“I am a duffer,” muttered Tuckerman contritely.
“Oh no, you’re not,” said Ben. “You’re doing very well. Only you must remember to let the stern man do the steering. A little more practice and you’ll find the Red Rover as easy to manage as falling off a log.”
“Falling off a log is good,” was Tuckerman’s comment. “Falling into the water would be more like it.”
They rounded the lower end of the island and came back on the bay side. They had almost reached the landing-stage when Ben said, “See, there’s a light at Cotterell Hall. It’s in the front door. It looks like a pocket flashlight. I suppose Tom and David went up there to get something.”
Cautiously Tuckerman looked in the direction of the house. There was a small circle of light. It moved away from the door; after a minute it shone through a window.
“I thought I locked the doors,” he said. “However, they may have climbed in through a window.”
The light disappeared. The canoe floated smoothly up to the stage, and Ben held it level while Tuckerman climbed out. Ben jumped up lightly. Then they both pulled the Red Rover out and turned it bottom side up.
They went up the walk to the house. The front door was shut, and when Tuckerman turned the knob he found that the door was locked. He opened it with his own key, and the two went in. The hall and the rooms were dark, there was no sound of voices or footsteps anywhere.
“That’s funny,” said Tuckerman. “We didn’t see Tom and David come down the path. Maybe they went out the back way.”
But the kitchen door was locked, and when the two opened it and looked out there was no sign of the others leaving in that direction.