had, at various times, visited the
island. But the finding of their boat, with the positive evidence
furnished by the oar and the rope, was conclusive, and what made it the
more interesting was the fact that the island must have had such a visit
within two, or at the most, not over three months ago.

Each was too busy to give much time for discussing the probabilities.
They had entirely forgotten the cave. It was, by common consent, agreed
that the boat must be taken home, and it was finally decided that the
boys should pilot it around the point, past the cliffs, and in that way
reach the mouth of the Cataract River, where it would always be
convenient for cruising purposes.

It was fortunate that the sea was calm when the boys pushed the boat
from the shore. It showed signs of leaking here and there, but the
Professor assured them that the water would close up the joints before
long. The Professor, himself, drove the team to the Cataract, and after
unyoking them, followed the course of the river down to its mouth, to
await the coming of the boys. He waited there until sundown, but the
boys did not appear.

Let us now follow the boys. Lashed in the boat were two oars, as
carefully secured as though tied only the day before. At the bow was the
rope which the Professor discovered, after he had noticed the one tied
around the oars. It will be remembered that the boat had been fitted
with a mast and a sail. Those had been removed, as well as the
crosspiece and the brace which held them in place. It was, therefore,
necessary to row the boat around the point. The distance, as calculated
by the Professor, was two miles or more to the cliffs, and fully a mile
from the extreme point of the cliff to the mouth of the river.

Shortly after they started on the journey a light wind sprang up, which,
however, did not seriously interfere with their progress, but it was
sufficient to induce them to take a course outside of the point, instead
of attempting to thread their way inshore between the rocks.

When abreast of the extreme point George's attention was directed toward
an object on the cliff.

"What is that up on the rocks?"

Harry stopped rowing, and looked in the direction of George's extended
arm. "It looks like a boat. Let us go in."

The boat was pointed to the shore, and drawn up, and in their eagerness,
each tried to gain the elevation first. A miscalculation was made, in
the attempt to reach the object, which was n