But in that glance, the young Scotchman had seen something that quickly brought him back to the world of realities. He sprang ashore, calling to Dick excitedly.
“Look, Dick! What do you make of that?” One glistening wet arm was flung out in front of him.
On the opposite side, a few rods up from the water, Dick saw a blob of red—something that looked very much like a large strip of flannel, caught against the darker background of green.
“A red cloth,” answered Dick, only slightly interested. “Wonder who left it there?”
In spite of the nearness of Burnnel’s party, Sandy almost shouted out the words.
Both boys stared, as if under some queer mesmeric spell. They watched the red blob move along the line of brush and disappear with magic abruptness. It came back again, however, in a very few minutes—only in a different place. Again it remained perfectly stationary, then fluttered behind a rock. In its second re-appearance, it moved toward the brink of the river and, suddenly, instead of being merely a red blob, mysteriously it formed itself into the unmistakable outline of a human figure.
“Some one in a red mackinaw,” declared Sandy, laughing.
“In a police tunic, you mean,” Dick corrected him, commencing to hurry into his clothes.
“Exactly that. Why, you can see his broad-rimmed hat and heavy top-boots.”
“I’d like to go over there,” said Dick, “but if we do, Burnnel and Emery will be sure to see us. We don’t want that to happen. Our best plan is to wait until after we ford the river. Then, if he hasn’t already left the vicinity, we’ll find out who he is.”
“I know one thing,” Sandy declared confidently, “and that is he’s not from the Mackenzie River detachment.”
“I’m not so sure. It may be our old friend, Sergeant Richardson.”
“But that territory, over there across the Hay, is patrolled by men from the Peace River Detachment,” Sandy objected.
Dick rose quickly to his feet, hugging himself in sheer ecstasy.
“I have it! I have it!” he cried. “You’re right! He’s from the Peace River Detachment. They received my wire. I’m willing to bet on it. It’s someone after Creel.”
For a time Sandy caught the infection of the other’s enthusiasm but, after mature deliberation, he became more serious again.