Quite early in the search he stumbled across a very narrow trail that seemed to lead in the right direction.

By following it he came once more to the deserted log-hut in the forest, but search through the little clearing as he might, he could not see that it went any farther.
Taking his bearings, after deciding to open a trail of his own from there to the river, the boy attacked a thicket on the eastern side of the clearing with his jack-knife.

A few minutes of cutting carried him through it, and, to his amazement, he found himself again in an unmistakable trail.

It was narrow and indistinct, but it was none the less a trail, leading in the right direction, and the boy was woodman enough to follow it without hesitation to the river-bank.

A steamboat was passing the island, but though Winn waved frantically to it and shouted himself hoarse, no attention was paid to him.