The boys passed over the money—–­that is, Shep did, for he had been appointed treasurer of the expedition.  Then, after a few words more, the young hunters hurried back through the orchard to where they had left their rowboat among the bushes.

“Gosh! what a mean man!” was Whopper’s comment.  “To take that money after what we did to catch that negro.”

“It isn’t likely that he’ll get his gold watch back,” said Giant.  “That nigger will shake the dust of this locality from his feet as fast as he can.”

“More than likely he belongs in some big city,” was Whopper’s comment.  “That is the way those chaps do—–­go to a lonely farmhouse and make sure the men are away and then take what they can lay hands on.  If he hadn’t heard Pop Lundy and us coming he would most likely have ransacked the house from end to end.”

They were soon at the river bank and forcing their way through the bushes.  Then Snap looked around in perplexity.

“Isn’t this the spot where we left the boat?” he questioned, gravely.

“I think so,” answered Shep.

“Well, I don’t see it.”

“Don’t see it!” exclaimed Whopper, who was in the rear.  “Why, it must be here.”

All came out on the edge of the river and gazed up and down the shore in alarm.  Not a sight of the boat was to be seen anywhere.

“Wonder if she floated off?” suggested Giant.

“She couldn’t,” answered Shep.  “I tied her up, and did it good, too.  There is the exact spot,” and he pointed out a stout bush.  In the dirt of the bank was the mark of the rowboat’s sharp bow.

“Look there!” ejaculated Whopper.  “See the size of those footprints—–­as big as canal-boats.  Do you know what I think?” he almost shouted.

“That nigger ran off with our boat!” came in a chorus from the others.

“That’s it.  See, there is where he came along the shore.  He meant to hide here, when he came across the boat.  He saw it was well filled with things and jumped in, and I suppose he rowed off as fast as he could,” added Whopper, bitterly.  “Oh, wouldn’t I like to catch him!  I’d make mince-meat of him, I would!”

Whopper stopped short, and all of the boys looked at each other blankly.  For some seconds nobody spoke, but each was busy with his thoughts.

“If we can’t find the boat-----” began Snap.

“We’ll have to return home and give up the trip,” finished Giant.  “Oh, I don’t want to do that!”

“Nor I!” came from the others.

“We must find our boat, that is all there is to it,” said Snap.  “I don’t believe he went up the river, consequently he must have gone down.”

“Then let us get another boat and follow him.”

“That’s the talk!”

But where to get another boat was a question.

Snap ran back to the farmhouse and met Pop Lundy at the door.

“Thought you boys was a-goin’ down the river,” said the farmer, suspiciously.