"Better stay and have lunch," urged Mrs. Baggert. "You can hardly
get to the hotel by night, anyhow, and maybe it would be better
not to start until to-morrow."
"No, I must get back to-night or dad would be worried," declared
Tom. "I've been gone longer now than I calculated on. But I will
have dinner here, and, if necessary, I can do the last half of the
trip after dark. I know the way now and I have a compass and a
good searchlight."
The ARROW was let down into the water again and tied outside the
boathouse ready for a quick start. The dinner Mrs. Baggert
provided was so good that Tom lingered over it longer than he
meant to, and he asked for a second apple dumpling with hard sauce
on. So it was with a very comfortable feeling indeed and with an
almost forgiving spirit toward Andy Foger that our hero started
down the path to the lake.
"Now for a quick run to Sandport," he said aloud. "I hope I
shan't see any more of those men and that dad hasn't been bothered
by them. His suspicions about the house weren't altogether
unfounded, for I did see the tramp and some one else sneaking
around, but I don't believe they'll come back now."
Tom swung around the path that led to the dock. As he came in
sight of the water, he stared as if he could not believe what he
saw, or, rather, what he did not see.
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