They had 'er
anchored up a ways here, right off Cerry's Hill, an' they was out in the
skiff floppin' '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.
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