“You have my sincere thanks, Mr. Trevor,” said Drew, holding out his hand, “and I shall act on the suggestion.”

Mr. Trevor clasped the hand of the detective, and they returned quietly to their respective tents.  And in course of time I followed them, wondering how this incident might affect our morning’s expedition.

CHAPTER XIV

My first thought on rising was to look for the detective.  The touch of the coming day was on the lake, and I made out the two boats dimly, riding on the dead swell and tugging idly at their chains.  The detective had been assigned to a tent which was occupied by Mr. Cooke and the Four, and they were sleeping soundly at my entrance.  But Drew’s blankets were empty.  I hurried to the beach, but the Scimitar’s boat was still drawn up there near the Maria’s tender, proving that he was still on the island.

Outside of the ladies’ tent I came upon Miss Thorn, stowing a large basket.  I told her that we had taken that precaution the night before.

“What did you put in?” she demanded.

I enumerated the articles as best I could.  And when I had finished, she said,

“And I am filling this with the things you have forgotten.”

I lost no time in telling her what I had overheard the night before, and that the detective was gone from his tent.  She stopped her packing and looked at me in concern.

“He is probably watching us,” she said.  “Do you think we had better go?”

I thought it could do no harm.  “If we are followed,” said I, “all we have to do is to turn back.”

Miss Trevor came out as I spoke, and our conductor appeared, bending under the hamper.  I shouldered some blankets and the basket, and we started.  We followed a rough path, evidently cut by a camping party in some past season, but now overgrown.  The Fraction marched ahead, and I formed the rear guard.  Several times it seemed to me as though someone were pushing after us, and more than once we halted.  I put down the basket and went back to reconnoitre.  Once I believed I saw a figure flitting in the gray light, but I set it down to my imagination.

Finally we reached a brook, sneaking along beneath the underbrush as though fearing to show itself, and we followed its course.  Branches lashed our faces and brambles tore our clothes.  And then, as the sunlight was filtering through and turning the brook from blue to crystal, we came upon the Celebrity.  He was seated in a little open space on the bank, apparently careless of capture.  He did not even rise at our approach.  His face showed the effect of a sleepless night, and wore an expression inimical to all mankind.  The conductor threw his bundle on the bank and laid his hand on the Celebrity’s shoulder.

“Halloa, old man!” said he, cheerily.  “You must have had a hard night of it.  But we couldn’t make you any sooner, because that hawk of an officer had his eye on us.”