“Down the river,” was the reply.
“You see,” Jule went on, helping Case to answer the question, “one of the boys went out to catch a fish and a coal tow chased him down. He’ll be back directly. Ought to be here now.”
“What kind of a boat is it?” asked Ball.
“Motor boat,” replied Case.
Ball beckoned Peck and Hall a short distance away and the three stood for some moments in earnest conversation.
“Oh, I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with the boys,” Peck was heard to say. “No use to trouble them.”
“We can’t afford to take any chances,” Hart replied. “Just where did you see that motor boat?” he went on turning to Peck.
“Some distance up the river,” was the reply. “I went out to a bar where several coal barges had stranded to see if the pirates had had anything to do with the trouble, and there I saw a motor boat.”
“Did you talk with the boys?” Peck asked.
“Yes,” Peck answered, “I talked with the boys, and they talked straight enough, but I didn’t like their suspicious actions. They couldn’t give any account of themselves, except that they were going down the river just for the fun of the thing. Besides, I’m certain they heard the men talking and the horses fussing on the bank. I saw them looking that way several times. I’m rather afraid of them!”