"I guess you're right," assented Frank, with a sigh. "But I hate to give up. I'm sure there's some great mystery back of all this, and Paul and that man are in some manner connected with it. I shouldn't be surprised if that man had wronged Paul in some way."
"How, by taking his motor boat?"
"No, in some other way. It was a queer thing why Paul should be out in his boat alone in the blow. Then to have the boat disappear, and to be seen again towed by this man."
"You're not sure of the last part."
"I am pretty sure. But let's ask Mr. Hedson what he knows about it."
The boys did not find the boatman in a very kindly frame of mind. He greeted them rather sulkily as they approached:
"What do you lads mean by scaring off customers?" he asked.
"We didn't scare him off," answered Frank sturdily.
"What do you call it then? Wasn't he coming here to hire a sailboat off me, and didn't you chase after him, and make him leave on the car? Now he'll likely go to Hank Weston at Edgemere, and hire a boat off him. I lose the trade."
"We're sorry," explained Frank, "but if you noticed that man you saw that he ran as soon he saw us. We didn't say a word to him. He just turned tail and sprinted."