"Yes; and what's worse, poor Tom!"
"Tom!" cried Bart, in a horror of apprehension.
"Yes, Tom's adrift in her."
At this Bart said not a word, but stood for some time staring at Bruce in utter dismay.
A few words served to explain to Bart the situation of the schooner, and the need of getting a boat.
"Well," said Bart, "we'd better see about it at once. It's eleven o'clock, but we'll find some people up; if not, we'll knock them up."
And with these words the two lads walked up from the river bank.
On reaching the houses attached to the shipyard, they found that most of the people were up. There was a good deal of singing and laughter going on, which the boys interpreted to arise from a desire to celebrate the launching of the ship. They went first to Mrs. Watson's house, where they found that good lady up. She listened to their story with undisguised uneasiness, and afterwards called in a number of men, to whom she told the sad news. These men listened to it with very serious faces.
"It's no joke," said one, shaking his head. The others said nothing, but their faces spoke volumes.
"What had we better do?" asked Bruce.