“Never mind about that,” I said. “To tell you the truth, I don’t like Mr. Norton one bit. He treated me like a dog from the start, and there is something in my breast that tells me that he does not mean me well.” And I told the old fisherman of all I had gone through since the sad news of my father’s death had been received. He was deeply interested and highly indignant by the time I had finished. “Ford was right,” he burst out; “I wouldn’t mind helping him to a ride on a rail myself. He ain’t fit to be the guardian of a cow. You will have to watch him, or he’ll spend the proceeds of your father’s estate on himself. If I were you I’d make him prove that he loaned all the money to your father that he says he has.” “I’ve been thinking about that. I imagine all the business ought to be brought before the court.” “So it had. If I was you I’d go over to Squire Slocum’s house some time, and state the case.” “So I will.” I paused for a moment. “But we are off the track for the present. We must go ahead, and see if these two men are in league with Carney.” “They must be,” said Darrow, as we allowed my sloop to forge ahead again. “If not, how could they have his boat?” “They might have hired it, and left him waiting for them on the island,” I suggested. But I did not believe such to be a fact, and Darrow agreed with me. The three were evidently banded together, and for no good purpose. At length the sloop ahead disappeared up the mouth of a long inlet. Seeing this, we allowed my craft to come up to the bank some distance behind, and here I tied fast, and we went ashore. “Now let us be careful,” I whispered. “I want to see what the three are up to without being seen.” “All right; I’ll be as careful as a cat,” responded Darrow. We picked our way around the rocks and through the bushes silently. Presently the murmur of voices broke upon my sharpened ears, and I knew we were drawing close to our objective point. I placed my hand on the fisherman’s shoulder as a signal for him to halt, and listened with all attention. “Hullo, Carney!” some one suddenly called. There was no answer, and the cry was repeated. “Hullo! Is that you, friends?” came back the reply. “Yes. Where are you?” “This way.” There was a moment’s pause, and then the party of three were joined. “You’ve been pretty long, strangers,” went on Carney. “We had to fix a number of things,” was the reply. “Did you get everything straight?” “Pretty much so,” replied the fellow who had been addressed as Dick. “Good for you, Mr. Avery!” I was intensely interested in this bit of conversation. It proved beyond a doubt that Mr. Norton and the two strangers were in league together and that Carney was in the circle. The four were up to no good; but what their plans were for the future was not yet made plain. “How are you getting on with your boat?” went on Yates the third man. “Slowly.” Carney paused for a moment. “I’ve had a visitor since you’ve been gone.” Both men were surprised.