“Sure thing we will,” Scoop promised. “How do you want us to address the letter,” he grinned, “ ‘Elizabeth’ or ‘Betty’ or just plain ‘Liz’?”
The questioned one matched the questioner’s grin.
“You can take your pick of the three names,” she laughed.
“We’ll make it ‘Liz,’ ” Scoop laughed.
It disgusted Red to think that we should thus talk to a girl. And to get rid of her he started the engine. When we had reached the channel, having passed through the piles, making a right-angle turn to the left, we could see her sitting in her green rowboat waving her handkerchief.
When we were well on our way the leader suddenly remembered about the misplaced ham and gave himself the job of finding it. But in this he was no more successful than Red had been. [[132]]As a consequence his face was sheepish when he returned to us empty handed.
“Honest, fellows, don’t you know where the ham is?”
Peg and I and Red shook our heads.
“It was under the engine deck last night,” the defeated one told us. “But it isn’t there now.”
That a thief had been on board the boat we could not doubt. And in the thought the leader gave me a queer look.