"She ought to be a fast boat at that," muttered Neale O'Neil. "Nancy Hanks was some horse."
"So that was the only one?" Luke persevered. "And you spoke with Cap'n Quigg, did you?"
"With Bill Quigg?" snapped the lock-keeper, with some asperity. "I guess not! I ain't wastin' my time with the likes of him."
"Oh-ho," said Luke, while his friends looked interested. "You don't approve of the owner of the Nancy Hanks?"
"I should hope not. I ain't got no use for him."
"Then he is a pretty poor citizen, I take it?"
"I cal'late he's the poorest kind we got. He ain't even wuth sendin' to jail. He'd gone long ago if he was. No. I've no use for Cap'n Bill."
"But you saw there was nobody with him on the boat—no children?"
"Only that gal of his."
"No others?"