hands about his mouth for a final reassuring shout, when a sudden
discovery made him pause. A shout, that seemed to split in mid-air,
convinced him that Dave too had just then caught sight of the
astounding object.

It was a gleaming, flickering, ruddy light, and it came from the
very center of Lost Island!

Jerry's first thought was fright. But that soon gave way to the
wildest of conjectures. Suppose Tod had been in the boat. Suppose he
had come to in time, but too weak to do more than remain in the boat
till it grounded here on Lost Island. A waterproof match-safe easily
accounted for the fire. Jerry refused to allow himself to reason any
further. There might be a dozen reasons why Tod had not swum the
scant hundred yards to shore.

"Do you see it!" finally came a shout from the other side.

"It's a camp fire," called Jerry. "Do you suppose it could possibly
be----"

"It couldn't be Tod, _could_ it!" came the answer, showing the same
wild hope that had surged through Jerry.

"Oh--_Tod!_" rang out from two trembly throats on both sides of the
river.

There was no reply. At least there came no answering shout. But the
next instant Jerry rubbed his eyes in bewilderment. The camp fire
had been blotted out as if by magic. Only the deep gloom of thick-