“Well, then, here goes!” replied Case, his face taking on a serious expression, “as soon as you boys got well out into the river, we felt the boat give a little dip to one side, but thought nothing of it. We must have been drifting an hour or more when we heard a rustling in the cabin, and Captain Joe, who had been growling at the side of the boat for the better part of half an hour, ever since he woke up, in fact, grew furious.
“Then he sprang through the open window which leads to the after deck and disappeared in the river. The jarring of the boat we had felt came from the impact of a human body against it! The dog had followed the intruder into the stream!”
“Did he get him?” asked Jule and Alex, in a breath.
“He did not,” was the answer.
“Too bad!” Alex answered. “That dog isn’t any good. If he had been he wouldn’t have slept when the boat was invaded!”
“Is that all the story?” asked Jule.
“Well, we followed on after the fellow until we were around a bend in the river, and then came on, thinking that you boys would find us, never thinking that we should find you here,” replied Case.
“What do you think that fellow means by following the Rambler?” asked Jule. “For no good purpose, I’m certain!”
“Did he leave any writing on the boat anywhere?” questioned Alex. “You know what he left the last time he paid us an unfriendly visit. I’d like pretty well to get him by the neck!” he added, with a tightening of the fists which boded no good to the fellow, whoever he might be.
“And now,” Jule cut in, “will you kindly explain how those on this boat knew that the stranger had paid the Rambler a visit on his way downstream. There is something mysterious about this whole business! Something I can’t get to the bottom of!”