“Wal, I landed thar, on Oak Island, an the fust thing I see was that thar identical boat that the boys had--the very one. I couldn’t mistake it; an it lay hauled up on the beach, an tied thar. But thar wasn’t any sign of any boys anywhars. I called, an shouted, but no answer come. Wal, then I walked up some distance, an looked all around everywhars. ’Tain’t much of an island in size; so I soon walked all round it; but I didn’t see nothin of them thar lads. I looked at one or two of them pits that’s ben dug thar, but didn’t see anythin but water. I kep a screamin an a shoutin all the time, but thar wasn’t any answer at all. Thar was the boat on the beach,--but whar was the boys? I couldn’t see em, I couldn’t find em; and though I called for em, they didn’t answer. “Wal, I went back to the beach, an then I stood an tried to think what I’d best do. Somethin had happened. I knowed that the best thing to do was to make haste an try to let the friends of them lads know how things was. I knowed that they was strangers in these parts, an that they’d come from Chester. I thought I’d find out about em here at the inn, an that the best an quickest way would be to come right straight off to this place, an see if I couldn’t larn somethin about em, or find some friends o’ thairs that’d come with me back again, an find out, for sure an sartin, what it was that had happened. An what troubled me most all the time, and troubles me now, is them very words that I said to em as to how that it was necessary that thar must be a sacrifice of human life. For I’m kine o’ feared that it’s turned out true, an that them’s the very ones that was destined to be that sacrifice. They’ve got into some trouble, I know--but how it was I don’t know, an whether it was in the day time, or at night. This is what I want to find out.” “What did the boys look like?” asked the landlord, as the man ceased. “Wal, jest sech lookin lads as these--not overly well dressed, in fact a leetle mite shabby; but one of them was a gentleman’s son,--no doubt o’ that; an the other was a bright-lookin lad enough.” “It’s Bart and Pat. There’s no doubt of that,” said Bruce. “And what sort of a boat was it?” “O, an ordinary Chester boat, with a sail, as I said.” “Is the boat on the beach of Oak Island yet?” “Course it is. I left it where it was. But air them thar boys a stoppin here? Do you know them?” “Yes,” said the landlord, in a husky voice; and he stood in silence for a few moments, with his eyes cast down.