human
I wonder what's become of the fellow who tried to head us off, remarked Hal as he left the supper table and prepared to relieve Cub at the wireless.
gpt
You haven't heard anything from him, have you?
human
No, not a thing all day, Cub replied.
gpt
I guess we've tired him out. Did you get anything from him, Bud?
human
Not a shiver of the wires,
gpt
Maybe he's given us up as hopeless easy marks,
human
Why, do you think his story is true and 'Bobby Crusoe' is a fake?
gpt
I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised to find almost anything--or nothing--as we get near to the end of our hunt.
human
But he must be on the island, Bud reasoned.
gpt
And he must have a wireless set, or he couldn't have sent the messages we got. That much is certain.
human
Not all of it,
gpt
Why?
human
Maybe he isn't on an island.
gpt
You mean, maybe the whole thing's a fake--eh?
human
Maybe.
gpt
If the whole thing's a fake, then that other fellow who tried to head us off must 'ave been a party to the game,
human
There wouldn't be much sense in that,
gpt
I agree with you, Cub continued.
human
The scrap between those two hams was genuine enough.
gpt
But they were holding something back from us,
human
Both of them?
gpt
I shouldn't be surprised.
human
Nor I, either,
gpt
Then they've put one over on us, was Bud's inference.
human
Are you sorry we came?
gpt
I? No, sir! Cub emphasized.
human
It's a dandy adventure, whatever the result. I didn't swallow that Crusoe story whole at any time.
gpt
Neither did I,
human
I thought there were some funny things about it, Bud announced reflectively;
gpt
That was my fix, said Cub;
human
I guess we all agree that the whole affair is very strange, Hal concluded.
gpt
We really don't believe we've been told the truth, and yet we get in worse trouble when we try to make something else out of it.
human
I wonder what your father thinks about it, Cub,
gpt
Oh, he accepts it at its face value for the sake of the adventure, the tall youth replied.
human
But he's wise enough to know there may be a lot of hocus-pocus in the business.
gpt
I see you coming,
human
Where is he?
gpt
I don't know, replied the operator.
human
One of you boys go on deck and see what you can see.
gpt
There's an open stretch of four hundred yards ahead of us. He's probably on the island at the other end. I'm going back on deck and watch for developments.
human
VAX
gpt
Where are you? We can't see you.
human
I saw you, was the reply.
gpt
I climbed a tree and saw you headed right for this group of islands.
human
No, no, objected Hal.
gpt
It must be another yacht.
human
Aren't you a white cruiser with awning mid and aft, and pilot house on bridge deck? asked
gpt
VAX
human
Yes,
gpt
There's somebody calling us,
human
Yes, I get 'im, returned Hal.
gpt
Why, it's the mysterious guy who tried to head us off night before last and yesterday.
human
He's making sport of you. Mark my word, when you reach the island, he'll be gone.
gpt
Keep out, you pirate,
human
All right, but you'll call yourselves a bunch of fools.
gpt
Hurry; they are after me. I think they are the ones who marooned me here. Their boat looks like yours, I guess.
human
See! exclaimed Bud.
gpt
This makes things look bad. If those fellows are robbers they're armed. We haven't a gun on board, and if we had we wouldn't want to get in a fight over an affair that looks more like a joke than a tragedy.
human
And yet it may be a tragedy,
gpt
It begins to look like a tragedy, he admitted;
human
Now, you're getting highbrow, Cub,
gpt
It's common sense, isn't it?
human
Yes, but you forget one thing, the sly-eyed Hal rejoined:
gpt
With so much Q R M, it's very hard to pick out common sense in an affair like this.
human
That's true, replied the other.
gpt
We've had more interference in this trip thus far than anything else.
human
And the big question now is, how're we goin' to tune it out?
gpt
I confess, I'm stumped, said Cub.
human
Guess we'll have to refer the whole matter to father, but I bet he'll be up against it just as much as we are.
gpt
Wait a minute, said the operator.
human
Here's our island friend again.
gpt
They are coming ashore, was dot-and-dashed into the three boys' ears.
human
I see four bad-looking men. I am going to run before they see me and--maybe--swim. Good-bye.
gpt
What in the world shall we do?
human
I'm going to find out,