in' 'round--some said fishin'."

"They was bobbin' fer eels, that's wot they was doin'," said the other
man.

"Well, wotever they was doin' it was night 'n' thar was a storm. An'
that's every bloomin' thing me or you or anybody else'll ever know about
it. The next day Croby Risbeck up here was out fer his nets an' he come
on the skiff swamped, over there off'n that point. An' near it was
Benty Willis."

"Drowned?" asked Roy.

"Drownded. He must o' tried to keep afloat by clingin' t' the skiff, but
she was down to her gunnel an' wouldn' keep a cat afloat. He might o'
kep' his head out o' water a spell clingin' to it. All I know is he was
drownded when he was found. Wotever become o' that skiff, Bill?"

"And what about Mr. Stanton's son?" Roy asked.

"Well, they got his hat an' his coat that he must a' thrown off an'
that's all. Th' old man 'ud never look at the launch again. He had her
brought over'n' tied up right about here, an' there she stood till the
floods carried her up over this here road and sot her down in the
marsh."

"Did the skiff belong with her?" Roy asked.

"Sure enough; always taggin' on behind."

"How did they think it happened?" asked Tom.

"Wall, fer one thing, it was a rough night an' they may uv jest got
swamped. But agin, it's a fact that Harry knew how to swim; he was a
reg'lar water-rat. Now, what I think is this. Th' only thing 't 'd
prevent that lad gettin' ashore'd be his gettin' killed--not drowned,
but _killed_."

"You don't mean murdered?" Tom asked.

"Well, if they was swamped by the big night boat, an' he got mixed up
with the paddle wheel, I don't know if ye'd call it murder, but it'd be
killin', sure enough. Leastways, they never got him, an' it's my belief
he was chopped up. Take a tip from me, you boys, an' look out fer the
night boat, 'cause the night boat ain't a-goin' t' look out fer you."

The girl, strolling back, put an end to their talk, but it was clear
that she, too, must have been thinking of that fatal night, for her eyes
were red and she seemed less vivacious.

"You must be careful," said she, "there are a good many accidents on the
river. My father told me to tell you you'd better not do much traveling
at night. I want to see you on board, and then I must go home," she
added.

She held out her hand and Roy, who was in this instance best suited to
speak for the three, grasped it.

"There's no use trying to thank you and your father," he said. "If you'd