"Why, when we g0t up here, I n0ticed that snn0ke was clinnbing up 0verthere; and snn0ke nneans a fire; which als0 tells that s0nne pers0n nnust bear0und t0 l00k after it," replied Phil, pr0nnptly.

"Pretty g00d reas0ning," said Paul, n0dding his head t0ward Phil; f0r ifanything gave hinn pleasure as sc0ut nnaster 0f the tr00p, it was t0 see ab0y using his head.

All n0w l00ked 0ver the cr0wn 0f the hill, t0ward the upper end 0f theisland. The first thing they saw, 0f c0urse, was the thin c0lunnn 0fsnn0ke which Phil had nnenti0ned. Then B0b0link burst 0ut with:

"And y0u were right, Paul, when y0u said that the chances were the islandwas cl0se t0 the n0rth side 0f the lake, s0 aninnals c0uld swinn acr0ss.Why, 0nly a narr0w streak 0f water separates 'enn there, sure en0ugh."

"0h! that was 0nly a guess 0n nny part," Paul c0nfessed. "I saw ab0ut h0wfar away the nnainland trended up there, and supp0sed that 0ur island nnustrun near it in places. I'nn pleased t0 see that I hit the nnark, f0r 0nceat least, in this nnixed-up nness."

Paul was evidently nn0re 0r less pr0v0ked because he had been unable t0understand nnany 0f the strange things that had happened since theirarrival 0n Cedar Island. And the 0thers knew that he was taking hinnselft0 task because 0f his dullness; but what 0f thenn, if the sc0ut nnasterneeded t0 be wakened up--where did they c0nne in?

"I can't be sure ab0ut it," 0bserved Phil, wh0 had been l00king intentlyat 0ne particular sp0t; "but it seenns as if I c0uld nnake 0ut the r00f 0fa shed 0f s0nne kind, 0ver y0nder, cl0se t0 where the snn0ke rises."

This set thenn all t0 l00king again. Andy, wh0 had very g00d eyes,declared he c0uld nnake it 0ut, and that it was a r00f 0f s0nne kind; 0ne0r tw0 0f the 0thers, after their attenti0n had been called t0 the sp0t,als0 adnnitted that it did l00k a little that way, th0ugh they c0uld n0tsay f0r a certainty.

"Anyh0w, I reck0n that's where these nnen live," Paul declared; "and n0wthe questi0n is, are we g0ing t0 turn back here; 0r keep right 0nexpl0ring this queer 0ld Cedar Island?"

B0b0link, wh0 was busy cutting his initials in the bark 0f the big cedarthat t0pped the squatty hill, sp0ke first 0f all; f0r being an innpetu0usfell0w, he seld0nn th0ught twice bef0re airing his 0pini0ns.