rly
half-past, for I remember hearing three bells strike just afterwards."

"You didn't see her after she went by here?" asked Steve.

"No, I was getting ready for bed and saw her through a port. Anything
wrong?"

"Nothing," replied Steve dryly, "except that she belongs to us and
someone's evidently stolen her. Thanks very much. Good night."

"Good night," was the answer. "I hope you get her."

"Well, we know she got this far," said Joe, "but--um--which way did they
take her when they got outside?"

"That's the question," said Harry Corwin. "They might have gone across
to Provincetown and around the Cape, or taken her up the shore or down.
I guess the best thing for us to do would be to hike back and give the
alarm. If we telegraphed--"

"She went north," said Phil with conviction.

"How do you know?" demanded Joe.

"I don't _know_, but think a minute. If you were stealing a boat you'd
want to keep out of sight with her, wouldn't you?"

"Suppose I should."

"Then you wouldn't mess around in Cape Cod Bay. You'd set a course as
far from other craft and harbours as you could. If they went south
they'd be among boats right along, and they'd know that we'd work the
wires and that folks would be on the lookout."

"Then where," began Steve.

"Let's look at the chart from here north," said Phil. The cover of the
chart box was thrust back and the lamp lighted and as many as could do
so clustered about it. Phil traced a finger across Massachusetts Bay
past the tip of Cape Ann. "There's clear sailing for ninety miles or so,
straight to Portland, unless--How much gas has she aboard, Harry?"

"Only about twelve gallons." It was Tom Corwin who answered. "We were
going to fill again in the morning."

"How far can she go on that?"

"Not more than seventy at ordinary speed, I guess. She's hard on gas."

"Good! Then she'd have to put in at Gloucester or Newburyport or
somewhere."

"Unless she ducked into Boston Harbour," said Steve. "I dare say she
could tuck herself away somewhere there quite safely. A coat of white
paint would change her looks completely."

"That's possible," agreed Phil, "but painting a boat of that size would
take a couple of days, wouldn't it? It doesn't seem to me that they'd
want to take the chance."

"Then your idea is that they're on their way to Portland?"

"Somewhere up there. They'd argue that we wouldn't be likely to look for
them so far away."

"Well, here we are," said Steve. "