CHAPTER XV
THE MOTOR BOAT MISSING
There was no sound save the ripple of water past the side of the craft,and the distant gurgle where the stream flowed over a stony place thatformed miniature rapids.
"Who's there?" asked Jerry again.
This time he heard a splash in the water as if a big fish was movingabout.
Jerry knew the river did not boast of sufficiently large finnyspecimens to careen a boat the size of the _Dartaway_. Neverthelesssomething had shifted her.
Jerry was wide awake now. He stepped out into the enclosed spacebetween the bunks that formed a sort of cabin. As he did so he felt theboat rock again; this time so violently as to almost cause him to losehis balance.
To avoid falling Jerry thrust out his hand, and it hit Bob, who wassleeping on the other side of the boat.
"All right! All right! I'm goin' to get right up!" exclaimed Bob,turning over but evincing no other desire to do as he said he would.He evidently imagined himself in his bed at home, and with his fathercalling him to get up, for Bob was no light slumberer.
"What's the matter?" asked Ned, sitting up suddenly. He was easilyawakened, and the sound of Bob's voice, with the movement of Jerryserved to arouse him. "What's the matter?" he repeated. "Are they afterus? Is Noddy up to his old tricks?"
"I don't know what's the matter," replied Jerry in a low voice. "I wasawakened by feeling the boat rock, and I got up to see what the troublewas. I haven't found out yet."
"Maybe we're adrift," suggested Ned. "We may have swung down stream andhit the bank."
Jerry reached for a swinging lantern, and, parting the canvas sideawnings, held the light over the rail. By the gleam the boys could seethat they were still tied to the shore trees by bow and stern lines.
"The boat hasn't drifted," said Jerry. "Something moved it. I heard anoise in the water as if there was a big fish, but who ever heard ofwhales or sharks in the river, and it must have been something as bigas that to cause us to careen so."
"Maybe it was a log that hit us," suggested Ned.
"I think not; I would know the bump of a log," said Jerry. "Hark!What's that?"
Both boys listened intently. Off toward the farther bank could be hearda faint splashing, as if a large body was moving in the water.
"Light the search lantern, and we'll throw a beam over in thatdirection," said Ned. Jerry crept forward and soon had the bigilluminator kindled. Then he suddenly turned the beams full on in thedirection of the splashing sound.
For a moment nothing could be distinguished save the green bank thatbordered the river. Then, as Jerry swung the search light in a halfcircle he "picked up" a dark figure that was crawling up the slopingshore.
"It's a man!" exclaimed Ned. "It's a man with ragged clothes on! I'llbet it's the same tramp that was on the hay barge!"
Jerry was gazing intently through the opened canvas sides of the boatat the figure. Sure enough it was that of a man, and, he seemed to havejust swam across the river. He climbed the bank, and, turning to takea look at the motor boat, placed himself full in the glare of the gaslamp.
"It's our queer tramp all right!" exclaimed Jerry. "I wonder if it washe who moved the boat."
"Must have been," decided Ned, after a moment's thought.
The next instant the figure, turning as if to take a last look at theboat, plunged into the underbrush and was lost to view.
The morning came without further adventures and after breakfast theywalked for a mile or more through the woods, and emerged into a bigfield. There were no houses in sight and the boys did not know whatsettlement they might be near, for they were about twenty miles fromhome, in a part of the country they seldom visited.
"Looks like some sort of habitation over there," said Bob, pointing tothe left.
"I don't see anything," replied Jerry. "Where do you see a house?"
"I don't see any house, but I see smoke," replied Bob. "Where there'ssmoke there's fire, and where there's fire there's sure to be some oneliving."
As they came nearer to whence the smoke arose they could see halfhidden in the bushes a sort of log cabin. It was almost in ruins, andthe one window was devoid of glass.
In front of the hut there smouldered the remains of a fire, and, fromsome old pots and pans lying about, as well as odds and ends of foodscattered around, it was evident that some one had been dining in roughand ready fashion.
"Looks like a camping-out party had been here," said Jerry. "Theyweren't very particular where they stayed though. That hut seems tohave seen its best days."
"More like it's a tramps' shack," observed Ned. "Maybe our friend ofthe hay barge hangs out here."
The boys went closer to the fire. There were chickens' feathers andbones on the ground.
"They lived high, at any rate," said Bob. "I wouldn't mind a bit ofbroiled fowl myself."
"Whoever was here left their knife behind," said Bob, stooping over andpicking up an expensive one. "Doesn't look like the kind tramps usuallycarry." He turned it over in his hand, and uttered an exclamation.
"Cut yourself?" asked Jerry.
"Look there!" cried Bob, pointing to the silver plate on one side ofthe handle. On it was carved: "N. Nixon."
"Noddy's knife!" came from Ned. "I wonder what he could have been doinghere."
"It's like a good many other things connected with Noddy," said Jerry."No telling what he's up to until it's too late."
"Shall we take it along or leave it?" asked Bob.
"Better take it," suggested Jerry. "It might come in handy for evidencesome time, and if we leave it some one might come along and steal it.Put it in your pocket, Chunky."
Strolling leisurely they retraced their steps, and soon were on therude path they had followed in coming from the river.
Jerry was in the lead. When he came to the bank of the stream hesuddenly stopped.
"What's the matter? Snake?" called out Ned.
"We must have come the wrong road," said Jerry. "The boat isn't here."
The other boys hurried forward and stood beside him. There was no signof the _Dartaway_.
"That's queer," said Bob. "I thought we were on the right path comingback. It was just like the one we went over on."
"It was the same," insisted Ned. "There's where the _Dartaway_ was tiedup. I know that willow tree. See, I left my sweater on it, and it'sthere yet," and he pointed to where the red garment fluttered in thewind.
"Then where's the boat?" asked Jerry. "Has it floated away?"
"It couldn't have," insisted Ned. "It was tied too securely."
"Then she's been stolen!" exclaimed Jerry, and he ran down to the edgeof the river, the others following.
There was no doubt about it, the _Dartaway_ was gone. There was not asign of the craft up stream or down.
"Some one's been here all right," said Jerry. "See those are not ourtracks," and he pointed to the soft mud in which were several prints oflarge feet which had worn hob-nailed shoes. In the middle of the solewas a design of an arrow, which the maker of the shoes had put on themin big nails, and this device was plainly visible in the soil.
"Well, this is tough luck!" exclaimed Bob. "I'd like to find the manwith the arrow shoes."
"I'd rather find the boat," said Jerry in a dejected voice. "I wonderwhat in the world we're going to do," and he sat down on the grassybank. The others, looking sadly at where their beloved boat had beenmoored, took places beside Jerry.