Page:The Eight-Oared Victors.djvu/42

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THE EIGHT-OARED VICTORS

show you where she is. We were just looking at her."

"You were?" exclaimed the man, and there was something in the sharp way he said it, and in his tone, that caused the boys to glance at him curiously.

"Yes, saw it by accident," went on Phil.

"Did you—er—find—that is—Oh, never mind, I can soon tell when I look at her," the man said, rather confusedly, as he rowed on. The four lads turned their craft and accompanied him.

"There she Is!" cried Frank, pointing out the wrecked craft amid some rocks and bushes. "You can see for yourself there's not much left of her."

Without a word the man sprang ashore from his boat, while the college lads kept their craft off the rocks. Rapidly rummaging through the broken-open lockers, the man, muttering to himself, suddenly stood up. As he did so, Tom said in a low voice:

"That's the same chap who locked the boat up. I wonder what is missing?"

"Did you—excuse me for asking—but did you boys take anything from my boat?" asked the man, in rather hard tones.

"Take anything? What do you mean?" demanded Sid, sharply.

"Something is missing from one of the lockers,"