by Morgan Scott
CHAPTER XXI
THE CAMP ON THE ISLAND.
Under the western shoulder of Turkey Hill the shadows were deep andheavy, and, the path being dim and faint from rare use, it was necessaryfor the party to proceed slowly. They did not talk much, and when theydid speak their words were uttered in low and guarded tones.
Several times, Piper, in the lead, paused to make sure they had notwandered from the right course. The others seemed to rely almost whollyupon Billy, and no one thought of superseding him in the leadership.During one of these pauses, Cooper, who had halted with Springer a shortdistance behind the others, pulled at Phil's sleeve and whispered in hisear:
"Say, old man, don't you think it's about time we told all we know aboutthis business?"
Springer gave his body a queer sort of a shake.
"What gug-good will that do?" he whispered back. "It won't help fuf-findHooker."
"No, but it may help us after he's found."
"I don't think so; it's tut-too late."
"Why too late?" persisted Chipper.
"Because everybub-bub-body would know we were just scared into it,that's all. It wouldn't help us a bit, Chip--not a bit, to tell it now.If Piper thought it would do any good you bub-bet your life he'd havetold already."
"Perhaps you're right," sighed Cooper; "but it's an awful load on myconscience, and I'd like to get it off my system."
"Come on," Piper called back in a low tone. "We're all right. This isthe way."
They went forward again, turning presently to the left and descending tothe lower ground at the border of the broad marsh. The trees became morescattering and the thickets grew thinner. Before long they saw themarsh, spreading out before them, silent and strange and uninviting inthe moonlight which flooded its expanse of pools and reeds andbrushwood, amid which a few scraggy dead trees rose here and there. Inthe midst of the expanse was a bit of higher ground, covered by a growthof small, dark, evergreen trees. This was the "island" on which stoodthe old camp where Piper hoped to find Roy Hooker. From knoll to knoll,in a zigzag course, led the path, the pools and marshy places bridged byfelled trees and brushwood.
"I'm afraid you won't find him there, Piper," said Nelson.
Cooper, hearing the words, muttered for Springer's ear:
"I'm afraid we will."
Despite their caution in proceeding, at one point, Grant, breakingthrough the brushwood bridge with a cracking sound, plunged one leg tothe thigh between the two lengthwise supports and drew it forth soakingwet.
"This yere trail," said the Texan, "is sure some unreliable andtreacherous."
Those who reached the island first waited for the others to come up.They stood there whispering and listening, but hearing no sounds toassure them that the one they sought was near.
"As he's deranged," said Piper, "we want to take care not to frightenhim more than possible, for it's likely he'll be scared and run when hesees us."
"He can't run fur," declared Crane, "without plungin' head over heelsright into the swamp."
"And that's what we don't want him to do; it might be his finish. Wemust prevent him from running away when we find him."
"When we find him," muttered Nelson. "But something tells me we won'tfind him here."
Slowly they pushed forward toward the center of the island. In a fewmoments they came to a small opening and paused again, before them theold camp huddling in the shadows of a thick grove which rose closebeside it. The place was dolefully silent and forbidding at that hour. Abreath of wind, sweeping across the island, set up a sudden rustling,which was accompanied by a sound that put their nerves on edge.
That sound was like a low, harsh moan or groan, and it seemed to comefrom the sagging, deserted camp before them. Some shrank back shivering,while others appeared eager to rush forward.
"He's there!" breathed Nelson. "That must be he!"
Springer stooped and placed his lips close to Cooper's ear:
"Sus-sus-sounded to me like sus-sus-some one dying," he chattered.
"Let the others go ahead," gasped Cooper. "I don't want to find himfirst. I don't want to see him. I'd like to get away this minute."
With his arm outstretched and the palm of his hand turned backward torestrain his companions, Billy Piper advanced swiftly on his toes.Within a few feet of the shanty structure, he saw that the door wasstanding open. At that moment another gust of wind rustled through thetrees, and immediately the harsh moaning sound was repeated.
"It's the door," declared Billy, enlightened. "The wind moves it andmakes the old hinges creak."
"My Jinks!" mumbled Crane, in great relief. "I thought it must be himsure; I thought it was Roy. Mercy! I'm all ashake."
