y glad to have you," answered the lad, who felt that he
might need help if there were three of the thieves in his craft. "But
what will you do with your automobile?"

"I'll just run it down the road a way to where a friend of mine has a
stable. I'll leave it in there and join you. Will you let me come?
Bless my eye glasses, but I'd like to help catch those scoundrels!"

"I'll be very glad to have you. Go ahead, put the auto in the barn and
I'll wait for you."

"I have a better plan than that," replied Mr. Damon. "Run your boat
down to that point," and he indicated one about a mile up the lake.
"I'll be there waiting for you, and we'll lose no time. I can cover
the ground faster in my auto than you can in your boat."

Tom saw the advantage of this and was soon under way, while he heard on
shore the puffing of his friend's car. On the trip to the point Tom
puzzled over the strange actions of the man in taking one of the braces
from under the gasoline tank.

"I'll wager he did it before," thought the lad. "It must be the same
person who was tampering with the lock of the forward compartment the
day I bought the boat. But why--that's the question--why?"

He could find no answer to this, puzzle over it as he did, and he gave
it up. His whole desire now was to get on the trail of the thieves,
and he had strong hopes, after the clew Mr. Damon had given him. The
latter was waiting for him on the point, and so nimble was the owner of
the auto, in spite of his size, that Tom was not delayed more than the
fraction of a minute ere he was under way again, speeding up the lake.

"Now keep well in toward shore," advised Mr. Damon. "Those fellows
don't want to be observed any more than they can help, and they'll
sneak along the bank, They were headed in that direction," and he
pointed it out. "Now I hope you won't think I'm in the way. Besides,
you know, if you get your boat back, you'll want some one to help steer
it, while you run this one. I can do that, at all events, bless my
very existence!"

"I am very glad of your help," replied the lad, but he did not take his
eyes from the water before him, and he was looking for a sight of his
boat with the men in it.

For three hours or more Tom and Mr. Damon cruised in and out along the
shore of the lake, going farther and farther up the body of water. Tom
was beginning to think that he would reach Sandport without catching
sight of the thieves, and he was wonderi