Boy Scouts of the Air on Lost Island

as a misty, watery sort of ray that was a doubtful help in walking over the broken shore line. The two boys were too occupied in watching their footing

ht we never could be sure of seeing the boat if she was on t

he boat and go

ely have been snagged. We can go lots faster on foot. We'll keep about opposite each other; we can yell across once in a whi

e oars. Dave gave the boat a mighty shove

a gruff voice that the boys hardly re

called Jerry guardedly to Dav

the sand of the opposite shore. He was in the heavy shadow of a big cottonwood and felt safe from peering eyes, so without wasting time to mask his movements he jumped out and scurried along the bank. A level stretch of

sob, for Tod Fulton was his closest chum. So, without an instant's pause, he made his way to the foot of the riffles, where their search would really begin. How s

which a day-time path wound a difficult way. Jerry wasted no time in trying to follow it, but skirted far around through a waist-high cornfield. A barb-

outed Jerry in return. "Go a

managed to release himself and broke through the thin fringe of wi

irm in the pale moonlight. On Dave's side a few yards of sand lay between a steep bank and t

pped along under high, steep banks, with tiny, willow-covered islands alternating with bass-haunted snags of dislodged trees barricaded with driftwood.

ep making the task all the harder. Deep bays cut into the shore line; the feeder creeks grew wider and deeper. The night air was chill on their dripping

ng doi

s territory, where a chain of lakes followed the course of the river. Each new twist and turn sent a shiver of nervous dread through him. Many the story of rattlers and copperheads he had heard from fis

pot. For Lost Island was the "haunted castle" of the neighborhood. It was nothing more than a large, weed-and-willow-covered five acres, a wr

rain-bleached rocks, had been struck by lightning, hurricane, blown up by giant powder, rotted away-a dozen other tragic ends, as the whim of the story-teller dictated

land was fertile, yet no one had ever been known to live there through a season; this in spite of t

hat their search would be ended before they were in the shadow of that forsaken territ

st below us, Jerr

id not feel. "It can't be any worse than what we've alr

Dave, "supposing the

d its

as he spoke, that, hard as the going was, he would be well

point Jerry came out to the water's edge and had cupped his hands about his mouth for a final reassuring shout, when a sudden discovery

ruddy light, and it came from

in time, but too weak to do more than remain in the boat till it grounded here on Lost Island. A waterproof match-safe easily accounted for the

nally came a shout

ed Jerry. "Do you suppos

e the answer, showing the same wild

two trembly throats on

stant Jerry rubbed his eyes in bewilderment. The camp fire had been blotted

" came in alarmed

out once more throug

ut not the one the boys expected

s-what in the t

Jerry, who was closest to the high point where a man w

ling for him! Ye crazy lo

he was drowned or not

the shoulders the great hulk of a man slouched back toward the center of the i

to bring a charge of buckshot, and

k along the shore of the island?" sh

the man's meaning. Neither boy felt the slightest desire to swim across to Los

earch look more of a wild goose chase than ever. The island was soon passed, but Jerry found himself peering hopelessly across a sluggish,

of relief that, once more on so

ridge. What you say that we hustle on down and meet halfwa

come from Dave. "Even the thought of it rests my old l

h always turned out to be a water-soaked log or a back-eddied swirl of foam. Nevertheless, it was a spent Dave who sa

oth rose and walked over to the edge and leaned heavily a

ss, doesn't it!" adm

hether she's down below yet or if we'v

he island, barely visible now. A mere twinkle of light showed among the trees, and he stood there for a long minute. Dave come to his side, and the two waited in s

" gasp

Jerry, turning to his co

's the boat-ri