THE TRAMP CLUB FINDS A CLUE
"Hello! What's this?"
Larry, stooping over, picked up a piece of filmy linen.
"A handkerchief, isn't it?" asked Sam.
"Let me see that, please," demanded George Baker. Larry handed it to
him. "It's a girl's handkerchief, boys. And here are two initials in one
corner. Hello! 'H.B.' What does that stand for?"
"It stands for 'Have Been'," declared Larry. "Meaning that they have
been here. But they needn't have told us. We know that."
"Yes; they've been here," replied George promptly. "Those initials stand
for 'Harriet Burrell.' They mean that the Meadow-Brook Girls have been
here and turned our tent upside down. But they made amends by getting
our noon meal started. I suppose we had better forgive them. What do you
say, fellows?"
"Of course," nodded Billy. The others agreed.
"Miss Burrell, having no card, left her handkerchief. But fellows, while
we are fussing around here, they may be getting away again. This may be
another of their tricks," declared George. "I would suggest, Billy, that
you eat your luncheon at once, then run out the launch and keep sailing
around to head them off in case they are running away."
To this proposition, Billy demurred. He did not fancy going away by
himself.
"I'll tell you what I'll do," he proposed. "I'll eat luncheon with you
first. They can't get far away before I get out, and even if they did I
should overhaul them. You know that old scow can be seen for miles."
"I notice we weren't able to see it a few rods from us," observed George
dryly. "All right. Start the potatoes to frying. Did they hide the ham?"
"They didn't find it. It's in the spring back there," answered Sam. "I
looked."
The luncheon was prepared in a hurry and the boys ate ravenously. The
excitement of the morning had not interfered with their appetites.
"Now, Billy, if you see anything, blow your motor horn and keep it going
until we hear it. Some of us will hear you. I propose that we spread out
so as to cover the island, but still keeping within yelling distance of
each other. We know now that the girls are on this island."
"Well find them." Billy walked slowly down to his launch, got in, and
reversing the engine, backed out, waving an indolent hand at his
companions.
Suddenly a weird scream rang out on the still air.
"Run for it, boys. That way," cried George, pointing excitedly.
"No! It's the other way," shouted Sam.
"You're both wrong. It's toward the other side of the island," declared
Larry.
"Now look here, fellows. We are all of us wrong. If we are going to
accomplish anything we must stop fooling and go at this business
scientifically. I will take this side of the island. Sam, you and two of
the fellows take the middle, and Larry the other side, keeping within
sight of the shore. We will search every inch of it, though I don't
believe we can finish the job before night."
"We had better take our lanterns with us, or we shall break our precious
necks," suggested Sam.
"Yes. We will do that. Larry, when you catch sight of Billy on the other
side, beckon him in and tell him we may not be back until late this
evening, and for him to keep circling the island until he finds us back
in camp again. Better take some grub along. We can stand it to eat a
cold supper for once. We will have a warm one when we get back."
After having made their preparations the boys started out, all the
others waiting until Larry got a good start, Sam's party starting next,
George Baker leaving the camp last. In that way they planned to keep
pretty nearly abreast.
* * * * *
About this time Crazy Jane McCarthy, face flushed, hair down, her skirt
torn in several places, might have been seen fleeing along the shore of
the island, running away from the Tramp Club's camp and toward their own
secret nook, where the "Red Rover" was lying calmly at anchor in the
half cave that had furnished a hiding place for the girls before.
She came tearing through the bushes nearly falling into the lower end of
the stream.
"They're coming!" she shouted. "Get to cover!"
"Sh-h-h!" warned Hazel, who sat awaiting Jane, in the rowboat. "I hear a
motor boat outside. I think it is the boys' boat."
"I tell you they are on their way to search the island," answered Jane.
"All of them?"
"All but Billy Gordon. He has gone off in the launch to keep an eye on
the shore."
"Then that is his boat out there. Get in here. I am worried that Harriet
is still out."
Just then a soft "hoo-e-e-e" from the bushes on the opposite side of the
stream, told them that Harriet Burrell had returned. She had been out on
a scouting expedition. Hazel rowed over to the other side of the creek.
Harriet jumped aboard. Jane, in excited whispers, told her that the boys
were coming and that Billy was out in the launch.
"I know. I saw him just a few moments ago. What are their plans?"
Crazy Jane explained what she had been able to hear when she was
observing the Tramp Club's camp. She had seen Larry pick up Harriet's
handkerchief, though she was not aware that it was Harriet's.
