among the picturesque islands of the upper St. Lawrence, the radio
compass fixing the course as certainly as the hunter's pursuit is
directed by the nose of his hound. They had no way of telling, at any
time, how far ahead was the object of their search, but they had the
satisfaction of knowing that they were constantly approaching it. At last
an unexpected climax threw their hitherto clear prospect into confusion.
This climax grew out of a series of confounding messages from the "lost
islander".

"I see you coming," was the first of these messages.

"Where is he?" asked Cub and Bud in chorus. Hal was at the table and the
other two boys were listening-in.

"I don't know," replied the operator. "One of you boys go on deck and see
what you can see."

Cub dashed up the companionway two steps at a time. In a few moments he
returned with the announcement:

"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."

There was a speaking tube communicating between the pilot house and the
cabin and through this Cub kept his boy friends acquainted with the
progress of the search. They reached the island in question, but not a
sign of human life was discoverable on it. The motor boat passed around
it, and meanwhile the radio-compass found the strength of its receiving
directly down stream. Cub communicated this condition to the cabin, and