The result of this search plunged Bart and his friends into their former gloom.

Other searches were made.  Inquiries were sent by telegraph to different places, but without result.

The fate of the missing boy now became a serious question

As for Bart and his friends, they were inconsolable.

XVIII.

Down the Bay.—­Drifting and Anchoring.—­In the Dark, morally and physically.—­Eastport, the jumping-off Place.—­Grand Manan.—­ Wonderful Skill.—­Navigating in the Fog.—­A Plunge from Darkness into Light, and from Light into Darkness.

It was Saturday when Bart reached home.  As much was done on that day as possible.  Bart was in the extreme of wretchedness, and so eager was he to resume the search for his friend, that his father gave his permission for him to start off again in the Antelope.  The other boys also were to go with him.  They determined to scour the seas till they found Tom, or had learned his fate.

Mr. Damer also assured Bart that he would take the matter in hand himself, and would send out two schooners to go about the bay.  In addition to this, he would telegraph to different places, so that the most extensive search possible might be instituted.  Every part of the coast should be explored, and even the islands should be visited.

All this gave as much consolation to Bart and his friends as it was possible for them to feel under the circumstances.

As much as possible was done on Saturday, but the next day was an idle one, as far as the search was concerned.  Bart and the boys waited with great impatience, and finally on Monday morning they left once more in the Antelope.  It was about five o’clock in the morning, the tide was in their favor, and, though there was a head wind, yet be fore the turn of tide they were anchored a good distance down the bay.

“My idee is this,” said Captain Corbet.  “I’ll explore the hull bay in search of that driftin boy.  I’ll go down this side, cross over, and come up on t’other.  We’ll go down here first, an not cross over till we get as fur as Quoddy Head.  I think, while we air down thar, I’ll call at Eastport an ask a few questions.  But I must say it seems a leetle too bad to have the fog go on this way.  If this here had ony happened a fortnight ago, we’d have had clear weather an fair winds.  It’s too bad, I declar.”

They took advantage of the next tide to go down still farther, and by twelve o’clock on Monday night they were far down.  Since leaving St. John they had seen nothing whatever, but they had heard occasionally the fog horns of wandering schooners, and once they had listened to the yell of a steamer’s whistle.