"Which shows that those men haven't been here," said Jack. "That makes me fear that they may have gotten to him before us."

"Why so?" asked Ed.

"Well, it's evident that the men haven't been here since the girls gave us the alarm. If they had they'd have torn up that note. Then, too, you'd think, if they were going to try to make Denny do what they wanted in the way of giving testimony, they'd be getting at it. He goes to bed early, as everybody around here knows, and locks up. If those fellows wanted to get at him without breaking in they'd come early. All of which makes me think that they may already have had a serious interview with him."

"I hope not," observed Walter. "I'm more inclined to believe that he's out on the bay somewhere. If he is he's all right."

"Say, fellows, I've got an idea!" cried Jack.

"Hold fast to it--they're scarce," remarked Ed.

"No, but seriously. Suppose we cruise about a bit. We needn't go far from the sh.o.r.e, and we can have an eye on the cabin. In case Denny is out on the water we may pick him up. Then we could tell him what was on, and warn him. We could do it even better than on sh.o.r.e here, for there's no telling but what some of those fellows may be in hiding around here," and Jack cast a look about. It was dark, but a full moon was coming up to make a light that revealed most objects.

"Then if there is a possibility that someone may be in ambush here,"

said Walter, "we'd better keep a bit more mum. But I think Jack's plan is a good one. Let's cruise about a bit, but keep within sight of the cabin."

No one had any objections so, after making a casual search about the cabin, and not finding anyone in hiding, the boys again got aboard the _Dixie_ and started to cruise on the bay, that was now sparkling in the moonlight.

Jack and his chums kept a careful watch for Denny Shane's boat. There were several motor craft out, for the night was one that invited trips on the water--calm and still, with a gentle breeze that had in it the tang of salt mingled with the sweet odors of Summer.

"I feel just like singing," remarked Ed, after a pause during which the _Dixie_ cruised about, not too far from the cabin.

"Have some regard for our feelings," begged Jack. "Remember that we are under a great strain."

"And Ed would be, too, if he sang," said Walter. "At least I would feel constrained to remonstrate with him."

"Huh! Think no one can sing but yourself!" retorted Ed.

"Moonlight always did have a queer effect on him," remarked Jack.

Round about they cruised, and they were thinking of returning to make sure that Denny had not reached his cabin by some other route, unseen by them, when the motor of the _Dixie_ gave a combined cough, groan and sneeze, and stopped short.

"There she goes!" exclaimed Ed.

"You mean there she _doesn't_ go!" corrected Walter.

"Get the talc.u.m powder," suggested Jack.

"I'm sure Dray didn't use the tooth brush on her before we came out,"

spoke Jack, accusingly.

The boys had a way of doing the most absurd things, from a mechanical standpoint, whenever their motors refused to mote. They would dust talc.u.m powder on the cylinder tops, or tie a piece of baby-blue ribbon on the pet-c.o.c.k when they had exhausted every other means of making a rebellious motor operate.

And the odd part of it was that, often, when they had done these seemingly silly things, the boat would start. So they were rather superst.i.tious about it, and they did carry a tin of talc.u.m powder with them, much to the amus.e.m.e.nt of the girls.

In turn the usual sources of trouble were looked for and eliminated one after the other.

No wires seemed to have broken, the current was good, the vibrator buzzed when the contact was made and there was plenty of gasoline in the tank.

"Put in a new spark plug," suggested Jack.

"New ones went in to-day," answered Dray. "They can't have sooted already. It isn't there."

"Give her a little more air," proposed Walter. "I think she's getting too rich a gasoline mixture."

"I'm not going to touch the carbureter!" declared the young owner of the _Dixie_. "It was trouble enough to get her fixed before. Hand me that talc.u.m." Gravely he dusted some on the pump rod.

Then another attempt was made to start the motor, but it only sighed dismally, and refused to do its duty.

"I say!" cried Jack, looking up from where he had been examining the carbureter with an electrical pocket flash, "we're drifting out to sea!"

"So we are!" agreed Ed. "Say, can't you get her going?"

"Can't seem to," replied Drayton. "I'll sell this boat and get another as soon as I can. She's a nuisance!"

"Well, we sure are broken down," sighed Jack, "and how we are going to get back to the cabin is more than I can figure out."

"Let's whistle for help," suggested Walter.

"Look!" exclaimed Jack, pointing in the direction of sh.o.r.e. "There's a light in Denny's cabin!"

They all looked, and saw a flickering gleam of fire near the shack that had been deserted all day.

"Something's doing!" cried Ed. "And we're stuck out here!"

CHAPTER XXII

AT THE CABIN

"Girls," declared Cora Kimball, "I can't stand it any longer! I've got to do something--or have nervous prostration."

"And that's just the way I feel!" said Bess. "Waiting is the most nervous thing in the world."

"Have another chocolate," suggested Lottie, helping herself from the box on a table near her.

"How dare you suggest such a thing?" demanded Bess. "As if I wasn't trying to do all I could to reduce."

"Oh, well, I was thinking of your nerves," observed Lottie.

"But what is it you want to do, Cora, dear?" asked Marita.

"I want to go to Denny's cabin, and see what has happened," was the answer.

"What!" cried Belle, with an exclamation of surprise and alarm. "Tramp through the woods at this hour of night?"