Dinner was soon ready, and Ethan at once summoned the young campers. His own distress was evident, and did not tend to allay the anxiety of the boys; but in response to their protest that they were not hungry, he said:—
“That doesn’t make a bit o’ difference. Ye’ve got to eat whether ye want to or not. It may be we’ll have a lot o’ work yet to do, and if ye don’t eat ye can’t work.”
“Ethan,” said Jock, “don’t you think we’d better telegraph to my father or to Ben’s?” The boys had obeyed the summons, and were now seated at the table, but the eyes of all were upon the boatman.
“Telegraph?” replied Ethan. “It’ll cost ye four shillin’ to do that.”
“I don’t care what it costs,” said Jock, recklessly; for even Ethan’s fear of a telegram and its probable expense did not interest him now.
“Wall, mebbe, mebbe,” said Ethan, slowly. “Ye’d better eat yer dinner first, and then we’ll see what can be done.”
No one spoke during the early part of the dinner, and although the boys managed to eat some of the food which had been provided for them, it was evident that they were not hungry, and their thoughts were all upon their missing comrade. The hopes which they had had at the coming of the day had disappeared now, and with the passing of the hours the conviction deepened that Ben was lost. How could they ever send word to his home? When Jock thought of the enthusiasm with which they had come, and then realized that he was the one who had proposed the camp, he was ready to blame himself as the cause of all the sorrow and trouble. Already in his mind he could see Ben’s father and mother, when the word should be received in their home. How could he bear it? But Ben was gone; there could be no question about that, and it was quite probable that they never would learn how or where he had disappeared. The hungry current of the river bore swiftly onward in its course all that it seized, and traces of missing boat or boy would be difficult, if not impossible, to find. His eyes filled with tears, and he started abruptly from the table.
No one spoke to recall him, for they all understood his feelings, and indeed their own sympathies were now increasing; but as Jock ran toward the shore, he perceived that Tom was standing on the bank and gazing earnestly out upon the river.
Jock looked up to see what had interested Tom, and perceived a small steam-yacht coming close in-shore. Even while he was watching it, the beautiful little craft stopped, and a moment later he saw a canoe lowered from the stern and some one step into it.