In spite of the late hours they had kept the night before, Sam and his four friends made their appearance in the harbor bright and early. They were all in the best of spirits, for they believed that at last they had succeeded in disposing of "that ar Bobby Jennings;" but still they could not help casting frequent and anxious glances toward the bay, as if they every moment expected to see the fisher-boy sail into the harbor in a boat as far superior to the Go Ahead No. 2 as she was better than the scow Sam had sunk the day before. The bully knew that his rival had a great many friends, and he was afraid that, after all, he might be able to hold his own, in spite of all his efforts to disable him. The fear of being punished for what they had done did not trouble the members of the Crusoe band in the least; they knew that their chief had managed the affair so carefully that nothing could be proved against them.
The hours wore slowly away, and finally those of the ferry-boys who knew nothing of what had taken place during the night began to make inquiries concerning the fisher-boy, who was generally one of the first to make his appearance in the harbor. No one had seen him that morning, and it seemed to be the general impression that he was afraid to trust his fine boat among his rivals again—an idea that was confirmed by Sam and all the members of his band.
"I've been a-lookin' an' waitin' fur him," said the bully, "an' I'm mighty sorry he don't come, fur I've got a trick fixed fur him. I told him we had seed him here jest often enough, an' may be he's goin' to quit ferryin'."
Sam would willingly have given every cent he expected to earn that day to know what Bob thought about it, and what he was going to do; and once he even thought seriously of making some excuse for calling upon him. But, upon reflection, he came to the conclusion that his safest plan was to keep away from his rival, and await the issue of events with as much patience as he could command. He was not kept long in suspense, however, for about ten o'clock he was given an opportunity to learn all he wanted to know. He was on the point of starting across the harbor with a load of passengers, when the village constable, accompanied by the fisher-boy, suddenly appeared upon the wharf and ordered him to stop.
"Gentlemen," said the officer, addressing the passengers, "you'll have to go across in some other boat. I want this ferry-boy."
Sam comprehended the situation in an instant; and he was smart enough to know that every thing depended upon the manner in which he behaved himself during the next few minutes. He had all the while been satisfied that the fisher-boy would make a "powerful fuss," as soon as he discovered his loss, and Sam had so often gone over the part he intended to perform, that he could act it quite naturally. Upon hearing the words uttered by the constable, he looked up with an expression of astonishment and alarm that would have staggered almost any one; and which went a long way toward convincing the officer that he had got hold of the wrong man, and that he would be obliged to look further for the culprit.
"Come ashore with that boat, Sam," said the constable. "I am in a great hurry!"
"Do you want me, Mr. Grimes?" asked the bully, with well-feigned amazement. "What have I been a doin'?"
"No nonsense, now, but come ashore with that boat," repeated the officer, sternly.
Sam did not carry matters too far, as a great many guilty boys would have done, but without further parley, he brought his yawl alongside the wharf, and assisted his passengers to climb out. Then turning to one of the ferry-boys, and requesting to keep an eye on his boat during his absence, he clambered upon the wharf and stood before the constable. The latter looked him squarely in the eye for a moment, as if trying to read his very thoughts, and then said, slowly: