m the brook,
when I picked up one of Johnny's arrows in a tuft of fern. This was
conclusive evidence that we were upon the right track. A little farther
on, was a piece of marshy ground, and here we made a startling
discovery. In the soft soil, several foot-prints could be plainly
distinguished. Some were coarse, shapeless impressions, precisely such
as would be made by the rude moccasins worn by Arthur and Johnny.
Others were the prints of naked feet, and some of these were of far too
large a size to be made by either of the three. This discovery affected
us for the moment like an electric shock, and we stood looking at one
another without speaking, and scarcely breathing, while the very beating
of our hearts might be heard.

Browne was the first to recover himself, when he commenced a close
examination of all the tracks. The piece of ground upon which they
could be traced, extended some thirty yards, and after a careful
scrutiny of the whole of it, we became convinced that at least four
persons, besides our three companions, had recently passed over it. All
the tracks were not in the same direction, and from finding those of
precisely the same size lying in opposite directions, we inferred that
some of these persons, at least, had passed and repassed the spot.

The most distressing surmises as to the cause of the disappearance of
our companions, now began to suggest themselves. We were so astounded
by this decisive evidence of the presence of strangers upon the island,
that we scarcely knew what to do next, but at last concluded to return
to the islet and await Morton's arrival, being anxious to avoid the risk
of any further division of our numbers. We accordingly retraced our way
thither: supposing that Morton would have set out before we could reach
the cabin, and that we might pass each other on the way without knowing
it, if we should proceed down the stream to meet him, we remained
quietly at the islet, keeping a vigilant and somewhat nervous look-out
on every side.

He arrived about noon, having started rather sooner than had been agreed
upon. On being informed of the tracks which had been discovered, he
said that we ought at once to trace them as far as we were able. "We
must not rest," said he, "until we know something more of this, even if
we have to traverse every inch of ground on the island."

Browne was inclined to infer from the foot-prints, that the interior,
and the eastern part of the i