"Yes and the boat belongs to Peters. There! He is surely the one
who helps Jim out in all his affairs. Now we may seek the shack in
safety," said Cora, as she watched the man at the water's edge push
off. "I know the shack is over there, for I smell smoke in that
direction. But we will turn the other way until he has cleared
off," finished Cora as she and Bess stepped lightly over the dainty
ferns that nestled in the damp earth.

"He is quite a boatman," remarked Bess, watching the man ply his
oars, and make rapid progress up the lake.

"Yes, he must have been brought up near the water," replied Cora.
"They say such skill as that is not accomplished on dry land. Jack
always declared he could tell a fellow at college who had ever been
near the water when a lad. They take to it like a duck."

"You can easily see that he is a foreigner," went on Bess with her
speculations. "He must either be an Italian or a Spaniard."

"Now we may turn up the path. Yes this is a path, for everything is
trodden down on it," declared Cora. "I hope the hut will not be too
deep in the wood."

"We won't go if it is," objected Bess. "I don't fancy being taken
captive by any wild woods clan."

"There," exclaimed Cora. "I just caught sight--of--it's a woman's
skirt!"