"Look!" cried d.i.c.k, 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."

d.i.c.k and Sam got down to examine the footprints. 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 d.i.c.k. "And if so--"

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

"This proves that what that young fellow of the motor boat said was not true," said d.i.c.k. "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 yell," said Tom. "Maybe Mrs. Stanhope would hear it, and answer it."

"If she got the chance." said Sam. "If she didn't, all the yelling would do would be to let our enemies know we were here."

"No, we had better go ahead as quietly as we can," said d.i.c.k. "If possible, we want to take them unawares."

Much to their surprise, at the other side of the smooth rocks was another path, running between a thick growth of pines. Here the going was somewhat uncertain, and they had to proceed slowly, for fear of stepping into a crevice and twisting an ankle.

"If they brought Mrs. Stanhope this way, it must have been very hard on her," murmured Tom.

"Listen!" exclaimed Sam, suddenly, and held up his hand.

All became silent, and listened with strained ears. But the only sounds that reached them was the breeze through the trees, and the washing of the waves on the rocks.

"What was it, Sam?" asked d.i.c.k, in a whisper.

"I thought I heard a call."

"You must have been mistaken."

"Maybe I was, but-There it goes again!"

"That's so!" exclaimed Tom. "Somebody is calling from the other side of this patch of trees."

"It is Jerry Koswell," said d.i.c.k.

"Who is he calling to?" asked Sam.

"I don't know. Keep still and maybe we'll find out."

And then all listened with bated breath for what might follow.

CHAPTER XXVI A TALK OF IMPORTANCE

"I say, you on the rocks! Come down here and let us talk to you!" shouted Jerry Koswell.

"Who are you. What do you want?" asked a voice that was strange to the Rovers.

"We want to know what you are doing on this island?" demanded another person, Alfred Darkingham.

"What business is it of yours?"

"What business?" shouted Darkingham, wrathfully. "A good deal of my business. This island belongs to my uncle and you have no right here."

"Oh, is that so!" exclaimed the stranger. "I didn't know that this island belonged to anybody in particular."

"Well, it does. Who are you anyway?"

"Oh, my name is of no account, since we are not acquainted," answered the stranger. "If this is your island, I suppose the only thing for me to do is to get off of it."

"What are you doing here?"

"Why-er-only looking around," stammered the stranger.

"Are you alone?"

"Can't you see that I am?"

"How did you get here?" asked Larkspur, who had come up. "We didn't see you land."

"Oh, I came in a-er-in a motor boat, run by a friend of mine. He-er-he said he would call for me later," stammered the stranger.

The Rover boys listened to this conversation with interest, and gradually drew closer, as the stranger came from the rocks to talk to Darkingham and the others.

"Say, are you the fellow who abducted a lady!" cried Larkspur.

At this direct question the stranger started. "Why-er-what makes you ask-er-that question?" he stammered.

"We know some fellows who are looking for a lady who was abducted-at least, that is the story they told," answered Koswell.

"Where did you see those fellows?" asked the stranger, and now he was plainly excited.

"They were here awhile ago."

"Here-on this island?"

"At the dock-but they didn't land-we didn't let 'em," said Larkspur.

"Humph!" The stranger was thoughtful for a moment. "No, I don't know anything about a lady who was abducted," he said slowly. "I am just roaming around a bit. As soon as my friend comes back with the motor boat I'll leave the island. If I had known it was private property I shouldn't have come ash.o.r.e at all."