“No,” Nelson replied smilingly, “I don’t believe we do. And anyhow, we don’t know just _where_ he is—by this time.” Which was a good deal nearer the truth than Nelson suspected. “Well,” said the officer, with a twinkle in his eye, “if you chance to see him again you tell him that his friend Captain Sauder, over to Sanstable, is particularly anxious to see him, will you?” Nelson promised gravely to do so and the officer stepped ashore. “Good mornin’,” he said. “I hope you’ll have a fair voyage.” “Good morning,” Nelson replied. “Thank you.” Halfway across the float the officer paused, turned and retraced his steps, and Nelson went to meet him. “Now, I don’t know much about this,” said the officer confidentially, “but you fellers don’t look like a very desperate set to me. So you tell this feller Floyd—if you should happen to meet him, you understand—you tell him that the Cape’s a bit unhealthy just at present; kind of malarial, you know; and maybe he’d be better off across the bay. See what I mean?” “Yes, I do,” answered Nelson. “And I’m much obliged. And if I should happen to see him I’ll tell him that.” “You needn’t mention me, of course,” said the other. “It ain’t any of my business. So long.” “That means,” said Bob, when Nelson had told the others, “that means that they’re on the lookout for Spencer all down the Cape. So what the dickens are we to do? We’ve got to put in somewhere; we can’t make Newport to-day.” “That’s so,” said Nelson. “Let’s see the chart.” After they had all studied it awhile Dan asked: “What’s the matter with trying to make Nantucket? It isn’t likely that he’s warned them down there.” “No, but it’s a jolly long ways,” said Bob. “Let’s see how far. Why, it’s nearly eighty miles! Could we do that before dark, Nel?” “We could do it by seven o’clock,” was the answer. “But wouldn’t it be better to take Spencer over to Plymouth and send him home by train?” They discussed the question at length and in the end decided that the latter plan was the more feasible. Then they cast off and ran across the harbor to the Point and so westward in search of the tender. But after they had rounded the lighthouse there was nothing in sight resembling their boat in the least. “That’s mighty funny!” said Bob. And all the others agreed heartily. They went southward for two miles in chase of a craft that might, so Nelson thought, turn out to be the tender. But when they got within fair sight of it they found it to be a pea-green dory containing two fishermen. “Let’s go back to where we left him,” suggested Dan. “Perhaps he went ashore and pulled the boat up on the beach.” So they turned back and ran along the shore, but without success. Then Bob headed the launch westward. All four kept a sharp lookout, but it was Tom who asked presently: “What’s that over there?” All turned to look. “Seems like a water-logged boat,” said Nelson. “Run her over there, Bob.”