“Cap’n Crumbie and I jumped into the dory and chased the chap. He was in a dory of his own. We pulled after him as hard as we could, and I think we should have caught him if he hadn’t jumped overboard and swum to one of the wharves.”
“And his dory disappeared too, eh?”
“No. We found it, but it was empty.”
“Now that’s unfortunate,” said the sergeant, sarcastically. “Seems like you’re the only person who saw this fellow and you didn’t rightly see him, either—just heard him.”
“I sort of think I felt him, too,” replied Jack, warmly. “Look at my throat. Aren’t the marks of the man’s fingers there?”
“Ye-es, but I’ve heard of folks having the nightmare and choking themselves.”
“You think, then, that I just dreamed the whole thing?” exclaimed the boy. “Gee, that’s great! Maybe I dreamed that chisel thing there, too!”
“I don’t say you dreamed. But you might have. I’ll give the story to the chief when he comes on in the morning, and—”
“And meanwhile the fellow can go home and get his wet clothes off and—”