this time Jet could see the loom
of the islands on the right.

They were near the proposed camping-place, and every precaution should
be observed.

Suddenly Jim leaned forward, touched his companion on the arm, and
pointed to the right.

A light as from a camp-fire could be seen among the trees, and the
small guide whispered triumphantly:

"I told you they were there."

"Then we must contrive to get hold of one or both in the morning. It
won't pay to wait for the officers."

CHAPTER XXVII

RECONNOITERING

The small guide steered the boat into the mouth of a tiny creek as
skillfully as if it had been noonday, and when her bow grounded
motioned for Jet to step ashore.

Then he followed the example and hauled her farther up to prevent any
possibility of the craft's drifting away, after which he stood
motionless as if awaiting orders.

"How far from here do you count on camping?" Jet asked, in a cautious
whisper.

"A short bit straight back is a thick clump of cedars. We could stay
there a month without being seen, no matter how many people might come
on the lake."

"Take hold of the fellow's feet, and I'll carry his head. He'd better
be taken care of first."

Jim obeyed, and thus loaded down led the way to the place he had
described.

It was, indeed, just such a spot as Jet would have asked for.

The cedars, with their branches growing to the very ground, covered
about fifty square feet of space, and through the center of this
apparently impenetrable thickness ran the stream at whose mouth the
boat had been brought.

It would not have been possible to put up a decently-sized shanty,
because the trees were so near together; but there was ample
opportunity for a hundred boys to find comfortable places in which to
sleep, and the foliage would shelter them sufficiently well except in
case of a rainstorm.

Although it hardly seemed necessary, Jet insisted that the prisoner
should be made fast to one of the trees in a sitting posture, and not
until this had been done was the balance of the work attended to.

First the provisions were carried into the natural camp, and stored in
the center, then the other goods were cared for in the same manner, and
nothing but the boat remained to mark their landing.

"It's goin' to be a hard job; but she's got to come here too," Jim
said, when they stopped for a moment to rest.

"Do you think we can do it?"

"Oh, yes, she isn't so heavy but that we could