Stepping boldly to the black doorway, Piper struck a match, but a gustof wind extinguished it. Immediately he lighted a second match,shielding the tiny blaze with his cupped hands. Close behind him crowdedthe others, seeking to look over his shoulders into the camp when theblaze should be sufficient to reveal the interior of the place.
Having protected the match until it burned brightly, Billy held it outbefore him and slightly above his head, shifting his curved hands untilthey served as a reflector for the tiny flaring light.
The shanty contained only one room, which seemed to be quite empty anddeserted, save for an old broken table and a few crude pieces offurniture. There were shadows in the corners, but none of these seemedsufficient to hide a human being.
The flame scorched Billy's fingers, and he dropped the match, which, abent and glowing coal, floated zigzagging and spiraling downward, burstinto bits as it struck, and died out.
Some one behind Piper drew a long breath. "I don't reckon he's here,after all," said the voice of Grant.
"There's something white lying on the floor," declared Billy, withsuppressed excitement. "I saw it just as I dropped the match."
Lighting another, he stepped forward and picked the thing up. It was adamp cloth, and with it in his hand he retreated into the moonlightoutside.
"What is it? What is it?" questioned the boys, pressing around him.
Billy held it up. "Looks to me like a wet towel that had been woundround something and fastened into place with safety pins," he said."That's what it is, too. Fellows, Hooker may not be here now, but he hasbeen here--he certainly has. This proves it."
"How do you make that out?" asked Osgood, doing his best to appear ascalm as would seem consistent.
"This towel proves it," reiterated Piper. "It couldn't come here withoutbeing brought, could it?"
"No; but I don't see----"
"It's wet. It's the very towel that was used to hold the ice compress onRoy's head."
"If that's right," said Nelson swiftly, "he must be near. Perhaps he'shiding close by in the bushes. We must search every foot of thisisland."
"Every inch of it," agreed Piper, "and we want to be about it rightaway. Let's fall back to the place where we came on, and begin there. Wemust spread out and then advance together. There must be some systemabout it."
Following his directions, they began the search on the island. It wasdark, pokey work in the midst of the thicker growths, but, nevertheless,they did it with an amount of thoroughness that made it seem impossiblefor them to overlook a person seeking to hide on that small patch of dryland. Yet, when they had covered it all and reached the western sidebeyond which the swamp lay impassable for a person afoot, they had foundno additional token of Hooker.
"Too bad," said Nelson, discouraged. "He isn't here. He can't be here."
"It doesn't seem possible," admitted Piper, "yet this towel is sureevidence that he has been here."
"He must have gone away before we came," was Osgood's opinion. "I don'tbelieve he could have dodged us after we got on to the island."
Almost with one accord, they turned to Piper.
"What be we goin' to do next, Billy?" asked Crane.
"Let's take one more look into that old camp," suggested the leader,who, although he did not admit it, was almost at his w
it's end. "I knowwhere there's an old pitch-pine log, and we ought to get a piece of thatto serve as a torch."
The log, which had been partly hacked up for firewood, was found, and aslender resinous strip was torn from it. Lighting one end of this stripof wood, Piper fanned it into a bright flame, and, bearing it in hishand, boldly entered the shanty.
The torch revealed nothing they had not previously seen, but it did givethem complete assurance that the boy they sought could not be hidingthere.
"Yes, he got away, that's sure," said Nelson; "and there's only one wayby which he could do it. He had to go back as he came."
"And therefore," said Billy quickly, "he must be in the woods somewhereyonder. That's where we should look for him now."
"Perhaps," ventured Crane, "he's near enough to hear us. Oh, Hooker!Hey, Roy!"
Piper sprang at him savagely. "Stop that, you idiot!" he snarled. "Stopshouting that way! What are you trying to do?"
"Why, I thought he might hear me."
"Yes, he might and be frightened into fits. No more of that foolbusiness, Sile. Keep still and come on. We'll get off right away and dothe best we can hunting for him over yonder."
Over the treacherous crossing they returned to the solid ground beyondthe border of the swamp. Looking backward, Cooper tugged at Springer'ssleeve.
"Now I'm afraid we _won't_ find him, Phil," he confessed. "I'm afraidnobody will find him tonight. And when they do, it wouldn't surprise meif they dug his body out of this old swamp."