“Then who was it?” demanded Leonard.
“The two young ladies,” replied Dick.
The others gazed at him in surprise.
“What do you mean?” asked Jenkins.
“Just what I say. In some manner they succeeded in escaping from the shanty before we arrived. Then they must have made their way back here, and finding the launch, appropriated it for their own use. You must remember that Jones, not we, came here in the Sybil. The last the girls saw of us we were in the other launch. It was impossible for them to tell we had recaptured the Sybil.”
“I believe you are right,” said Leonard.
“I’m sure of it,” replied Dick.
“Then what are we to do? We are marooned here for the rest of the night.”
“Well,” said Dick, “we might walk down stream. It’s possible we may be able to find the other launch, which we abandoned.”
“There is no use staying here, that’s certain,” agreed Leonard. “But the chances are we won’t find it.”