“I’m going to yell,” the boy suddenly announced. “Better take a chance on Rosa hearing us than leave it all to the big gray fox.”
A series of mountain calls followed. They were varied, queer, weird, owlish and even funny, for Gar proved to be an expert in the art.
No answer came. Instead, the silence of the woods after its interruption seemed even deeper than before.
Nancy sighed aloud, Dell did not try very hard to hide her own impatience and Gar protested openly.
“If we find her this time I think we ought to lock her up,” he said, not entirely in jest.
“I--am ashamed of her,” admitted Nancy. “But she really didn’t do this. She actually blamed Orilla for her tumble in the lake,” she recalled.
“That’s probably why,” declared Gar, “the orang-utan is now getting even.”
“Well, we’ll just try the other side of the oaks,” proposed Dell, “then, we had better try some place else.”
The little island covered only a small strip of land, which was made an island by a blade of the lake water that cut it away from another strip of land. To explore the entire territory took but a short time, and now the scouting party were scurrying down the other side of the summit, looking for the truants along the water front at that point.
“Someone has been here lately,” Gar declared, as he kicked over a small stone furnace. “This always was a favorite spot for campers, you know, Dell.”
“Yes.” She surveyed the charred stones. “But our campers haven’t been here. That stuff is old.”
“Don’t you think we had better shout again?” suggested Nancy. “I’m afraid Margot will be scared to death, although I did call something to her about going to the Point.”
“Doesn’t it beat the chickens!” murmured Gar. “Just imagine us hunting for those girls like a couple of lost--kids. Makes me think of our picnics long ago when _I_ was the star for getting lost.”
“You were clever that way, boy,” replied his sister, “but please don’t try it now.”
“Oh, no,” begged Nancy, frightened instantly. “Whatever would we do if you--got lost?”
“Don’t worry, I won’t. No fun in it without ice cream cones. But there’s nary a one on this safety isle. Let’s get in the launch and skirt the edges of the whole place. We can’t possibly beat down bushes on all these piles of rocks.”