Part 23 (2/2)
Ruth could not, however, understand a word that was spoken. The tones were first high, then low, never guttural, and possessed a certain sibilant quality. Whether the words spoken were English or not, was likewise a mystery.
Ruth and Chessleigh stood first in one place, then in another, in that circle about the big beech tree. The young man had gone all around the tattered trunk and found no opening. If it was hollow, there was no way of getting into it near the ground, nor was there any ladder by which one might scale the huge trunk to the top.
”That's no hide-away,” mouthed Chess, his lips close at Ruth's ear again.
”And it seems to me the sound doesn't come from overhead.”
”More as though it came up from the ground,” returned Ruth, in the same low voice. ”Do you suppose we are standing on the roof of a cavern, Chess Copley?”
”It might be,” agreed the young fellow. ”But if it is a cavern, where under the sun is the mouth of it? How do they get in or out? It beats my time!”
Ruth quickly acknowledged that the mystery was beyond her comprehension.
The sing-song sounds--for such they seemed to be--went on and on, meaningless for the two listeners, who could not distinguish a single word.
”Think that's your King of the Pipes?” asked Chessleigh finally.
”I don't know. If it is, there must be something more the matter with him than Willie says there is. He sounds crazy--that is the way it sounds to me.”
CHAPTER XX
A FAILURE IN CALCULATION
”What shall we do now?” asked Ruth finally, and in a whisper.
”Let's go down to that place where we saw the boat land the other morning,” returned her companion. ”I'd like to look about there a bit.”
”Do you think it is wise?”
”I don't know about the wisdom of it,” chuckled Chessleigh. ”But I do know that I'm not at all satisfied. Some people are here on the island, and I'd like to know where they are.”
”I am afraid we will get into trouble.”
”If it is only that old man----”
”We don't know that it is. He must be talking to somebody--if that is his voice we hear.”
”Maybe he is only talking to himself. I don't hear anybody else,” replied the young fellow. ”Come on. Let's see the thing through, now we have started.”
Indeed Ruth wanted to see it through. She was quite as curious as her companion. So she made no further objection.
Pus.h.i.+ng through the brush, they climbed carefully down the slope on the outer side of the island. The landing where they had fastened their own boat was on the inner side of the island, while this side fronted the broad expanse of the river.
They could see the hurrying current, glinted here and there by the soft starlight. Everything looked ghostly about them. The dim silvery light made it possible for them to pick their way without stumbling. They made little noise in reaching the sh.o.r.e.
There was a little indention here--a tiny cove. The sh.o.r.e was shelving, and of sand and gravel. Chess pointed silently to the unmistakable marks of a boat's bow in several places.
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