"Of course that half-breed did it," concluded George, "and now that we've told you all about it, we are going to start out after him. I'll wager he's somewhere around this lake yet."
"I shall go back to the village at once and put the matter in the hands of the constable," declared Miss Elting. "I shall also see Dee Dickinson. I hold him indirectly responsible for all the disagreeable things that have happened to us, and for this, too."
"Wait until to-night before you do anything about it," begged George. "Give the Tramp Club a chance to distinguish themselves. If we don't get our man by six o'clock to-night, then put the matter in the hands of the authorities. In the meantime, won't you accept our hospitality for the day? We offer you the use of our camp while we go out on a man hunt."
After some further conversation Miss Elting reluctantly agreed to the boys' plan, and after considerable mourning over the lost "Red Rover," the girls settled themselves in the camp of the tramps to await the return of the boys.
"It looks as though we would have to go back to Meadow-Brook a little sooner than we expected, girls," declared Miss Elting.
"I'd rather go home than thtay around where there are crathy Indianth," retorted Tommy. "Thuppothe we had been on that boat when it thank."
"We wouldn't have been so foolish as to stay on it if it had been sinking," laughed Harriet. "Besides all of us can swim. Our enemy took good care to set fire to the boat when we weren't on it."
"I wonder what his object is in persecuting us so," mused Hazel. "None of us have ever harmed him."
"Ask Dee Dickinson," advised Jane dryly.
"We certainly shall do so, this very night," returned Miss Elting, with compressed lips.