“A long way from here. I tell you, Mack, the superintendent didn’t dream of this when he gave you your roving commission. Is it necessary that you should report to him for further orders?”
“No. He told me to catch those fellows if I could learn where they were, and that’s the only order I want.”
“All right. What do you say to a sail on the bay?”
The students raised a shout that made the spacious dining-room echo. “Have they gone that way?” asked the captain.
“They have, and this is the way I found it out,” answered Don, who, having worked his auditors up to the highest pitch of excitement, went on to repeat the conversation he had held with Mr. Packard, and wound up by saying: “Somehow I couldn’t help connecting the deserters with the disappearance of that yacht; so I dropped into a telegraph office, and the operator, at my request, spoke to Mayville, who, after taking about fifteen minutes to gain information, replied that the Sylph had gone down the river at daylight with a lot of students aboard.”
“Hurrah!” shouted Captain Mack; while his men broke out into a yell, pounded the table, clapped their hands, and acted altogether so unlike orderly guests of a first-class hotel, that the proprietor came in to see what was the matter.
“Break all the dishes,” said he, swinging his arms around his head. “Turn the house out of doors, if you want to; it’s paid for!”
“We’ll try to stop before we do any damage, Mr. Mortimer,” said Captain Mack, with a laugh. “Now pitch in everybody, so that we can take the first train.”
“Where are we going, Mack,” inquired Curtis.