"How did he get her away in the first place?"
"We were stopping at a hotel in Canada and I went out to do some necessary shopping. When I got back my mother was gone. She had received a bogus note, written I presume by Crabtree, asking her to come to me at once, as I had been taken sick in one of the stores. I immediately hired a detective, Mr. Ruff here, and we tracked Mr. Crabtree to the lake."
"Good for you, Dora,—a man couldn't have done better," cried Sam so enthusiastically that Dora had to blush.
"But now I want to get to mother without further delay."
"Let us set sail at once, then," said Tom. "The distance to the wreck is not over two miles."
Without delay the anchor was hoisted, the mainsail set, and the sloop left the shore. She was a trim-built craft, and under a good breeze her bow cut the shining waters of the lake like a knife.
The only one on the boat who was not in good humor was Arnold Baxter.
When he got the chance he called Tom Rover to him.
"Rover, what do you intend to do with me?" he asked.
"We intend to hand you over to the authorities."
"You are making a great mistake."