A chill passed through Bassett—revenge was a word that fitted Joe. But he cast the thought out, moving away from the desk and exclaiming with angry repudiation:
“Oh, it’s unthinkable, preposterous.”
“What but an evil intention could have made him act as he did?”
“Any number of things. It may be a prank—a practical joke we’ll get an explanation of later. He may have invented the story of his fishing trip and gone off with a girl.”
“Had he a girl?”
“I don’t know—also he may have done something dishonest, got in wrong some way—he was capable of it, I’m not defending him—and been frightened and lit out.”
“How did he get off?”
Bassett’s voice was raised in his exasperation:
“Good lord, Rawson, we weren’t jailed here then. He could have had a boat hidden in one of the coves. This place wasn’t escape-proof till you turned up. He could have rowed ashore and landed anywhere, and that’s what he’s done.”
“Unless he’s here.”