Part 18 (1/2)

”That is so. He may not be there now. But--”

”But me no buts, unless you mean to go on,” said Helen, as Ruth hesitated again.

”It does seem queer,” said Ruth thoughtfully. ”Other people go there besides the King of the Pipes.”

”Indeed! We all went there when that allegory was staged.”

”And since then,” said Ruth, and proceeded to tell the two girls what she and Chess Copley had seen early one morning.

”Men landing boxes on the island?” cried Helen, while Wonota merely looked puzzled. ”There is a camp there, like enough. And those men--and the woman--in the launch might have come from there, of course. When Willie comes back for us, let's sail around the island and see if we can spy where their tent is set up. For of course there is no house there?”

”Tom and I found no habitation when we went to search for the old man,”

admitted Ruth.

”All right. It must be a tent, then,” said her chum with conviction.

”We'll see.”

But as it turned out, they made no such search that day. Indeed, Willie and the _Gem_ did not return for them. The camp launch was not the first craft that appeared. Ruth was again coaching Wonota after lunch when Helen spied something on the water that caused her to cry out, drawing the other girls' attention.

”Who under the sun is this coming in the canoe?” Helen demanded. ”Why! he is making it fairly fly. I never!”

Wonota scarcely glanced in the direction of the distant moving picture camp, and she said composedly:

”It is Chief Totantora. He comes for me.”

The Indian in the canoe caused the craft to tear through the water. No such paddling had the two white girls ever seen before. Not a motion was lost on the part of Chief Totantora. Every stroke of his paddle drove the craft on with a speed to make anybody marvel.

”Something has happened!” gasped Ruth, standing up.

”He comes for me,” repeated Wonota, still calmly.

”What for?” queried Helen, quite as much disturbed now as her chum.

Before the Indian girl could have answered--had she intended to explain--the canoe came close in to the bank of the island, was swerved dexterously, and Totantora leaped ash.o.r.e--a feat not at all easy to perform without overturning the canoe. It scarcely rocked.

He stooped and held it from sc.r.a.ping against the rock, and shot up at his daughter several brief sentences in their own tongue. He paid no attention to Ruth, even, although she stepped forward and asked what his errand was.

”I must go, Miss Ruth,” said Wonota quickly. ”Mr. Hammond has sent him.

It was arranged before.”

”What was arranged?” demanded Ruth, with some sharpness.

”We are going yonder,” she pointed to the hazy sh.o.r.e of Grenadier Island that was in view from where they stood. ”It is said by Mr. Hammond that yonder the man with the little green eyes--the fat man--cannot have us taken.”

”For goodness' sake!” gasped Helen, ”she's talking of that Bilby, isn't she?”

”What does it mean? Has Bilby come again?” cried Ruth, speaking directly to Totantora.

”We go,” said the chief. ”Hammond, he say so. Now. They come for me and for Wonota with talking papers from the white man's court.”