I tell you I recognized the man!"
"You recognized him?"
"Yes."
"Who was he?"
"Ballard!"
A murmur of incredulousness rose from the men, and Ike Denman
exclaimed:
"You have been fooled by your fancy; you have been dreaming!"
"No; I wasn't dreaming; I swear I saw Ballard, the man who
went overboard from the 'Nancy' twenty miles out at sea."
"I tell you, man, you have been dreaming."
The man pointed down to his wet clothes.
"Yes, you scoundrel, you fell asleep and rolled down the bank
into the water, and you saw a ghost in your dream."
"You fellows may think I saw a ghost, but I can prove I
didn't. Yes, sir, prove it."
"How?"
"Bring your lanterns and come with me."
"What will you show us?"
"The man's tracks in the sand at the spot where he and I had
the wrestle."
The man started for the point where our hero had first met the
smuggler; had the former been less bravo and reckless he would
have seized the opportunity to get away, but he was curious to
witness the result of the inquiry, and he moved along to the
spot where the combat had taken place, and took up a position
on the bluff near enough to see and overhear.
The men with their lanterns reached the place and an
examination followed.
The imprints of two pairs of feet were plainly visible.
Denman made close examination, even measuring the different
footprints; when he had concluded he said in a hoarse voice:
"Boys, we've been followed; there's an enemy on the island and
he must never get away alive!"
By the glare of the lanterns our hero could see the men's
faces, and they were pale and contorted with excitement and
trepidation.
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