“Sure!” answered Alex.
“Well?”
“There is certainly something between them,” was the reply. “We must keep a sharp lookout.”
“But it can’t be any plot to capture the Rambler,” suggested Jule. “They have had plenty of chances to do that.”
“How did they get together so soon?” said Alex. “Why, Rube was scarcely on the boat before it began.”
“So you noticed that, too, did you?”
“Of course I did!” was the answer. “When you see a man acting as if his very life depended on that of a boy, and that boy apparently a stranger, anyone would suspect. The fellow was too eager to know all about the case! Then, when Thede came on board, didn’t you think he got to the side of Paul pretty quickly?”
“Yes, I noticed that, and thought it very strange,” was the reply. “Now, what’s going to be done about it?”
“All we can do is to watch,” declared Alex.
“And where does Buck come in?” Jule asked, after a thoughtful pause. “You noticed that he had an electric boat handy when we needed one, and that the boat made pretty good time for an ordinary river boat! I’d just like to get to the bottom of this thing!”