Hardly had he gained the cabin when a cry of dismay burst from his lips; and, as if unable to speak, he stood pointing toward the locker, on which, but a few moments previous, had been placed the materials for the proposed dinner.
“Where’s the stuff gone?” Bob cried in astonishment, pressing forward as if thinking the wrappings, which was all that had been left behind, might give some clew to the whereabouts of the provisions.
“What’s the matter?” Josiah asked from the top of the companion-way, it not having yet been possible for him to descend because of the crowd at the foot of the stairs.
“Matter!” Bob wailed; “why, somebody’s gone an’ stole everything while we was on deck; an’ how they coulder got away is what puzzles me! There ain’t so much as a single peanut left!”
Josiah was so unnerved by the sad tidings that in attempting to descend he fell the entire length of the stairs; and when the confusion attendant upon the accident had subsided, the boys began a thorough search for the missing dainties.
“While we were on deck somebody crawled through that window,” Tom said, as he pointed to the footprints which could be seen in the dust from the ledge to the locker.
“It’s Sim Jones, that’s who it is!” Bill cried, as he ran on deck; and an instant later his suspicions were verified by seeing the young gentleman in question, together with four of his friends, rowing hurriedly out of the basin.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE PURSUIT.
The first impulse of the angry givers of the feast was to start in pursuit of the thieves; and Bill Foss had begun to clamber out on the dock in order to get the boat, when Bob stopped him by saying:—
“Hold on! It’s no use to do that! We couldn’t catch ’em now with only one pair of oars, for they’ve got too much of a start. The best way will be to lay for ’em to-night over on the other side.”