"Gone!" said Bob, with a tremor in his voice.
"Oh, why did we ever leave it?" burst in Sam, almost with tears in his eyes.
"Who in the world could have done that? and we thought there wasn't anybody around for miles."
"Come on, fellows; what are we standing here for, when there may be a chance to get hold of the rascal?" cried Dick, hotly.
The Ramblers raced pell-mell toward the place where they had left the boat.
"Of course, not a sign of any one," groaned Bob. "This is an awful state of affairs."
Their hearts beating painfully, they stood around the spot where the "Rambler" had been moored.
"Look, the rope has all been burned away," cried Tom Clifton.
"And here is a branch that wasn't broken before," chimed in Dick; "see, the ends are fresh. You know, fellows, we didn't do that."
"I wonder if they came here by boat?" cried Bob. "Follow me, boys," he added.