“Now here is where the Ritter crowd pay us back,” went on Pepper. “I don’t know how they got here, but they did—and they have either hidden the launch or made off with it. I am awfully sorry—on your account,” and he looked anxiously at the Fords.
“Well, you are in the same boat as ourselves,” said Mr. Ford.
“I guess you mean we are both out of the boat,” returned Andy, with a sickly grin. He turned to Able Fales. “Have you looked all along the shore for the launch?” he asked.
“Pretty much,” was the answer. “But I can take another look. So it was some friends of yours took the boat, eh?”
“Hardly friends,” answered Dale dryly. “They belong to our military school.”
“I know you fellers are full of tricks. Took the bell clapper of the church once,” went on the boatman.
Another search was made by the boatman and the boys and Mr. Ford joined in the hunt. But not a trace of the missing craft could be found. Jack looked at his watch and saw that it was nearly five o’clock.
“If this isn’t the worst yet!” he murmured. “Pepper, what do you think we had best do?”
“I don’t know. If they don’t bring the boat back we may have to remain on the island all night.”
“That would be a hardship on Mrs. Ford and the girls. They are not used to roughing it, and there is nothing but a shed here, and that isn’t very clean.”