And, be it said in all truth right here, neither Frank nor Lanky, serious as they were in the matter gave any heed to further quest for clues or information of any sort until the food was devoured and the containers had been buried deep in the soil of the shore.
But, having partaken heartily of everything that had been brought along, the boys walked around this part of the island, curiously looking here and there, not for anything in particular, but as observant boys will do when in a strange place.
“Now, fellows, since I am willing to concede the point to Lanky about this being the hiding place that night, let’s see if we can figure where the thing went. I believe it had something to do with that robbery, and I wish to run it down.”
The Rocket slowly, very carefully, nosed out of the willow-nook and turned straight for upstream.
“You see, it was headed this way when we met it, and the chances are there is a spot on this side where it found a landing—its goal, I might say.”
The boys took the cue of their leader, Frank, and while he brought the Rocket farther over to the opposite side of the river, they strained their eyes to watch for any trace of it.
An hour passed slowly by, with the Rocket making its way steadily up the Harrapin, the boys watching the shore. But no success was theirs.
“How far shall we go, do you say?” Frank asked Lanky. “Do you suppose it could be any farther up the river than we have come?”
“I don’t believe so,” slowly replied Wallace. “You see, it was a rowboat, which, if my line of reasoning is any good, means there was not a great distance to go. If the distance had been greater they surely would have used a motor boat.”
Frank agreed with this, for it seemed a logical conclusion to reach, excepting for the one item of noise, which Frank suggested, but which Lanky set aside.