"
"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.
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