_A new Arrival.--The “longshore Man”.--A strange and startling Tale.--Fears once more awakened.--The Stranger’s superstitious Dread.--The Boat found, but the Boys gone.--The Landlord’s Statement.--Fears confirmed and increased.--Off to the Rescue.--Oak Island.--The empty Boat.--Where are the Boys?--The flooded Pits.--No Signs of the Missing Ones.--The grisly Theory of Roach.--Kidd and his Gang._ THE remarks of the landlord served to weaken the belief of Arthur and Phil in their theory of the boat, and they began to doubt the expediency of setting off in the Antelope. The easy way also in which the landlord met the difficulties of the case, and accounted for everything, had a very great effect in diminishing, if not in destroying, the anxiety which they had begun to feel. They had nothing to offer in reply, and they naturally gave up their proposal. They began to think that the absentees might make their appearance at any moment, and that under the circumstances it would be very unwise to start off on a long, uncertain, and unprofitable cruise in the Antelope. And thus it was that the whole party came to the conclusion to remain where they were, and wait for Bart and Pat. With this intention they all went back to the inn. On arriving there, they found a man who had just come to the house, and was waiting to find the landlord. He looked like one of those half farmers, half fishers, who live about Mahone Bay; and the boys would not have paid any attention to him, had they not been startled by his first words. “It’s about a couple o’ lads,” said he, “jest like them there. I’m afraid there’s somethin gone wrong with ‘em.” At the mention of “a couple o’ lads jest like them there,” all the boys started, and gathered round the stranger with eager and anxious curiosity. “Ye see,” continued the man, “it was yesterday morn’n,--an them two come a knockin at my door about sunrise, or not much arter, and asked the way to Oak Island.” “Oak Island!” repeated the landlord, in a strange voice. The other boys noticed his tone, but as they knew nothing whatever of the character of Oak Island, they were of course unable to understand the cause of it, or the meaning of those words. “It seems they was a huntin up the way there,” continued the man. “They had a boat with them.” “A boat?” said the landlord; “a sail-boat, or row-boat?”