"I guess I can," said the man whose little reddish brown eyes narrowed as he gazed shrewdly at the boys as he spoke. "Depends on whether you got the price or not." "How much will you charge to take us?" "Both of you?" "Yes." "I'll charge ten dollars." "All right, we'll pay it." "Will you pay it now?" "No," said Fred. "We'll pay you just as soon as you land us at Mackinac." "How do I know you will?" "You have our word for it." "You don't look neither one of you as if that was too much of a load for you to carry alone." The man's voice was nasal and high, and he did not smile while he was speaking. The boys were unable to decide whether he was serious or was speaking lightly. "If it's clothes you want," said Fred, "we'll show you some better ones just as soon as we get up to the hotel." "I'll tell you what I'll do," said the man. "I guess I'm a fool for my pains, but I got to go around by Cockburn Island. If you want to go aboard and go with me I'll fetch you around to Mackinac for ten dollars. I know I'm taking a big chance, but maybe you be too. What do you say?" "I say go ahead," answered Fred quickly. CHAPTER XXI A VAGUE HINT "Go ahead it is," responded the skipper. "I can be ready in five minutes. Can you?" "We're ready now," said John quickly. "You know how it is," said the captain. "Most always the passengers, if they want anything to eat on the way, put it on board before we start." "Well, we cannot get anything to eat," said Fred. "We told you why." "So you did. So you did," said the captain again speaking in his high nasal tones. "Still I guess we'll be hungry before night. Maybe I can find something. You boys wait here until I go up the street and I'll be back in a few minutes." When he had thus spoken the ungainly man took a basket on his arm and at once set forth on his errand. Left to themselves the boys went on board the strange craft and the hasty inspection they made did not increase their confidence either in the boat or in its owner. "It's about the only way there is," said John at last, "and we've got to take it. It's Hobson's choice. We can't stay here and we can't get passage on the big boats so we'll have to put up with what we can get." "Next week," said Fred lightly, "we'll all be laughing about it. I wouldn't mind this adventure at all if I was sure Grant and George are all right. Every time I think of them I'm worried when I remember what you and I went through. If that boat hadn't come along just as it did we might be at the bottom of Lake Huron."