You are all fairly good woodsmen by this time, and can trail by signs as effectively as first-class scouts.

Use your eyes, and good luck." Merritt at once assigned searching parties, he and Rob and Tubby taking the center of the island and the others being detailed to search along the shores in two separate squads for any trace of their missing comrade.
"Call me a lubber if this ain't the most mystifyin' thing I've run my bow into since the Two Janes, uv Boston, brig, lost her bearings in a fog and fetched up off Iceland," declared the captain, who had elected to accompany the three leaders of the Patrol.

"But drown or swim, sail or sink, we'll find that kid if he's on deck." The searching parties construed this speech as a sort of valedictory to them as, indeed, the captain intended it--and greeted it with a cheer.
"The first scout that finds a trace of Joe is to light the four 'smokes', meaning come to council," was Rob's last order.

"Light them on as prominent a place as you can find and we will all meet in camp to hear the news." The searching parties at once separated, one striking off to the right, the other to the left and the three young leaders and their grizzled friend making a dead set for the center of the island.
If Joe Digby was to be found, the look of determination on the face of each scout showed that it would not be the fault of his young comrades if he were not..