As Neil and Jack reached the edge of the dunes, they detected a dramatic shift in the atmosphere of the island. Previously, the boys had been lit by brilliant sunlight, where the warm sand was beneath their feet and the sound of seagulls was near at hand. The sky was blue, the shadows were sparse, and the island had seemed to be anything but threatening.
As they neared the forest, however, they could tell that something had… changed. Most significantly, it felt as if something in the air itself had transformed. They exchanged a nervous glance with one another, each of them wondering if perhaps it was simply their imaginations (which were admittedly quite vivid) that were running away with them.
But as each of them searched the face of their friend, they could see they were experiencing the same gut reaction - and they had learned to trust such intuitions.
Most telling, however, was Nibbler’s change in behavior. As he neared the forest, the Labradoodle’s posture underwent a subtle adjustment. He went from his happy, tail-wagging gallivant into a more cautious gait, slowly going forth.
Nibbler carefully placed each paw upon the ground, and his ears folded back against his head with concentration. Furry shoulder blades slowly switched back and forth as he proceeded, furiously sniffing at his surroundings. His head stretched forward, and his snout quivered about, ingesting the scents that lay upon the air.
Perched between Nibbler’s shoulders, Murphy sat, clutching the Labradoodle’s curly fur in order to retain a firm grasp upon his unconventional steed. He had also adopted an expression of great interest as they approached the forest, eyeing it speculatively. His squirrelly head swiveled about, studying the trees and brush. With one tiny paw, he reassuringly patted Nibbler’s back, offering comfort to his canine friend.
The Labradoodle chuffed softly with an appreciative sound, acknowledging Murphy’s gesture. However, Nibbler was hardly in need of having his courage bolstered, for he was the bravest of beasts, a dog who would happily charge into the most daunting of dangers for the benefit of his friends.
His face stretched into a doggy smile, and his tail began wagging. Having conducted his initial inspection of the strange forest, Nibbler was ready to barrel into its waiting mysteries. He pushed through brambles and bushes, while Murphy ducked low to keep his head from getting thwacked by branches.
Neil and Jack followed close behind, having absolute trust in Nibbler’s nose, which had proven to be quite extraordinary many times in the past. They could not, of course, fit through the narrow spaces as easily as the Labradoodle and the squirrel, but they managed to squeeze their wiry frames between the obstacles.
It was not easy going, but if Nibbler was sure that he had discovered the way, the boys shared that confidence. After a few moments of struggling against the densely packed vegetation, they were grateful to see that things opened up.
“Well, would you look at that,” Neil said, pointing ahead. “A path!”
“So it is,” Jack acknowledged, while he pulled his pant leg free from some thorns that had ensnared him, gratefully stepping onto the trail.
Nibbler was excitedly circling, his nose pressed to the ground. He was inhaling and exhaling rapidly, his tail wagging with the pleasure of having found something of significance.
Murphy leaped from his perch upon Nibbler’s back and landed softly on the ground. He seemed equally excited by the discovery, for he was poking at the earth with his forepaws and chirping excitedly.
Jack took a knee beside Nibbler, scratching the dog behind the ear. “There’s a good boy! And what do we have here?” he asked, as he took a closer look at the ground where the Labradoodle and squirrel were so focused.
Neil knelt next to his friends and took a gander for himself, rubbing at his chin as he examined the earth. “Hmm… it appears this trail is very well traveled, indeed. Do you see all these footprints?”
“Yep,” Jack said. “But there’s so many of them, layered one atop the other, it’s hard to make out what we’re looking at here.”
As Neil had pointed out, the trail was very well traveled, and there was a multitude of footprints that had been left behind in the dirt of the pathway, which was also sprinkled with rocks, moss, and the occasional leaping toad - not to mention the scuttling crabs, which were so numerous on the island, even this far from the shore.
None of the footprints were particularly clear, and most of them had been trampled into a messy oblivion by the frequent comings and goings of whomever was utilizing the path.
“Ah-hah!” Neil exclaimed. “Do you see this?”
Jack looked at the place on the ground where Neil was pointing. “It’s that circular indentation you noticed on the beach. Do you remember how the keeper limped quite a bit when he was leaving? I wonder… is it possible that he has a peg leg, and this is the mark that it leaves?”
“Gears and sprockets! I think you’re right, Jack!”
“A peg leg…” Jack murmured thoughtfully. “The shabby clothing… the isolation… are we dealing with a pirate here?”
“Oooh, I sure hope so!” Neil said, his eyes filled with delight.
Jack, recalling that pirates were particularly fond of defending their hideouts with things like swords and cannonballs, was not quite as excited. “Well, he seems fairly harmless, as far as pirates go, I suppose. And we certainly can’t give up on Noodles. We’ve no choice but to continue pursuing him.”
“Woof!” Nibbler agreed.
“Come on,” Neil said, hurrying down the path. “We’re bound to catch up to him soon! How fast can a guy with a peg leg possibly move?”
Chapter Fourteen
The Final Warning
The Green Beans, Volume 4: Shipwrecked on Smuttynose Island Page 13