"It looks as if a boat had been wrecked down here,
doesn't it?"
"It was 'wrecked' all right," answered Pete, "but I'm wondering if either
of you boys knows what boat it was?"
"What boat was it?" inquired John, advancing to the place where the guide
was standing.
"It's our lost skiff," replied Pete.
"What!"
"It's just as I'm tellin' you," Pete repeated. "That skiff we lost the
other night didn't get loose. It was taken by somebody who knew what he
was doing and brought down here. Here's where the party landed," he added,
as he pointed to the shore. "But the boat wasn't 'wrecked,' unless you
call smashing it wrecking it."
"What do you mean? How do you know?" demanded Fred in keen excitement.
"I know because I can see with both eyes," replied Pete sharply. "I don't
have to have it all written out for me when I see what's happened to that
boat."
"Why should anybody want to wreck it?" inquired Fred.
"It might be safer for some people if they started down the stream from
here not to have any boats around that could follow."
"Do you think those two men who were in our camp took the boat?" Fred
inquired abruptly.
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