“Your boat?” demanded Tommy Flanders. “Who said it was your boat?”
“I say it,” answered Randy. “That boat got away from us yesterday in the storm.”
“Did you find the oars?” questioned Jack.
“No. We didn’t find anything but the boat,” said Halliday. “And you’ve got to prove it’s your property before we give it up,” he went on suddenly and with a wink at his companions.
“That boat belongs to Mr. Garrison,” declared Jack. “We got it from Mose Mumbleton only yesterday.”
“Well, you’ll have to prove that before we give it up,” came from Tommy Flanders. “Don’t you say so, fellows?”
“Sure we do,” put in Billy Sands readily.
“Of course if it’s their boat they ought to have it,” came somewhat slowly from the fourth boy.
“Nothing doing, Fiddler!” cried Halliday. “We wouldn’t take their word for anything. We’re going to take this boat to our camp and they can’t have it until they prove it belongs to them. For all we know, they saw us pick the boat up and now want a chance to get it for themselves, even if it doesn’t belong to them.”
“Halliday, you ought to be punched for that!” cried Randy angrily.