The Blue Envelope

ed in gulps. Then, with some misgivings but much determination, the two girls hurried away

y began making their way through the tangled mass of underbrush, fallen tree-trunk

like rummaging about in an unexplored wilderness. Look at that fallen yellow-pine; eight feet through if it is an inch; and the ferns are

o the beach and see what's there. There's a long stretch of beach, I think, maybe half a mile. But we m

rdly easier than to ascend it. Both girls were thoroughly out of breath as they finally parted the branche

," whisper

pped her c

-thirds of the way dow

aybe. Anyway, it's

worth looking into

s quickened as they approached the object. At last, less than half-conscious of what they were doing, they broke

they looked it over f

very heavy, but it wil

s first

ht it wasn't worth

ur camp? We haven't seen the

one small stream

, flat-bottomed affair, such a craft as i

to tell Lucile's brother that they had lost his motorboat was disheartening. To go on seemed dangerous. True, they had rifles but they were, after all, but two girls against three rough men. In spite of all this, they decided in the end to go on.

in a gently rippling sea, while the point, behind which

Deep set in a narrow bay, it might have escaped the eye of a less observant person than

her side. "It's our schooner," she exclaimed after a moment's survey. "

, drag our boat up on the rocks and c

for a moment with fear. "If they have see

see us without a fiel

at cutting across the wavelets that i

r rowing. This took them to a position quite out of sight of the white spot on the distant beach. If the

he worst we can escape into the brush," said Mari

guard and get away with our mot

andy beach. By peering through the branches they discovered that a clump of young tamarack

n bent down to examine a footprint. Q

hispered. "That's the track of t

!" said

g," said Lucile, aft

o you s

ve around to a

d their way through t

o listen, they laid the

themselves into bursts

ght

ng," said Lucil

ren't get near them

l at last they expected at any mo

brush. "I can't go on. They're drunk, and all drunken men ar

step gave them pain. Missing their way, they came out upon the beach a hundred yards from their boat. There,

ucile suddenly. "Wh

and is going out with the tide. They must not have

ep in the sea to give the boat a good start, they at last leaped to their seats and grasped the oars, and with strong,

ed yards away, now one

With a quick glance over her shou

reathed. "Pull hard. T

, but at last they bumped the side of the motorbo

nd to the wheel. Lucile gave the motor a turn and to their gr

shout, a hopeless o

n broke short off. "Look,

down as they had seen it once before,

they did kidnap

is," said Marian. "Th

d and soon they wer

ustn't have been their friend. They carried him off. They had h

ard. Then they were away a

rself at the wheel. "They've our rowboat and we have

ttle brown visitor of ours. Who is he? Where did he come from? Where do

do I know how those men came to steal him. They probably kidnapped hi

Marian, "and probably the prob

lved months later under conditions so strange that, had the girls been able to vision them lying away, like a mira

a watch. Lucile was on the second watch at something like one o'clock in the morning, when she saw the brown boy stirring in his place by the fire. She was

e then proceeded to gather up certain articles about camp. A small ax, a knife, fishing tackle and matches were hurriedly t

to suffer interruption. It was like something that had happened in her earlier childhood when she had lain in a garret watching a mother mouse ca

n tent. He entered, to appear a moment l

t, with marvelous speed and skill he con

him?" Lucile

ction of the boy arrested her. He appeared to be taking some smal

hat it is?"

there. The object gave forth such a startling lustre in the moonlight, and Lucile was so intent upon watching

t, she merely shrugged

ed badly, and, unless I miss my guess, he'll be quite able to take care of himself in a wood that is ful

be three teeth, apparently elk teeth. They were held together with a plain leather thong, but set in the center of each was a ring of blue jade and in the center of each o

king's ransom for a few trinkets and a little food! A

old herself, "my voice would not carry far in that dense woods.

er, had doubtless been a charm, then waited the end of her watch to tell of t

gether agreed that, somehow, it must be returned to the original owner, and at last, after much talk on the subject,

amp. In fear of the return of the robbers they established a nightly watch. That this fear was not unfounded was proved by the events of the third

beach, within her line of vision. This she watched carefully. A man who dared touch that boat was in danger of his life,

information. Marian caught one glimpse of him over the cooking tent. Though he was go

unded far down the beach. Not

y, but became satisfied that he was no

et us alone after

vigil was dropped and the remaining days on the i

f that the brown boy could take care of himself was well founded. His footprints were all about in the

Lucile with conviction, "and until we do, I shal

many regrets, they packed their camp-kit in the

new and adventure-filled life. This journey, though they little guessed it, brought them some two thousand miles nearer the spot w