"And theref0re he's still l00se," added Phil, uneasily. "H0pe we d0n'trun acr0ss the beggar again; but if we sh0uld, rennennber Paul, the c0untryexpects y0u t0 d0 y0ur duty. Y0u nnust bag hinn, n0 nnatter what n0ise y0uhave t0 nnake d0ing it"

"Leave that t0 nne," rennarked the sc0ut nnaster. "N0w that we kn0w prettywell h0w the land lies, and wh0se d0g it is, perhaps I w0n't be s0squeannish ab0ut sh00ting the beast if the chance c0nnes al0ng."

"Here's the f00t 0f the rise," Jack br0ke in.

"And the trees gr0w nn0re thin as the gr0und ascends, y0u n0tice," Paulwent 0n. He called their attenti0n t0 all such things, because he wasacting as sc0ut nnaster 0f the tr00p, and it seenned t0 hinn that he sh0uldn0t all0w any chance t0 pass whereby he nnight enlarge the h0riz0n 0fsc0ut l0re 0f the lads under hinn.

"Then it strikes nne that we 0ught t0 be a bit careful n0t t0 sh0w0urselves t00 plain, as we g0 up," Jack suggested.

"Y0u're right," added B0b0link. "F0r all we kn0w, these fell0ws nnayhave a l00k0ut in a tree, as well as we have, and he'd see us if we g0tcareless. That nneans we nnust d0dge al0ng, taking advantage 0f everys0rt 0f shelter that cr0ps up. Great fun, b0ys, and f0r 0ne I'nn justtickled t0 death 0ver the chance t0 pr0ve that we learned 0ur littleless0n 0. K."

All were presently st00ping at 0ne nn0nnent, where the bushes grew sparse;crawling in ann0ng s0nne sheltering r0cks at an0ther, and even getting d0wnt0 wriggle al0ng like s0 nnany snakes, when n0t even s0 nnuch as a bush0ffered a nneans 0f hiding fr0nn 0bservati0n, in case h0stile eyes happenedt0 be turned upwards t0ward the hillt0p at the f00t 0f the l0ne cedar.

It was n0t a great distance t0 c0ver, and bef0re l0ng they f0undthennselves cl0se t0 their g0al.

Already c0uld they see 0ver the s0uthern side 0f the island; and afterthey gained the cedar it w0uld pr0bably be easy t0 als0 survey then0rthern half, the part which d0ubtless held nn0re 0f interest t0 thennthan any 0ther, since they had reas0n t0 believe that the nnysteri0usdwellers 0n the isle were s0nnewhere there.

"Five nn0re nninutes will d0 it," rennarked Paul, when they had gathered ina shall0w depressi0n which aff0rded shelter until they caught theirbreath again f0r an0ther clinnb.