In accordance with the captain’s words the Gadabout was anchored, and as soon as the young fishermen were separated into two parties as they had been the preceding day, the two skiffs were soon prepared for the sport of the morning.
The captain, who now was rowing the boat in which John and Fred were seated, had rowed one hundred yards from the Gadabout and the boys both were trolling. Still the captain watched the skiff in which Mr. Button had departed as long as the little boat could be seen. Even the Gadabout now was soon lost to sight.
“I’ll have to have a fresh bait,” said Fred, who had been the first to have a strike. He reeled in his line and swung the hook around for the captain to bait it. A moment later the captain abruptly changing his position dropped overboard the box which contained the leaders.
“There I’ve gone and done it!” he said. “Lost every leader! There is nothing to do, boys, except to go back to the Gadabout and get some more. I’m sorry, but it won’t take long.”
“Nothing else to be done,” said John, “so the sooner we get back the better.”
No one in the little boat spoke while the captain rowed swiftly back to the motor-boat.
The surprise of the boys was great when they drew near the little Gadabout to discover that a skiff had been made fast alongside the boat.
“Whose skiff is that?” demanded John abruptly. “We didn’t leave any boat here.”
The captain without replying increased the speed at which he was rowing and as he drew near the Gadabout the boys were startled when they saw peering from the companionway the face of Mr. Ferdinand Button.