Being able to play in the mud and water suited him much better than hauling over heavy logs, and he couldn’t believe Bobby was being so nice. Bobby wanted to see what his father thought about the mysterious footprints, and knew he might be able to get the scoop while they worked.

            Frank and Bobby started across the meadow, while Sarah and Greg headed towards the stream with their mud pans in hand. After bringing over a large supply of wood to keep Sarah and Greg busy for the day, Frank and Bobby began gathering more firewood. Finding wood nearby was getting harder now, and they had to go further and further away to find more. They were searching for more wood when Bobby finally asked his father about the footprints.

            “Well, I’d say there must be a child or very small adult living on the island,” Frank answered.

            With this thought in his head, Bobby began wondering all sorts of things. Was this person a boy or girl. How old were they. How long had they been on the island. And the question he wondered about the most, who was buried across the meadow. With so much on all of their minds, the time passed quickly that day and before they knew it, it was time to head back to the MaryJo.

            Their rock shelter was really beginning to look nice. After everyone washed up in the stream, they stood back and admired the work they’d done that day. Before they headed back to the boat, they sat down to discuss their plans for the following morning. They needed to find something to make their door. The material needed to be light so everyone would be able to open and close it easily. So, they decided as they headed back to the boat, Frank and Bobby would scout around the island to look for something suitable to use the following day.

            When they arrived at the sandy beach Frank told the boys they would leave their walking sticks in the dingy from then on. When they boarded the MaryJo for the night, Sarah went below and started dinner, while Frank brought out the fishing gear for the boys. Frank and Sarah were both anxious to talk about the footprints they’d found, but decided to wait until the boys were asleep.

           Finding the footprints changed everything in Sarah’s mind, because they couldn’t chance leaving a child marooned on the island alone. When they talked that evening Frank quickly agreed, they would have to find out who was living on the island, and why, before they headed for home.