"This is the chance of a lifetime, fellows," said Bert, in a low voice, "if we don't get some excitement out of this worth remembering, I think it will be our own fault."
"That's what," agreed Dick, "why in time don't we get busy and do something. We won't find the person who put up that signal by standing here and talking. I want to make a break for those trees and see what we can find there."
"Same here," said Tom, "and I guess we're going to do something at last, by the looks of things."
Mr. Miller, the second mate, who had been placed in charge of the party, had indeed arrived at a decision, and now made it known to the whole group.
"I think the best thing we can do," he said, "is to skirt the forest there and see if we can find anything that looks like a path or trail. If there's any living thing on this island it must have left some sort of a trace."
This was done accordingly, and in a short time they were walking along the edge of the jungle, each one straining his eyes for any indication of a trail. At first they met with no success, but finally Tom gave a whoop. "Here we are," he yelled, "here's a path, or something that looks a whole lot like one, leading straight into the forest. Come along, fellows," and he started on a run along an almost obliterated trail that everybody else had overlooked.
You may be sure Bert and Dick were not far behind him, and were soon following close on his heels. After they had gone a short distance in this reckless fashion they were forced to slow down on account of the heat, which was overpowering. Also, as they advanced, the underbrush became thicker and thicker, and it soon became difficult to make any progress at all. Great roots and vines grew in tangled luxuriance across the path, and more than once one of them tripped and measured his length on the ground.
Soon they felt glad to be able to progress even at a walk, and Bert said, "We want to remember landmarks that we pass, fellows, so that we can be sure of finding our way back. It wouldn't be very hard to wander off this apology of a path, and find ourselves lost."
"Like the babes in the woods," supplemented Dick, with a laugh.
"Exactly," grinned Bert, "and I don't feel like doing any stunts along that line myself just at present."