“Wonder where this barge is going to?” said Ned. “It’s a bigger one than I ever saw on the river before. It’s got a lot of machinery aboard, too.”
“That doesn’t interest me so much as the question of when they have supper,” came from Bart. “I’m getting warm and dry and I begin to feel my appetite coming back.”
They were close to the big boiler where it was warm enough to almost bake bread. As they were huddled there, getting the river chill out of them, they heard somebody approaching down the passage that led to the engine room.
“Hope it’s someone to say supper is ready,” spoke Fenn.
“Captain Needham says you are to—” a voice began and then it suddenly stopped. The chums looked up and saw, in the glare from a lantern, a youth staring at them.
“Sandy Merton!” exclaimed Ned.
At this the other boys pressed forward to get a look at the lad who had acted so strangely of late. But Sandy did not give them a chance. He turned and fairly ran from the engine room.
“Well of all the odd places we come across that chap this is the queerest,” spoke Ned. “What in the world can he be doing here?”
“Just what I was going to ask,” Bart said. “It looks funny. We must ask Captain Needham.”
“Ah, boys, getting warmed through?” asked a voice, and Captain Needham appeared a little later. “Well, you look pretty comfortable. Guess you’re ready for supper.”