"That's right," said John, closing his eyes and doing his utmost to assume the expression of a martyr. "If anything goes wrong, put the blame on little Johnnie. Cock Robin wasn't in the same class with little Johnnie--" "You've talked enough," broke in Zeke. "All your talkin' isn't goin' to bring back our boat. The question is what are we goin' to do, now that one of the boats is gone." "Can't we all get into one boat?" inquired George. "You can," snapped Zeke, "but you won't stay in very long. She would never carry six." "What shall we do, then?" asked Fred. "I think the first thing for us to do is to look around and see if we can find anything that will give us a clue to the takin' o' the boat." Acting upon the suggestion the boys at once began a search along the shore, Fred and John steadily moving back from the river. Not one of them, however, was able to discover any signs of the presence of the men whom they suspected. The plain fact was that the heavy boat was gone and with it had gone many of their supplies. It was true that one boat was still left, but the guide's statement that it could not carry six left only one way out of the present difficulty. "We can do one of two things," suggested Pete when the members of the party assembled again. "We can leave some o' you here and the rest o' us can strike out across the country for more supplies. It won't be so hard comin' back as it will be goin'. We'll get some burros to carry the stuff back for us and then they can go back with the drivers." "If we don't do that what else can we do?" inquired Grant. "Some of us can go down the river in the boat and then strike out for Thorn's Gulch while the others are coming overland." "It will take two days to do that," said Fred ruefully. "And the other will take four and maybe five," retorted Zeke. A marked difference of opinion appeared in the company, but at last it was decided that Pete and John should go for additional supplies while all the other members of the party were to remain where they then were. Sharp directions were given by the departing Pete that no one should leave the camp during his absence. The Go Ahead Boys promised faithfully to follow his suggestion and within an hour Pete, who was nearly as tall as John, and his companion had disappeared from sight. A renewed search for evidences of the men who had taken the boats was made, and Zeke and Fred even went down the stream a mile vainly hoping that they might find the boat stranded somewhere in the region. Their search was unavailing and when they returned to the camp it was with a fixed opinion that the sole solution of their difficulties was to be found in patiently remaining in camp until Pete and John had made their long journey across the desert. That evening while they were seated about the campfire conversation turned upon the mighty river near which they had found their resting place.