Bob helped put the oars in their sockets. There were two pairs and they bent their backs to the task of rowing.
“This may be an all night job,” grunted the sheriff, “but it will be worth it if I can catch up with the fellow who threw me out of the car last night.”
The boat, although not large, was heavy and in less than half an hour Bob had blisters on both hands and his back ached mightily.
“Ease up a bit,” advised the sheriff. “We’ll drift along here and rest.”
Bob welcomed the chance to straighten up and he let the oars rest in the oarlocks while he stood up in the boat.
A flicker of light to the left caught his eye and he spoke quietly to the sheriff.
“There’s a light to your left,” he said. “Stand up and look at it.”
Sheriff McCurdy stood up in the stern.
“I expected something like this,” he grunted. “Might as well rest a bit, though, for I’ve too many kinks in my back now to think of a good scrap.”
The boat drifted gently and the sheriff told what he knew about the island.