The canoe having been hauled alongside the wharf, and the articles which Don had enumerated being packed away in it, the hounds jumped in and curled themselves up in the bow, David took his place at the oars and the brothers found comfortable seats in the stern.  Altogether it was a heavy load the little boat had to carry, and she was so deep in the water that her gunwales were scarcely three inches above the surface; but there were never any heavy seas to be encountered in that little lake, and so there was no danger to be apprehended.

David sent the canoe rapidly along, and presently it entered the bayou that led to Bruin’s Island.  As it approached Godfrey Evans’s cabin Dan arose from the bench on which he was seated in front of the door, and ran hastily around the corner of the building.  He did not mean that Don and Bert should see him again, even at a distance, if he could help it.  He remained concealed until the canoe was out of sight, and then came back to his bench again.

While on the way up the bayou the young hunters stopped once, long enough to pick up a brace of ducks which Bert killed out of a flock that arose from the water just in advance of them, and at the end of an hour came within sight of the leaning sycamore which pointed out the position of Bruin’s Island.  There was no one to be seen, but that was no proof that the island was deserted.  There was some one there whom the three boys did not expect to see or hear of very soon, and that was Godfrey Evans.  He was waiting for Dan to come with the canoe and the tobacco and other articles he had been instructed to purchase at the store.  He had watched for him until long after midnight, then retreated to his bed of leaves under the lean-to for a short nap, and at the first peep of day he was again at his post behind the sycamore.  To his great relief he saw the boat coming at last, but his joy was of short duration, for a second look showed him that Dan was not in it.

The canoe came nearer to the island with every stroke of the oars, and presently one of Don’s hounds started to his feet, snuffed the air eagerly for a moment and uttered a deep-toned bay.  Godfrey ducked his head on the instant and crawled swiftly away from the sycamore on his hands and knees.  He was careful to keep the tree between himself and those in the boat until he reached the cane, and then he arose to his feet and worked his way toward his camp with all possible haste.

“Them two oneasy chaps has come back agin, just as I thought they would,” said he to himself, “and our Dave’s with ’em.  Don’s got his rifle now and his dogs, too, so’t thar ain’t no use tryin’ to scare him this time.  I must hunt a new hidin’-place now.”

Godfrey stopped in his camp just long enough to seize his rifle and ammunition; after which he plunged into the cane again and ran toward the head of the island.  The muddy beach was thickly covered with drift-wood, and behind a convenient pile of branches and logs Godfrey crouched down and waited to see what was going to happen.