"We might have stayed here," was Buster's comment. "It didn't hurt the big tree."

"But we didn't know how bad it was going to be," answered Ben. "It might have washed away the whole island."

"Let us go up to the high ground and look for Phil," suggested Dave.

"Maybe he went to the highest spot he could find."

The others agreed, and leaving the camp-worker at the cabin, the boys, led by Buster, tramped through the wet and mud to a little hill. Again they set up their calls, but, as before, no answer came back.

"I don't believe he came here," said Ben, at last. "If he was here he would surely hear us."

"Unless he was hurt and couldn't answer," returned Dave.

From the top of the little hill they could see both ends of Moosetail Island and also both sh.o.r.es of the river. As they gazed about them, Dave suddenly gave a shout.

"Look! look!" he cried, pointing to the sh.o.r.e which they had left but a short while before. "There is somebody waving a handkerchief at us!"

"It's Phil!" returned Ben.

"Are you sure?" questioned Buster. "I can see it is a man or a boy, but that is all."

"It looks like Phil," said Dave. "Oh, I hope it is!"

CHAPTER XXVI

BACK TO THE SCHOOL

They waved frantically to the person on the sh.o.r.e, and he waved frantically in return, and at last all were convinced that it must really be their missing chum.

"He must think I am Jerry," said Dave. "Won't he be surprised to see me!"

"He will be, unless he was at the cabin last night and read the note,"

returned Buster.

"The note wasn't touched," said Ben. "I noticed that it was exactly as we left it."

All gave a parting wave and pointed to the sh.o.r.e, and then left the hill. They made their way down to the cabin, and told the camp-worker what they had seen.

"It must be Lawrence," said Jerry Blutt. "Maybe he'll come over here, instead of waiting for us to go to him."

"Gracious, I never thought of that!" cried Buster.

"We'll be like the men in one of Shadow's stories," said Ben. "One was upstairs in a big office building and one downstairs. The man upstairs went down, and the downstairs man went up, and they kept that up until both stopped, tired out, one upstairs and one down." And the others had to smile at the brief yarn.

All journeyed to the lower sh.o.r.e of the island, where they could get a better view of the spot where the person they thought was Phil had been. They saw the party walking up the river bank, looking for a good place to ford. All shouted loudly and waved their hands to keep him where he was, and he nodded his head deeply, to show that he understand.

"It must be Phil," said Dave. "Oh, how thankful I am that he wasn't carried away by the flood!"

The boys were impatient to get back to the sh.o.r.e, and Jerry Blutt did not blame them. To carry any of the stuff over was still out of the question, and they did not attempt it.

"You can come and get it some day, Jerry," said Buster. "You can ship it to us by express, and we'll pay you for your trouble;" and so it was arranged.

It was as hard to gain the sh.o.r.e as it had been to reach the island, and all were well-nigh exhausted when they finally left the water, not to return again. Phil saw them coming, and when he made out Dave he was almost dumfounded.

"Where in the world did you come from?" he demanded, as he caught our hero by the hand.

"From Oakdale, Phil."

"Did you run away, too?" demanded the shipowner's son.

"Hardly," answered Dave, with a grin. "I came to bring you fellows back. But first tell us, how did you get out of the flood last night?"

"Oh, I had a fierce time of it. I tried to get back to the camp, but stumbled over some tree-roots and went down in a hole and hurt my ankle. When I got up I couldn't see the others, and I must have lost my way. Then it began to rain and get dark, and I didn't know which way to turn. I yelled dozens of times, but I didn't hear any answer. I tried to locate the cabin, but I must have been completely turned around, for I came out on the sh.o.r.e. Then the flood came along, and before I knew it I was floating down the river. I hit a tree and clung to that, and we drifted a mile or more before the tree got stuck on a sandbar. I stayed there, in the rain and darkness, until morning and then waded and swam ash.o.r.e. I was so tired out I had to rest for awhile, and then I came up here, to try to find out something about our crowd. I was thinking of getting over to the island again when I saw you on the top of the hill. Of course, I thought Dave was Jerry."

"We were scared to death, thinking you had been drowned," said Ben.

"Well, I came pretty close to it," was the serious reply. "No more such flood for me!"

All turned towards the cabin where four of the party had spent the night, and there Jerry was called on to prepare the best meal their limited stores afforded. On the river-bank they had picked up some fish cast up by the flood, and these were broiled, making a welcome addition to the meal.

While the meal was being prepared, and after it had been eaten, Dave had a serious talk with Phil and the others, and all realized the folly they had committed in running away from Oak Hall. Phil in particular, was much disturbed and said he had been thinking of coming back.

"But we saw that article in the newspaper, and it scared us," went on the shipowner's son. "Of course, it didn't mention any names, but we knew it was meant for us. I know now, just as well as the others, that it was a mistake to run away."

"Then, you'll go back with me?" questioned Dave, eagerly.

"Yes."

"And you'll go back, too, Ben and Buster?"

"Yes."

"I am mighty glad to hear it--and I feel that this thing will come out all right in the end," returned Dave.

"By the way, there is one thing I haven't told you, Dave," said Buster, a minute later. "The general excitement drove it clean out of my head. We know who it was that spoiled the feast Phil got up for the crowd."

"You do?" asked our hero, with interest.

"Yes. It was Nat Poole. He went to Rockville and sent those telephone messages to Jason Sparr and that musical professor, calling the whole affair off. He did it because he wasn't invited to take part."

"How did you learn this?"

"I heard it the night I went to the Hall to get our baggage. When I was in hiding, waiting for a chance to go to the dormitory, I saw Nat Poole come in, along with that new student, Will Fasey. They had been out somewhere having a good time, and Nat was telling Fasey how he had sent the telephone messages and queered the feast. I would have pitched into him then and there only I didn't dare expose myself,"

went on the stout youth.

"But he'll get what is coming to him from me, when I get back to the school," put in Phil. "It was a contemptible piece of business, and I want everybody to know it. Besides, he has got to pay for what I lost by the transaction."