"Gone home. He works nights and sleeps in the daytime."
"Where does he live?"
"Just up that street over yonder—in the square stone house with the red barn back of it."
Waiting to hear no more, Dick set off for the house mentioned, taking Tom with him. They rapped loudly on the door and an elderly woman answered their summons.
"Is Mr. Bill Daws in?" asked Dick.
"Yes, sir, but he has gone to bed."
"I must speak to him a minute. Tell him it's about the talking he heard on the river in the dark."
"Oh, is that so! He told me something about it," answered the woman.
She went off and coming back invited them into the house. Soon Bill
Daws appeared, having slipped on part of his clothing.
"I can't tell ye a great deal," said the watchman. "I heard two gals cry out and some men was trying to shet 'em up. One gal said something about a houseboat and about telling somebody about it."