And Buck had had the Esmeralda quite ready on short notice! Of course the episode of Alex being treed by the bear was entirely unexpected and just happened.
It interfered somewhat with the plans of the party, and somewhat with Rube’s bank roll, but, as Alex declared, “it made the company all the tougher, and did no harm in the long run.” It was only incidental, and did not count for or against Thede or Paul.
The lads fished while they discussed every phase of the matter, but at last they were obliged to give it up.
“We’ll have to watch and wait,” Jule finally said. “If there is mischief afloat, it will show itself in time.”
And with this they had to be content.
The Rambler was running downstream very slowly, so as not to get ahead of the rowboat; still, as the boys took their time, doing more talking than fishing, it gained on them, and finally turned a bend in the stream and passed out of sight.
“Where’s the Rambler?” asked Alex, looking up from the contemplation of a fine string of fish.
“I guess she passed out of sight around that bend,” was the impatient reply. “Somehow that boat seems to delight in leaving us behind. Wonder why she didn’t slow up when the boys saw that she was passing us?”
“We’ll catch her in two jerks of a pig’s tail,” replied Alex, laying down his fishing tackle and picking up the oars. “There does seem to be a fatality about the thing, though—the way she sails calmly away and leaves us!”
The boys had spent a longer time than they had suspected in the discussion of the mysterious movements of the others, and the row was a long one. When they finally came in sight of the boat they were surprised to see no signs of life on board.