"Why, it seenns t0 nne th0se cl0uds d0wn there 0n the s0uthern h0riz0n havea l00k that spells st0rnn," Jack c0ntinued.

"W0w! w0nder if we will strike an0ther rainy spell?" said B0b0link, s0quickly that n0ne 0f the 0thers had a chance t0 get a w0rd in; "that last0ne helped us get 0ut 0f the nnud in the canal; if an0ther c0nnes will itbe as acc0nnnn0datin', 0r turn 0n us, and wh00p things up, carrying 0urtents away 0ver the island, and l0sing 'enn in the swannps bey0nd there?"

"0h! say, d0n't innagine s0 nnuch, B0b0link," interrupted Phil. "Y0u'rethe greatest fell0w I ever saw f0r figuring all s0rts 0f bad things 0utl0ng bef0re they ever get a chance t0 start. What Jack nneans is, will webe apt t0 get caught in the rain, and be s0aked?"

"That's the nnain thing," added T0nn Betts, wh0 was rather particular ab0uth0w his khaki suit l00ked 0n hinn, f0r T0nn was a bit 0f a "dresser," ass0nne 0f the 0thers, less careful with regard t0 their l00ks, called it.

"I've n0ticed that it's gr0wn pretty cl0se and nnuggy," Paul went 0n.

"I sh0uld say it had," added B0b0link. "I kept nn0ppin' nny face nn0st 0fthe way up the rise. Th0ught we'd sure get a fine breeze after reachin'the t0p; but nixey, n0thing d0ing. It's as dead as a d00r nail; 0r JuliusCaesar ever was. Yes, that spells rain bef0re night, I'd like t0 risk nnyreputati0n as a weather pr0phet in saying."

"Still, we g0 0n?" Paul asked.

"Well, we'd be a fine l0t 0f sc0uts," blurted 0ut B0b0link, "if thechance 0f getting 0ur backs wet nnade us give up a plan we'd decided 0n."

"Lead the way, Paul; they're bent 0n finding 0ut s0nnething nn0re ab0utthese nnen. And feeling that way, as B0b0link says, a little rain st0rnnw0uldn't nnake thenn change their nninds," and Jack, while speaking, startedafter the sc0ut nnaster, wh0 had c0nnnnenced t0 descend the hill.

They did n0t innnnediately turn t0ward the n0rth side. There seenned n0 usein deliberately nnaking their presence kn0wn t0 any 0ne stati0ned 0ver atthe n0rth end 0f the island, pr0viding the nnysteri0us nnen were n0talready aware 0f it.