“Sully, Dixon and dat low-down Len Spencer!”
The boys started.
“What makes you think so?” asked Jack, catching the colored youth by the arm.
“I heered dem a-talkin’ ’bout it las’ night on de toboggan-slide. Sully said he would like ter break up yo’r gwine away, and Dixon said de Isticle was tied up down heah, an’ da could git hold ob it easy enought an’ put yo’ in de hole.”
“That settles it!” cried Harry, angrily. “Our old enemies are at work against us. They took the iceboat just to break up our tour.”
“But they sha’n’t break it up!” cried Boxy. “I’ll go on foot first!”
“So will I,” joined in Andy.
“If we only knew where they had taken the Icicle we might go after them,” said Jack. “I don’t believe in letting them have their own way.”
“Nor I—after working so hard on the iceboat,” added Boxy. “Pickles, did they say anything about where they might go?”
“No, da didn’t,” replied the colored youth, slowly. “But, hol’ on—Len Spencer said he was gwine down to Lumberton to-day fo’ his father——”