ler."

"But nothing can happen to her to-night. It's perfectly clear. There's
no storm, and even Sam did not think it was worth while to run her into
the boat-house."

"That may be just the trouble," suggested Grant.

"I don't know what you mean," retorted George, quickly turning upon his
friend. "What might happen?"

"The thing that Sam seemed to be afraid of."

"But what is that?"

"Sam hasn't told me."

"That's all so," spoke up Fred, "but Sam has some reason for being
worried. I don't know what it is, and I think he ought to tell us."

"Maybe he will when he comes back," suggested George.

"Back from where?" retorted John scornfully. "He's just started, and
nobody knows where he is going or when he is coming back."

"He will be here within a few minutes," said Grant confidently.

True to Grant's suggestion, not many minutes had elapsed before Sam was
seen approaching. He was rowing leisurely and apparently was neither
alarmed nor excited.

As soon as he came within speaking distance, Fred called sharply, "What
is it, Sam?"

"Did you see anything?" inquired Sam as he rested on his oars a few
yards from the dock.

"Nothing, except you," answered Fred. "We saw you pulling as if your
life depended upon it."

"It wasn't my life, exactly," said Sam slowly, "but there was a man
here on the dock."

"A man?" exclaimed George. "Who was he? What was he doing here?"

"That's exactly what I should like to know myself," said Sam shortly.
"I was trying to find out and that was just the reason why I followed
him."

"Didn't you see any one?" Fred asked.

"Yes, sir, I did," replied Sam.

"What was he doing?" inquired John.

"I saw a skiff headed for Alexandria Bay."

"How many were in it?"

"Two men."

"What were they doing?"

"The last I saw of them they were pulling as if for dear life. That was
why I couldn't catch them."

"And you think they were here on our dock?"

"I do," explained Sam promptly. "I saw one man on the dock. Probably
the other was in the skiff."

"What were they doing?"

"Nothing when I first saw them. They were just getting ready to do it."

"Do what?" demanded George.

"I guess it's time for you boys to go back to your beds," said Sam
after a brief silence. "If you can't tell, then I'm not going to
explain."

"Tell us, Sam, just what happened," pleaded Fred.

For a moment the man was silent and then as if thinking better of his
resolution, he said, "The fact is, bo