creaked andrustled, and every now and again there was a strident shriek of rentclothing as they tore themselves from the embrace of some clingingbramble. Heedless of the obstacles, hot and weary, they ploddeddoggedly on, and presently, after making unconscionably slow progress,they emerged upon the bank of the river. The stream looked much widerthan they had expected.

  "Whereabouts are we?" whispered Pratt.

  "We've come too far south, I fancy," returned Armstrong.

  They peered up and down, trying vainly to discover some landmark. Theystood listening; there was breeze enough to cause the moaning, but theyheard no sound except the rustle of the leaves and the gentle gurgle ofthe tide. They cast about, taking wary steps up stream and down; hopingin one direction or the other to come upon the wilderness garden.

  Suddenly Pratt whispered: "I say, this isn't a tidal river, is it?"

  "No; it always flows down," replied Armstrong. "Why?"

  "Because----"

  And then he stopped.

  "Look here," he murmured to Armstrong behind him.

  Armstrong looked, and there, at Pratt's feet, was the dark shape of thepram, nestling in its bed of reeds.

  "Hang!" exclaimed Armstrong. "We've been going in a circle."

  "Just so. Everybody does it!" said Pratt, with a chuckle. "I suspectedit when I noticed the way the stream was flowing."

  "Nothing to chortle about," Armstrong growled. "We've had all ourtrouble for nothing. Absolutely waste time!"

  "But look how we've enlarged our experience! I think I'd like to be atraveller, like my old uncle. I've read about these circular tours oftenenough, but never believed in 'em. Why can't one walk straight in thedark?"

  "Ask your grandmother! I'm fed up; scratched all over, too. I'll nottry this again without a luminous compass. Let's get back."

  It was nearly two o'clock before they trudged wearily into camp.

  "Any luck?" asked Warrender, still doing sentry-go.

  Pratt related what had happened.

  "Well, I'm glad for once I lost the toss," said Warrender, smiling."We'll certainly get a luminous compass, and I fancy we'd be the betterfor a few lessons from the Boy Scouts."