"By gracious! I certainly believe it's the Deerfoot!"
Chester sprang up and reached for the binoculars, but his chum was not ready to hand them over.
"It looks like her, but I'm not certain. What do you say, George?"
"It's her," was the ungrammatical but emphatic response.
The news almost overcame Alvin, who, passing the glasses to Chester, dropped into his seat, that he might pull himself together.
The launch was a mile off and in so plain sight that the wonder was it had not been seen before. It was headed diagonally toward Linekin Neck and seemed to be going very slowly.
"Let me have another look," said George, who retained his place at the wheel, while at the same time manipulating the instrument.
This time he did not continue his scrutiny as long as before. While so engaged, the youths used their unassisted eyes. The Deerfoot, as she undoubtedly was, could be seen in the position named, though of course with less distinctness than through the binoculars.
"She doesn't seem to make much progress," remarked Alvin, with an inquiring look at George, who swung the wheel over so as to head toward the motor boat. He did not reply to the words of the youth, to whom he again handed the instrument. Alvin persisted:
"How do you explain it?"