Bob waited no longer, but dashed for the stairway.
"You go back, Jack," he shouted as he turned at the head of the stairs and saw his brother close at his heels.
"Back nothing," the boy yelled. "Now, don't stop to argue because it won't do any good."
Bob knew his brother well enough to know that it would be useless to say anything more so he leaped down the stairs and Jack followed.
"Oh, Captain!" he shouted as soon as he had reached the foot.
There was no answer.
"He must be up forward somewhere," Jack shouted as he started toward the bow.
Fortunately the boys had had the foresight to slip into their pockets their flashlights and, with their aid, they quickly located a door on the far side of the large hall, which opened into a corridor leading to the bow. On both sides of this corridor were staterooms and into these they peeped, Bob taking those on the right side while Jack followed suit on the left. But the captain was in none of them and they reached the open deck in the bow without having discovered him. From time to time they had called at the top of their voice without result.
"If he's in this part of the boat he must be dead or unconscious," Bob declared as he threw the light from his flash over the deck.
"Well, there's no use standing here," Jack returned. "There's a passage on each side close to the rail. You take one and I'll take the other."