“No, indeed!” added Phœnix, earnestly. “If their story is true,” said Adam, “and Chap ran into the woods after us, he must have taken the wrong track, or we would have seen him. There is a path which leads to the left not very far from the beach.” “Yes,” said Phil, “Phœnix and I noticed that, and debated a little which way we should go, and finally concluded to keep to the right.” “Yes,” said Adam, “that’s what he must ’a’ done, and that’s the way we missed him. I don’t believe them fellers did anything to him. There couldn’t ’a’ been any need of it, for I ’spect they sneaked off with the boat while he was on shore.” “And what are we going to do about it?” said Phœnix. “Let them off scot-free while we go back after Chap?” “Well,” said Adam, “we can’t very well kill the rascals, and it wouldn’t pay to hold on to ’em. The best thing we can do is to get rid of ’em as soon as we can.” “And then go back after Chap,” suggested Phœnix. “I don’t know about that,” said Adam, a little absently. He was looking at Phil, and noticed that the boy was very pale and silent, and that he sat doubled up as if he felt weak and tired. Not one of the party had eaten anything since breakfast. They had been so excited and so eager to overtake the stolen boat, and find out what had become of Chap, that the thought of food had not entered their minds. Phœnix and Adam were both very robust, and the omission of a single meal had not affected them; but Phil, although he was a healthy fellow, was not so hardy and so capable of sustaining privations as his companions, and Adam could see that he was really faint for want of food. “I don’t think we’ll make anything by startin’ back now,” he said. “It’ll be dark in an hour or two, and then we couldn’t sail on this crooked river, and we’d have to anchor and wait for mornin’. We couldn’t land and make a fire and have anything hot and comfortable for supper, for there isn’t a spot we’ve passed where we could go ashore. But I see a bit of sandy beach way up ahead there, and there we can land and boil some coffee, and have a good meal, and I’m sure we all need it.” “But what about poor Chap all this time?” asked Phil, looking up. “Oh, I haven’t forgot Chap!” said Adam; “and I don’t think we need be troubled about him. When he got down to the beach he’d know that we’d gone off in the boat that was left there, and that we’d come back ag’in. He’d be sure to go and look for the house when he felt hungry, and as he wouldn’t take the wrong track the second time, he’d find it easy enough. There’s no gittin’ really lost in them woods, for there’s no gittin’ out of the beaten tracks, and they always lead somewhere. So it stands to reason he’s better off than we are, as far as comfort goes. And we can’t get to him till to-morrer, no matter when we start. So I say we’ll go up there to that beach and have our supper. I don’t want either one of you sick on my hands, for that would be the worst thing that could happen.”