d, and then Dave and Roger left the
office and started on the search for the runaways.

"We ought to have a motor-boat ourselves, to follow them up the
river--that is, if they went any distance," said the senator's son.

"We might try to borrow one, Roger."

"Not Nat Poole's--he wouldn't lend it to us."

"I know that."

The two students walked to the river and looked up and down the
stream. A rowboat and a sailboat were in sight, but that was all.

"There is Jack Laplow in his sloop," cried Dave, mentioning a riverman
they knew. "The wind is blowing up the stream. Maybe he'll take us
along."

They hailed the riverman, who made a living by doing all sorts of jobs
on the stream. He did not have much to do just then and readily
agreed, for a small amount, to take them up the river and bring them
back.

"We want to find some fellows who are in the Kingsley motor-boat,"
explained Dave. "Have you seen anything of them?"

The riverman had not, but said he would help to watch out for the
lads. Dave and Roger hopped aboard the sloop, and soon the little
craft was standing up the Leming River, with Jack Laplow at the
tiller.

It was a warm, clear day, and had the boys not been distressed in
mind, they would have enjoyed the sail immensely. But as it was, they
were very sober, so much so in fact that the old riverman at length
remarked:

"What's wrong--somebody hurt, or are ye going to a funeral?"

"No funeral," answered Dave, with a forced laugh. "But we are in a
hurry to find those three fellows."

"Well, I don't see no motor-boat yet," answered Jack Laplow.

"One thing is certain: if it went up the river it's got to come down,"
said Roger.

"They may get out and send it back," answered our hero.

"But, Dave, surely you don't think----" But Dave put up his hand for
silence and nodded in the direction of the boatman; and the senator's
son said no more.

A mile and a half were covered, and they were just passing one of the
many islands in the river, when Jack Laplow gave a shout.

"There is the motor-boat now!"

"Boat ahoy!" shouted Dave, and then, as they drew closer, he saw that
it was really the Kingsley craft. He was chagrined to see that only a
man was on board, a fellow who was running the boat very slowly.

"Where are those boys who were aboard?" demanded our hero, as the
motor-boat came closer.

"Is this your boat?" asked the man on board, in return.

"No, but my friends were on that boat. Whe