"Where are you going?" asked Mrs. Lufkin, as Hank arose to his feet.
"I am going down to see Mr. Gibbons about it," said Hank.
"Better sit up and have some breakfast first," said his father.
"No, sir. It is too serious a matter to waste time eating breakfast. If Mr. Gibbons thinks they have gone, all right. I am going to see him the first thing I do."
"Why, Gibbons don't know any more about it than you," said his father. "They went off—"
But Hank was already on his way toward the gate. Having made up his mind that the lawyer was the one to see, he lost no time in getting there; but when, after half an hour's rapid running, he rang the bell and Mr. Gibbons came to the door, he saw by the blank look on the gentleman's face that he did not comprehend the matter any better than he did.
"Why, I can't imagine what sent them away," said Mr. Gibbons. "I did not know that they intended to go anywhere."
"But, Mr. Gibbons, they have been shipped on board some vessel that they never signed articles for," said Hank, earnestly. "They would never go off in this way without letting me know it, for I agreed to go fishing with Bob to-day."
Mr. Gibbons started as if he had been shot. He got his hat and started toward Ben Watson's house (all the while he moved so fast that Hank had to trot to keep pace with him), and during the walk he inquired closely in regard to what Barlow and Samson had been doing the night before.
"They did not have any hand in doing it, Mr. Gibbons," said Hank. "Father saw them when he came by the saloon about ten o'clock, and Samson said how nice it would be if he could capture him and send him off to sea. Barlow and Samson were around their saloon all the evening."