“Hey! Where’s our boat?” Dan demanded, stopping short.
The stretch of beach where the craft had been left less than thirty minutes before, now was deserted.
“But the boat can’t be gone!” Brad exclaimed, refusing to believe his eyes. “We pulled it well up on the sand before we took shelter! The waves weren’t high enough to have washed it away!”
“Well, it’s gone all right. And there it is, Brad.”
Dan pointed two hundred yards from shore where the empty sailboat drifted aimlessly. Slowly the craft was being carried downstream by the current.
The Cubs stared at it in stunned dismay. Without the sailboat, they were stranded on Skeleton Island!
CHAPTER 7
Camp Site
The Cubs stood a long while, silently viewing the drifting boat. No other craft now was visible on the river, and no one appeared aware of their plight.
“Maybe I could swim out there before the boat moves farther downstream,” Dan proposed, estimating the distance.
“Not on your life!” Brad promptly vetoed the suggestion. “You’re an expert swimmer and might make it, but we’re taking no chances. We’ve already messed things up enough.”