“What’s the matter?” asked Tom.
“The boat,” said Captain Corbet.
“What of her?”
“Some one’s been and stole her, or else she’s gone to the bottom, only the rope’s gone, too.”
“What! the boat!” cried Tom. “You don’t mean to say the boat’s gone!”
The other boys were startled at this, and hurried aft to look for themselves.
“I’m glad I wasn’t in her this time, at any rate,” said Tom, and then added in a melancholy voice, “but I suppose it wouldn’t make much difference now.”
The boys stood in silence for some time, not quite knowing how to take this new incident. At length Phil looked all around.
“Where’s Bart?” he asked, “and Bruce?”
“They’re not up,” said Tom. “Don’t wake them. Let them sleep as long as they can.”