"I knew very well she wouldn't stay on top of the water. Casks wouldn't keep her up," said Ben maliciously. Lawry rushed out of the room to the other end of the house, the attic window of which commanded a full view of the lake. As his brother had declared, the _Woodville_ was not at her anchorage where they had left her; neither was she to be seen, whichever way he looked. "She is gone!" cried he, returning to his chamber. "Of course she is gone," added Ben. "I don't understand it." "She has gone to the bottom, of course, where I told you she would go. You were a fool to leave her out there in the deep water. She has gone down where you will never see her again." "It was impossible for her to sink with all those casks under her guards," said Ethan. "I guess you will find she has sunk. I told you she would. If you had only minded what I told you, she would have been all right, Lawry." Both of the boys seemed to be paralyzed at the discovery, and made no reply to Ben. They could not realize that all the hard labor they had performed was lost. It was hard and cruel, and each reproached himself because they had not passed the night on board of the steamer, as they had purposed to do. "Well, it's no use to stand here like logs," said Lawry, "If she has sunk, we will find out where she is." "I reckon you'll never see her again, Lawry. Those old casks leaked, I suppose, and when they were full of water the steamer went down again; or else they broke loose from her when the wind blew so hard." "It didn't blow much when we went to bed. What time did you come home, Ben?" "I don't know what time it was," he answered evasively. "Come, Ethan, let's go and find out what the matter is," continued Lawry, as he led the way downstairs. Mrs. Wilford was not up, but she was awake, and was anticipating with great satisfaction the pleasure of the surprise which awaited the boys, when they discovered that the steamer had been freed from water. They left the house, and went down to the ferry. The _Woodville_ certainly was not where they had left her; not even the top of her smokestack could be seen peering above the water to inform them that she still existed. "Well, Lawry, we may as well go out to the place where we left her. If she has sunk, we may be able to see her," said Ethan. They got into the boat; but one of the oars was gone. Ben had lost it overboard when he landed, and it had floated off. There was another pair in the woodshed of the house, and Lawry went up for them. As he entered the shed, he met his mother, who had just risen, and gone out for wood to kindle the fire. The poor boy looked so sad and disconsolate that his long face attracted her attention. "What's the matter, Lawry?" she asked. "The steamer has sunk again," replied the son. "Sunk again!" exclaimed his mother. "She is not to be seen, and Ben says she has gone down." "Ben says so?"