“Jack!” he cried. “Bee! The dory’s back!”
And sure enough, there was the Faith tugging gently at the painter. Conjecture was rife and the mystery was not explained until the Corsair was alongside the dory. In the bottom of the boat, lying on an old net, were the things stolen from the launch!
“There’s the compass!” exclaimed Bee.
“And the fog-horn!” said Hal.
“And the lanterns!” added Jack.
In fact, everything had been returned except the boat-hook, and why that was not there was explained a moment later when Hal descried an envelope tucked amongst the articles. It was addressed to “Mister H. Folsom, Esq.” and Hal broke the flap and drew forth a sheet of blue-lined, gilt-edged paper.
“It’s from Bill Glass,” he exclaimed. “Listen, fellows.” And, with pauses where Bill’s pencil had run away from him or failed to work smoothly, Hal read:
“Dear sir, here be your dory. I seen you wan’t going to look for it so i done it for you. Them portigees had it like i knewed they had and told you so. I had to pay them 2 dollars and ½ before they let go of them but thats alright because you paid me 4 dollars for bringing you off Hog Island and that was more than the job was warth but i was cross because you thot i had stolen your belongings. Wishing you luck i remane resp’t’y yours H. B. Glass.
“P. S. The boathook want there but i got one you can have cheap the one i showed you.