“You were prowling around soon enough to distinguish anything, if it could be seen,” Vance persisted, “and I have an idea you failed to find the tracks you counted on.”
“How did you know that?”
“I watched while you were searching, and, of course, understood what you expected to see.”
Ned joined Roy at the tent without making any further reply.
He did not believe in ghosts, but at the same time it made him just a trifle nervous to have Vance attribute the disturbance to an unearthly source.
There was too much work to be done before sunset to permit of spending many moments discussing what was so profitless as the subject of ghosts.
The hawsers were to be hauled in until they should be as taut as on the night previous, and Ned was revolving in his mind the use of blocks and wedges to bring the yacht on an even keel more quickly.
In order to perform this labor, however, it was necessary all hands should assist, therefore Ned was forced to remain idle until after breakfast had been prepared and eaten.
This did not prove to be such a very long task, owing to the fact that all hands assisted in the work, and at a reasonably early hour the wreckers were ready for business.
The hawsers were drawn as taut as possible once more, and Ned said in a tone of satisfaction when this had been done: