Impatiently they awaited the return of Nelson and Dan, keeping well out of sight the while. Presently the voices ceased, but whether the captain and the other man had left the schooner or merely moved away from the stern there was no telling. Nelson and Dan were back a moment later and listened eagerly to the news. “What’s to be done?” asked Bob. “Keep out of sight,” answered Nelson promptly, “until we’ve got our gasoline in and then move away as quietly as we can.” “And leave Spencer?” asked Dan incredulously. “No, but if the captain sees us here we’ll never have a show to see the boy. What we want to do is to keep out of sight. One of us, though, ought to stay around here and find out how long the schooner’s going to be here and whether Spencer is aboard of her. And Bob’s a good chap to do that.” “Let me do it!” begged Dan. “You! He’d recognize you first time he set eyes on you! You don’t think, do you, that he’s likely to forget a fellow that’s looked at him along a revolver barrel?” Dan gave in. “I’ll get into shore clothes,” said Bob, “and try to look as little as possible as I did when he saw me last. You tell me where you’ll be so that I can find you.” And he hurried down to the stateroom. When he returned Dan pretended not to know him, declaring finally that the “disgust” was perfect. Then, very carelessly, Bob climbed to the wharf and sauntered out of sight. During the operation of filling the gasoline tank the remaining three kept as much as possible out of sight, although they neither heard nor saw anything more of Captain Sauder. Finally, casting loose from the wharf, they pushed the _Vagabond_ quietly away along the side of the _Henry Nellis_ until they had rounded the end of the pier and were out of sight from the schooner. Then they dropped down the river until there were three wharves between them and the _Nellis_ and found a new berth. CHAPTER XXIV—WHEREIN SPENCER FLOYD LEAVES THE _HENRY NELLIS_ “Now what?” asked Dan when the _Vagabond_ had been made fast in her new quarters at the end of a file of disreputable canal boats. “How are we going to get hold of Spencer?” “It’s a heap easier to ask questions than to answer them,” replied Nelson. “Anyone got any suggestions?” Of course every one had, but none of them were practical and they were still discussing the problem when Bob arrived on the scene. “What did you find out?” asked Nelson and Dan as one. Bob looked surprisedly about the circle to the accompaniment of Barry’s tapping tail. “Isn’t there going to be any luncheon?” he asked. “Thunder!” cried Tom. “What time is it? I forgot all about it!” “We all did,” said Dan. “Get a move on, Tommy; Mr. Hawkshaw is in a hurry.” “Well, but I want to hear about it,” objected Tom. “You fellows come on down.” So they all adjourned to the engine room and while Tom set about the preparation of luncheon Bob made his report.