"That is where I lost it, is it?" laughed Harriet. "It is all right.
That will encourage them. If they go on beyond here they will find other
evidences that will lead them still further on. You see I wanted to get
them as far away from home as possible so as to keep them out after
dark."
Hazel manipulated the rowboat until they were in the deep shadows of the
rocks, after which they climbed aboard the "Red Rover." Harriet
explained her plans to her companions and directed them to keep as quiet
as possible in case any of the searchers should come that way. The girls
had pulled the houseboat into the secret retreat on the previous night.
They had kept a watchful eye on the boys all the morning, to see what
they were planning to do, and Jane had given the lads the creeps by
uttering wild, weird cries in the depths of the forest.
Harriet and Jane cooked themselves something to eat. They had been out
for a long time and were hungry. Their companions and guardian were
sitting about chatting with them. Miss Elting was of the opinion that
they were much better off in their hiding place than at an anchorage out
in the lake, always provided that their enemy did not find them out.
Harriet agreed with her, but thought they would be in a serious
situation if their unknown enemy were to find them. He had shown
evidences of keenness that made the finding of the "Red Rover" appear to
be a simple task for him. That he would annoy them further, the girls
were positive; that he already had located them was more than possible.
Splash!
Their conversation was suddenly checked. A stone had dropped but a few
feet from the rear end of the "Red Rover," falling into the creek.
Harriet laid a finger on her lips. Tommy had started to speak, but
checked herself in time. Harriet and Jane crept to the door of the
houseboat and peered out. As they did so a second splash startled them.
This time they saw the stone. It was a good-sized rock. It fell some
feet below the rear end of the "Red Rover." Some one was sounding the
thick growth there. Who it was, they discovered a moment later.
"There's water down there, but it's shallow. I can tell by the splash,"
announced a voice above them.
"It's George," whispered Jane.
"I'll take a look along the shore on my way back. There may be an inlet
that we haven't seen," continued George Baker, talking to himself.
Jane gripped an arm of her companion.
"If he does, we shall be discovered," she whispered.
"Never mind. We will have scared them off long before then. He will
strike the trail I left for them, before long, if he keeps straight on.
That will mean that he will go right on and that he will call to the
others to join him when it begins to get dark. You know the island
begins to narrow a short distance beyond here. Won't it be funny to see
them following that trail? And what a surprise they will get before they
have finished with this day's work." Harriet chuckled. She had been
whispering. She paused suddenly as a pebble rattled down within a foot
of the stern of the "Red Rover."
"They're getting rather close," whispered Jane.
"Captain Baker kicked that pebble down. He is going away. Do you hear
him?" George was whistling to himself as he tramped away toward the
other end of the island. They heard him call to his companions shortly
after that and shout some directions to them. Then nothing more was
heard from the boys for the rest of the afternoon.
The girls discussed the situation with Miss Elting. The guardian decided
that all the girls save one should remain on board the scow. One, she
agreed, might go out to reconnoitre. If the boys returned before dark it
would be well to know about it. Their further plans depended upon the
immediate actions of the Tramp Club. Harriet was the one who was chosen
to keep watch of their rivals.
She began at once to make her preparations, tying her hair in a tight
knot on top of her head and drawing a waterproof bathing cap over all.
"I am going to protect my hair," she smiled in answer to the unspoken
question in the eyes of her companion. "Those bushes pull out a few
strands every time I go scouting among them. I'll imitate the sound
that a crow makes if I see them coming back," she added. "No one must go
out in the meantime. All we can do is to keep quiet and wait. We've
already won the camera. We will have our fun when night comes, however,
and if we don't give those boys the fright of their lives I shall be
keenly disappointed."
"Which way shall you come back?" asked Jane.
"The way we came in. Don't have the boat wait for me down there. If I
have to come back in a hurry I will wade. Meadow-Brook Girls aren't
afraid of the water, you know."
"We know," answered Miss Elting, smiling, "but be careful that you don't
fall and hurt yourself. Good-bye. I will have the sheets and other
things ready by the time you return. We have the poles here. I do hope
we get an opportunity to use the stuff now that we have been at so much
pains to get it ready. You see, I am just as anxious to play this trick
as the rest of you girls."
Harriet laughed merrily at the prospect of the coming fun, then stepped
out into the rowboat that Hazel had pulled close to the stern of the
houseboat. A few moments later Hazel left her companion on the west bank
at the lower end of the little stream. Harriet slipped away through the
bushes almost noiselessly. If everything worked smoothly the Tramp Club
were to receive an overwhelming surprise.