“Your car?”
“As sure as you live; and I might have run right into Uncle Dan before I knew it. Whew! Let’s skip, fellows. Gee whiz, what a narrow escape! Who would have thought of his being right here? I expected he’d be coming along, too; yet—say—I’ll bet——”
“Bet what?”
“That Uncle Dan and Pierre have discovered the house-boat.”
“And I guess you are right,” said Bob, with a long breath. “Why else should they have left the machine just here? This is about where we came through the woods.”
“Did you ever hear of meaner luck in your life?” cried George, his eyes flashing with anger. “I declare! I’m no two year old, to be dragged back home; and I won’t be, either.”
All the obstinate, combative spirit in George’s nature was aroused, and, as he pictured Pierre Dufour’s triumph, he paced up and down and clenched his fists.
“But how could they tell that the ‘Gray Gull’ was there?” murmured Tom. “You can’t see the river.”
“It beats me,” answered George, in puzzled tones. “Mighty lucky we stumbled across the car, or else I should have walked right up and found Uncle Dan waiting to receive me with open arms.”
“What’s to be done?” yawned Dave.