When they returned to the farmhouse they heard Mrs. Lundy's story in detail. She had been on the point of sweeping the sitting-room when the negro had appeared and asked for Mr. Lundy. She had told him her husband was out, and then the colored man had wanted something to eat. She had refused to give him anything, and then, seeing the watch on the mantelpiece, he had snatched the timepiece and run. She had screamed for assistance and then fainted from excitement. "Was the watch a valuable one?" asked Snap. "Yes, it was," answered Simon Lundy. "It was gold and given to me by my father years ago. I wouldn't take a hundred dollars fer it nohow. I was mighty careless to leave it on the mantelpiece, but I didn't want to carry it around in the orchard when I picked apples." "What will you do about it?" asked Shep. "I dunno. Go tew teown an' tell the constable, I guess. Be yeou goin' to town?" "No; we are off on a hunting trip," answered Giant. "And, by the way, we had better be getting back to the boat," he added to his chums. "Mr. Lundy, we'll give you a quarter for those apples," said Shep. "All right, as ye please," said the old farmer. He was so upset over the loss of his watch he could think of nothing else. 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.