In as few words as possible he told the story of the situation on the Rambler at the time he left it.
“And Jule is still there with those thieves?” asked Case.
“He is unless he’s made a dive for liberty,” replied Clay.
“You say the boat was drifting the last you saw of her?” asked Hank.
“Broadside downstream!” answered Clay.
“Well, then,” the mountaineer suggested, “we’d better be moving on down. Was she on this side of the river or the other?”
“Pretty close to the Kentucky shore,” answered the boy.
“Then you’re in luck!” the mountaineer laughed. “There’s a sand bar down here, just around the point, that will be sure to catch her. You may have my head for a football if we don’t see her wedged against that bar as soon as we come in sight of it.”
After half an hour’s difficult walking along the river bank, winding far into the river to escape coves, crossing little runs on fallen trees, they passed around the point of the bend and looked down a long sweep of river.
“Thunderation!” shouted the mountaineer.