We might have followed this line of thought, and saved what occurred later, but that a new idea suddenly struck Tish.  She is curious in that way; her mind works very rapidly at times, and because I cannot take her mental hurdles, so to speak, she is often impatient.

“Lizzie,” she said suddenly, “did you notice that when the anchor was lifted, we drifted directly to this island?  Don’t stare at me like that.  Use your wits.”

When I failed instantly to understand, however, she turned abruptly and left me, disappearing in the shadows.

For the next hour nothing happened.  Tish was not in sight and Aggie slept by the fire.  Hutchins sat with her chin cupped in her hands, and Mr. McDonald gathered driftwood.

Hutchins only spoke once.  “I’m awfully sorry about the canoe, Miss Lizzie,” she said; “it was silly and—­and selfish.  I don’t always act like a bad child.  The truth is, I’m rather upset and nervous.  I hate to be thwarted—­I’m sorry I can’t explain any further.”

I was magnanimous.  “I’m sure, until to-night, you’ve been perfectly satisfactory,” I said; “but it seems extraordinary that you should dislike men the way you do.”

She only eyed me searchingly.

It is my evening custom to prepare for the night by taking my switch off and combing and braiding my hair; so, as we seemed to be settled for the night, I asked Mr. McDonald whether the camp afforded an extra comb.  He brought out a traveling-case at once from the tent and opened it.

“Here’s a comb,” he said.  “I never use one.  I’m sorry this is all I can supply.”

My eyes were glued to the case.  It was an English traveling-case, with gold-mounted fittings.  He saw me staring at it and changed color.

“Nice bag, isn’t it?” he said.  “It was a gift, of course.  The—­the livery stable doesn’t run much to this sort of thing.”

But the fine edge of suspicion had crept into my mind again.

* * * * *

Tish did not return to the fire for some time.  Before she came back we were all thoroughly alarmed.  The island was small, and a short search convinced us that she was not on it!

We wakened Aggie and told her, and the situation was very painful.  The launch was where we had left it.  Mr. McDonald looked more and more uneasy.

“My sane mind tells me she’s perfectly safe,” he said.  “I don’t know that I’ve ever met a person more able to take care of herself; but it’s darned odd—­that’s all I can say.”

Just as he spoke a volley of shots sounded from up the river near our camp, two close together and then one; and somebody screamed.

It was very dark.  We could see lanterns flashing at our camp and somebody was yelling hoarsely.  One lantern seemed to run up and down the beach in mad excitement, and then, out of the far-off din, Aggie, whose ears are sharp, suddenly heard the splash of a canoe paddle.