They were not even near enough to the scene of Dory's disaster to hear the whistle the chief of the burglars had sounded, or to see the light carried by Mack in the road. The light was the engine of Angy's strategy; and the open part of the dark-lantern was turned in the other direction, for the benefit of Dory. But Mack had heard them in the distance; for the two men had been shouting, to inform Dory of their approach.
Professor Bentnick and Mr. Darlingby were sent to one part of Genverres to procure the aid of a couple of constables, while the principal notified two other men who were deputy-sheriffs. He visited the telegraph-office, and left several messages, to be sent to Burlington, and to all the towns around that were in connection with Genverres by wires.
The students were all sent to bed again, but probably not many of them slept after the excitement of the early morning. Matt and his party were discovered by Oscar Chester while they were patrolling the shore, without having obtained a sight or a sound to encourage them. They obeyed the order of the principal; though they were satisfied that the robbers had not been on Beechwater, or the creek above it.
At five o'clock all the students except Dory were in their beds.
CHAPTER VIII.
SOME DIFFERENCES OF OPINION.
Dory Dornwood had seen the La Motte when she was lying in the river, and knew that a party from her had visited the school, though he had not been near them. He had passed the schooner in the barge, but without noticing the persons on board of her. Mr. Michael Angelo Spickles was the chief of the party, and the principal operator in the robbery at the office of the institution. But the prisoner knew nothing whatever about him.
The arm of Kingsland Bay where the marauders embarked was less than a quarter of a mile wide, and the water was almost as smooth as on a calm day. The bay itself did not average more than half a mile wide; and they were not likely to experience any rough weather within its limits, as they were a full mile from the open lake.
The members of the party had not said a word to Dory, and had hardly noticed him since they finished binding his arms behind him. He was left to himself, and he had abundant opportunity for reflection. He was not a little humiliated because he had allowed himself to be captured so easily, but he could not see how it would have been possible for him to help himself.
It was useless to consider the past, for it was all gone; and he could not undo any thing that had been done. He had been captured, and he was in the hands of the enemy. Mack reported the advance of a party from Beech Hill, but they were too late to be of any service to him. The future was a blank to him, and he could only wait for events as they occurred. But he was satisfied that the boat could not get out of the bay while the present storm raged.
"We are all right now," said Angy, as the boat receded from the shore in the gloom of the morning. "We lost all this time on your account, Chuck; and I shall fine you for it when we divide."