[CHAPTER XXIII]
THE MOTOR BOAT MISSING
In his eagerness to listen to what the men were saying Ned had gotten up on his knees. In doing so he had knocked down a monkey wrench from a seat, and the tool fell with a clatter to the bottom of the Dartaway.
“Some one is listening!” he heard one of the men in the sloop exclaim.
“Nonsense,” the other replied. “It was only an oar banging against the side of the boat.”
“Some one was listening I tell you! I’m going out to take a look.”
Ned decided it would not be wise for him to be found in the boat. While the man was ascending to the deck of the sloop the boy crawled noiselessly over the side of the Dartaway and hid behind a box on the wharf. From there Ned watched the man leap from the sailing boat to the dock, and take a careful look around, including making an inspection of the Dartaway.
“See anything?” asked the one who had remained in the cabin.
“No one around. I guess you were right.”
“Course I was. Come aboard and we’ll finish our plans.”