The widow sat down and watched the boatman mending his craft. Thus an hour passed. Then came a hail from the water.
"Ahoy there, Franchard!"
The boatman looked up and saw a young fellow in a rowboat.
"Hullo, Evans!" he called back.
"Say, one of your boats is ashore over to Mack's meadow," went on the youth in the rowboat.
"One of my boats! Which one?"
"The Minnie. I saw her as I came past, and I thought I'd tell you about her. She isn't tied up there."
"My gracious! what can it mean?" cried Mrs. Nelson. "That was the boat Ralph had, wasn't it?"
"It was," returned Franchard. "Jump in this rowboat, Mrs. Nelson, and we'll go over to the meadow and take a look at the boat."
He ran for a pair of oars, and soon the two were on the water. Mack's meadow was less than half a mile away, and Franchard, who was an expert rower, soon pulled the boat to it.