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ON CHESOQUE ISLAND
243

later. "Say, that water looks good. I am going to have a drink."

All stopped to quench their thirst, for the day I had been warm in spite of the breeze that was blowing.

"Look!" cried Dick, as he pointed at the wet ground. "Somebody has been here before us."

"That's so!" returned Tom. "Now, if we were only Indians, we would know whose footprints those were and would follow 'em."

Dick and Sam got down to examine the foot prints. The majority of them were of good size, but a few were small, the heel marks especially so.

"I believe those marks were made by a woman's shoes!" murmured Dick. "And if so——"

"They were made by Mrs. Stanhope!" finished Sam. "Dick, I think we've struck the right trail!"

"This proves that what that young fellow of the motor boat said was not true," said Dick. "Other folks are on this island."

"Let us follow up the footmarks!" cried Larry Dixon. "Come on, messmates, to the rescue!" And he waved a stick he had picked up.

To follow up the footmarks was not easy, for they led from the dirt to the path and then to some smooth rocks. But they managed to get the general direction, which was something.

"I wonder if it would do any good to set up a