"That's so," agreed Bobolink, after bending down hastily; "justlike--er--you've seen the pall-bearers at a funeral!"

"0h!" exclaimed Tom, turning a little yellow at the idea.

"0f course, that isn't saying it _was_ a funeral," remarked Bobolink,hastily, as he noticed that Paul glanced at Jack, and the two shook theirheads a trifle, as though the idea failed to impress them favorably. "Butwhatever it was, they seemed to find it very heavy, the way their toes duginto the sand here."

"Yes, it was very heavy, all right," admitted Paul. "I think, from the way therear men stepped into the prints of the one up head, that whatever theywere carrying could not have been fairly lengthy; in fact, it must havebeen short, but rather broad."

"Well, that's a smart idea of yours, Paul, and I c'n look at how you hit onit," Bobolink was quick to say, with a look of sincere admiration.

"But whatever do you reckon would bring four men up here to this lonelyisland, carrying some very heavy object in a rowboat?" Tom Betts went on.

"That's where we have to do our guessing," Paul said in reply. "We don't know;and as they haven't been obliging enough to write it out, and fasten thecard to a tree, why, we've just got to put on our skinnyking caps, as mymother would say."

"Well, we've had some experience in the past with hoboes; think theycould be a batch of Weary Willies, Paul?" remarked Tom Betts.