CHAPTER XIII.
ADAM LEADS HIS PARTY.
Adam and the two boys had not sailed very far in the dirty little boat, when they found out why the persons who had been using her had left her and taken The Rolling Stone in her place.
This little boat, on the stern of which was painted the name “Maggie,” was very leaky, and required continual bailing. Her sailing tackle was out of order, and she was a very undesirable boat. But Phœnix and Phil bailed away bravely with a couple of tin cans which they found on board, and Adam, having steered into the mouth of the smaller river, put the boat before the wind and sailed along at a good rate.
The stream they were now in twisted and wound a good deal, and they could not see very far ahead, but every moment they hoped to come in sight of The Rolling Stone.
“I cannot imagine,” said Phil, “why Chap should have gone off in that boat. If it was taken away from him, or borrowed, I should have supposed he would stay behind to tell us what had become of her.”
“If it was took by unfair means,” said Adam, “he’d be very likely to think he ought to stick by her to the last, and if they took her they’d have to take him. P’raps they were only goin’ a little way up this river, and he’s undertook to bring her back.”
“If he does, he’ll upset her,” said Phœnix.
“If that’s so,” said Adam, “we’ll come across her bottom up, and the young chap sittin’ on her keel.”
“And all our things in the river,” said Phil.
“That’ll be about it,” quietly replied Adam, hoping from the bottom of his heart that nothing worse than this had happened.