“Well, if they had landed here there would certainly be footprints. They couldn’t have walked through this soft mud without leaving tracks.”
“Then how do you account for the launch being here?” asked one of the policemen.
“Easily,” said Dick. “They started the engine and let her go. See, the engine is still running, and if she had not been caught in this bunch of weeds she would still be going down stream.”
“You are right,” Leonard agreed. “And there is no telling how far back they deserted her. What shall we do?”
“First,” said Jenkins, “we’ll reoccupy the _Sybil_ and leave the other launch here.”
“After which,” said Dick, “we’ll turn back, and go slowly, keeping as close to shore as possible. We may be able to find where they landed.”
This plan was adopted. Jenkins turned the _Sybil’s_ head upstream once more, and they started off slowly, keeping close in-shore.
For half an hour they moved along, and then Dick’s keen eyes caught sight of a piece of white fluttering from a bush fifty feet ahead. He looked at it steadily for a few moments, and then gave a start.
The latter did as he was told. Dick leaped lightly ashore and approached the fluttering piece of white, which he now saw was a handkerchief. He picked it up and returned to the boat.
“Do you recognize this?” he asked, passing it to Leonard.
Leonard glanced at it carefully. In one corner were two small initials.
“M.A.,” he read. “Mabel Ashton,” he exclaimed. “How do you suppose that got there?”
“It’s plain enough,” said Dick simply. “She dropped it there in the hopes that we might find it, and so learn where they had landed.”
“Then,” said Leonard, “there should be footprints.”
“Not here,” said Dick. “You will notice that the ground is very rocky. Evidently that is the reason Jones selected this spot to land.”
Dick spoke again. “They must have gone this way. We might as well get out and look around a bit.”
“Now,” said Dick, “I would suggest that we all spread out, keeping about a hundred yards apart, and go straight ahead.”
Leonard, who had been scrutinizing the ground carefully, uttered an exclamation. The others hurried to him.
“A path!” exclaimed Leonard. “They probably went this way.”
“We’ll see where the path leads at any rate,” said Dick. “Nevertheless I suggest that we spread out just the same. They may not have stuck to the path.”