"We are sure to catch that storm now," remarked Fred, "and when it comes I guess it will be a corker."
"Which proves the old saying that it never pours but what we have a flood," grumbled Frank. "Losing the sloop is bad enough, without any more troubles."
At last they reached the cove and all gazed blankly at the spot where the Sprite had ridden at anchor such a short while before.
"Gone, that's all there is to it," said Joe, who was the first to speak.
"Here are some footprints along the shore," said Link, who was examining the ground. "See, they come from back of yonder bushes."
"Only one pair of feet," said Harry. "That would seem to prove that only one person sailed away with the sloop."
"You must be right, Harry," said Paul. "And that person must have been Dan Marcy."
"We can't prove that—just yet," said another of the crowd.
They looked around, but could find nothing which might give them a clew to the one who had taken the boat. Then they looked at each other.
"Is there another boat around here?" asked Bart. "Even a rowboat will do—anything to get to the mainland in."