“Doesn’t it?” laughed Mr. Button. “Didn’t you hire it for the day? Didn’t you pay the man to bring you out to Drummond Island and then carry you back to Mackinac?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, he hasn’t done all he agreed to, has he?”
“No, sir, but—”
“Then there’s no reason in the world why we shouldn’t start out. It must be between nine and ten o’clock at night. We have been cheated out of a good deal of our day by the captain and we have a right to take his boat and go on back to Mackinac if we want to.”
The boys still hesitated to adopt the unusual suggestion and after a brief silence, John said, “I don’t believe any of us knows very much about running a motor-boat.”
“That isn’t necessary,” said Mr. Button. “I know all about it.”
Meanwhile, although he continued his conversation with the boys, Mr. Button had hauled in the anchor and then made fast the skiff to the stern.
Without waiting for any further words he at once advanced to the wheel and as soon as the power was turned on the speedy, little craft began to draw away from the dim shores of Cockburn Island.
They had not gone far, however, before they heard a loud hail from the shore.