"'Tis strange boots they wears," said Jamie. "Strange boots them is with nails in un."
"'Twere no man of The Labrador made them tracks," David declared.
"I never sees boots with nails in un," said Andy, "except the boots the lumber folks wears over at the new camp at Grampus River."
"Aye," agreed David, "they wears un. When we goes over with Pop last month when the big steamer comes I sees un. Plenty of un wears boots with nails in."
"That's who 'twere took our boat!" said Andy. "'Twere men from the Grampus River lumber camp."
"Let's track un and see where they were camped," suggested David.
The trail was easily followed. Here and there a footprint appeared where soil had drifted in among the rocks above the shore. The trail led them three hundred yards to the eastward, and then down into a sheltered hollow just above the water's edge, where a small boat was drawn up upon the shore.
"Here's a boat!" exclaimed Jamie, who had run ahead.
"A boat!" shouted David. "They left un and took our boat."
"And good reason!" said Jamie, who had reached the skiff. "The bottom's half knocked out of un."