"Then, you intend to follow up this matter, Dory?"
"If we don't bag them before they ascertain that Angy has come to grief, they will leave for parts unknown. The two on shore were actually engaged in the robbery," continued Dory. "There were two of them in the office, and the third had charge of the boat. At any rate, they were all mixed up in the affair."
"The two on shore must have seen the boat when we came off," suggested the machinist.
"I think not. They went away from the shore, deceived by the hail I gave them from a point above the inlet. In my opinion, they are still looking for Angy in the woods, and have not seen any thing on the lake."
"They won't find Angy on shore."
"And when they are tired of looking for him, they will come on board again, if they can get on board. If they see the boat alongside of the schooner when they come to the shore, they will at once conclude that he has gone on board. Whether I am right, or not, I shall act on that theory, if you approve of it," said Dory.
"I should say that your reasoning was correct as far as it goes. But when they see the green boat made fast to the schooner, they will want to know why Sang and Wick have not gone ashore after them."
"Precisely so, and we will provide for that doubt on their part. Now we will set that reefed foresail, and run down a little nearer to the point. The water will float this vessel a hundred feet from the shore," continued Dory with energy.
The foresail was hoisted, and the anchor weighed. Dory steered to a certain part of the point, near the outer extremity of it. Both of them kept a sharp lookout for the two robbers on the shore, but nothing was seen or heard of them. The La Motte was run as near the shore as it was prudent to take her; and when she was thrown up into the wind, the machinist let go the anchor, while Dory hastened to lower the sail.
The wind was fresh, and the sea was heavy; but the schooner did not bump on the bottom, though she was inside of a hundred feet from the shore. Dory found the lead and line, and directed the machinist to sound over the stern when the vessel had brought up to her cable. As he did so, Dory let off the cable, allowing the schooner to approach still nearer to the shore. When he secured the cable, the stern was hardly more than fifty feet from the land.