"Yes," I agreed. "I wonder if our dory is down at the boathouse. You mean, row over? I don't think father will want to say anything at the village; get a launch? Do you?" "No." We both felt, as we knew father did, a reticence against taking the authorities into our confidence. If Dianne came--to have an official investigation of her, with all the publicity--it was unthinkable. "Let's see about the dory," Drake suggested. "Shall we wake father up?" "Let's see about the dory first." We found the dory safe in the boathouse. We decided to start at once. A row of half an hour. We went to awaken father. "Think he'll want to come with us, Drake?" "He might--I hope he'll stay here. This might just be a coincidence--not Dianne. We should not all leave here at once, Frank." "Why not?" He stopped and faced me. "Because suppose she--appeared while we were gone?" Appeared? He said it with a queer hitch in his voice. As though Dianne might materialize from nothing into solidity before us! Yet we both felt like that. This whole affair seemed supernatural. "Yes," I said. "That's true." And father felt the same. He decided to stay on guard. He made us take two automatics, and a rifle in the bottom of the dory. He was refreshed from his sleep. Alert and vigorous. "I'll be all right, lads." He followed us down to the boathouse. He was white and grim as he said, "I need not tell you to be cautious. Come back quickly as you can." We launched the dory and headed into the cove. He called, "If I don't see you starting back in two hours I'll bring a launch after you." Drake and I hardly spoke during the trip. The rifle lay at Drake's feet; we had our automatics strapped to our belts. We stripped off our coats for the work of rowing. In the stern we had other coats--oilskins, which always were kept in the dory. We approached the island. Drake eased up. "Wait a minute--let's see if anybody shows." The smoke had long since vanished. We could not be sure at what part of the island the fire had been. There was no sign of it now. The little island stood green in the morning sunlight, with the peak of rock looming at its center. The beach on this side was empty; there was no evidence of any living thing there, save a few gulls lazily circling overhead. We were armed, and this was broad daylight. But the thought of that strange midnight visitor swept me. I know Drake felt the same as we pulled up in the sunlight of the island beach. We were not afraid of anything human. Drake carried the rifle. I had my automatic out. We started off down the silent beach. Rounded its end. All empty. We kept near the water, away from the trees and underbrush. No sign of anything. Drake whispered. "Let's cut straight across. Then up to the rock. Look for the fire embers." He led us, with the rifle in the hollow of his arm. We walked slowly, cautiously through the trees as though stalking some hidden animal. But there seemed no one on the island.