ehind for dead," Ralph said
to himself. "Well, thank fortune, I am alive!"

The boy was in a sad situation. He was without food and with no means of
communication with the mainland on either side of the lake.

"I must see if I can't signal some passing boat," he thought. "It is
impossible to swim to the shore, especially now when I feel as weak as a
rag."

Ralph had just struck out for the opposite side of the island, that upon
which all of the regular lake boats passed, when the report of a gun
reached his ears.

It came from some distance to the north, and was soon followed by several
other shots.

He wondered if it could be Martin and Toglet, or some sportsmen. Determined
to find out, he set out as rapidly as he could in the direction of the
sound.

After passing through a patch of woods and over a hill of rough stones, he
came to a thicket of blueberry bushes. As he entered it there came another
shot, not a hundred feet away.

In a moment more the boy espied a sportsman, dressed in a regular hunting
garb.

"Hallo, there!" he called out.

"Hallo, boy!" returned the man, cheerily. "Out hunting, like myself?"

"No, sir," replied Ralph. "Yes, I am, too," he added, with a faint
smile--"I am hunting for help."

"Help?" The sportsman put down his gun. "Why, what's the matter with your
head?"

"I've had a bad tumble. Two men pushed me over the cliff on the other side
of the island."

"The dickens you say! Pushed you over?"

"Yes, sir."

"What for? Did they rob you?"

"No, sir."

"Oh, then it was an accident, perhaps?"

"I don't think so. I don't see how it could have been accidental."

"Well, you arouse my curiosity. Tell me your story--or, you said you wanted
help. What can I do for you?"

"If you have a boat you can put me ashore. The two men took my boat."

"Then they robbed you after all."

"But they didn't go through my pockets," returned Ralph.

Sitting down on a soft knoll of grass, the boy told his story to Carter
Franklin, for such was the sportsman's name. The latter listened with
interest.

"Certainly an odd occurrence, to say the least, my young friend. What could
have been the object of the two villains?"

"I cannot say, sir."

"It is impossible to imagine they wished to murder you merely for your
boat."

"That is true, sir."

"Depend upon it, they were up to something more. It may be that they were
hired to do the deed."

Ralph started.

"That may be!" he cried.

"