“Come arter us and stole it!” said Bob slowly.
“Yes: he must have watched us, and waited till we were asleep.”
“Go on with you!”
“He did. I feel as sure as sure,” cried Dexter.
There was a pause during which Bob went on balancing the matter in his mind.
“He has taken it up the river, and he thinks we shall be afraid to go after it.”
“Then he just thinks wrong,” said Bob, nodding his head a good deal. “I thought something o’ that kind a bit ago, but you made me so wild I forgot it again.”
“But you see now, Bob.”
“See? O’ course I do. I’ll just let him know—a thief. Here, come on, and we’ll drop on to him with a policeman, and show him what stealing boats means.”
“No, no, Bob, we can’t go with a policeman. Let’s go ourselves, and make him give it up.”