“No.”

“Well, I did.  Some one threw a stone at me.  It dropped right at my feet.”

Jane giggled softly.  Harriet had been playing tricks on them.  She wondered where Harriet was.  Jane would have given the signal, but dared not do so.  In the first place she was not sure that she could imitate a crow so as to deceive a person, and in the second place the boys were too close to her to run any chances.

“They are here, all right, boys,” cried George.  “I was certain of it all the time.”

“It may be spooks,” answered Larry Goheen.

“Well, just let them come out.  I guess we can take care of any spooks that we shall find on this island.  But we must get busy again.  It will soon be dark.  Spread out, fellows.  I’ll tell you what we’ll do.  Taking that tree there for a centre”—­waving toward the tree occupied by Crazy Jane McCarthy—­“we will circle about, making the circle larger each time we start out.”

“Wait.  I’ll climb the tree and take a look around,” interjected Sam.  He started for the tree.  His hands had grasped it ere Jane realized that hers was the tree meant.  For once in her life Crazy Jane McCarthy was at a loss to proceed.  She did not know what to do.  But George unknowingly came to her rescue.

“Never mind the tree.  It’s too low.  You can’t get high enough to look over the tops of the bushes.  You come along as I suggested.”

“How ever am I going to get out of this?” muttered Jane.  “Won’t Harriet be cross when she finds I’ve quit my post and gone out on my own responsibility?” Her further reflections were interrupted by a loud “caw, caw, caw!”

“What’s that?” cried Larry in alarm.

“It’s a crow, you tenderfoot,” jeered George.  “Didn’t you ever hear one before?”

“Harriet!” exclaimed Jane under her breath.  “She has discovered where the boys are.  She’s giving me warning and I dare not answer her.  What shall I do?”

“Yes, I have heard crows, but I never heard a crow with a voice like that,” answered Larry.  “I’ll bet it’s no more crow than I am.”

Once more the crow cawed.  This time the bird’s voice sounded much farther away.  Jane reasoned it out when she said to herself that Harriet had probably turned her head away or else had cawed in a lower tone to deceive the boys, who were now moving rapidly away, making as many circles as there were boys in the party.

Jane dared not get down from the tree, but she began moving about, seeking a better position from which she might look the ground over.  If the boys got far enough away she might try to run, but then there was the probability of meeting their rivals, no matter which way she sought to escape.

[Illustration:  Jane Dared Not Get Down From the Tree.]

The crow cawed again.

“I tell you that isn’t a crow,” shouted Larry.

“Go on, go on!” called George.

Jane listening intently, concentrating her attention on what was being said, rather than what she was doing, lost her footing.  She grasped frantically for a limb and caught one.  But the limb did not hold.  It snapped and came away in her hand.