“Well, every one counts,” said the squire with a smile.
I could see that he was in a terrible hurry, and as soon as the fisherman was given in charge of the jailer we left.
On my way to the wharf I ran against Tom Darrow. He was glad to see me out.
“And glad to know that Markham proved to be a gentleman,” he added. “And that reminds me, Gus Lowell found your mill-boat over to Summer’s Point. He brought it over to Ray’s dock.”
This was welcome news, and it would not now be necessary to borrow a boat in which to go after Mr. Norton and his two confederates. I ran down to the place that Tom had mentioned, and was soon at the wharf in my own boat.
Ford came on board, and we set out on a voyage of discovery, as he termed it. Darrow would have liked to accompany us, but said he had work on hand, having an order for forty pounds of fish for one of the Bayport hotels.
“And it don’t pay to let such an order slip by,” he added. “Not when prices are high and biting is good.”
“Where do you intend to go first?” asked Ford when we were well on our way.
“I think the fellows made for Rock Island,” I said.