The old man had seen and recognized the skiff that he had built for
Sheriff Riley as it lay tied to the wharf-boat, but had thought it best
to keep this discovery to himself until he could communicate with its
owner. By cautious inquiries he learned that the skiff had been left
there by a young man calling himself Brackett, who had gone on down the
river, but was expected back in a day or two. Cap'n Cod would have
telegraphed to Sheriff Riley but for the fact that the wires had not
yet been extended to Mandrake. So he wrote and begged the Sheriff to
hasten down the river by first boat.
He also wrote to Major Caspar, expressing his sympathy, telling him
that he was now travelling down the Mississippi in his own boat, the
_Whatnot_, asking for full particulars concerning the lost boy, and
offering to make every effort to discover his whereabouts.
On the morning of that very day, just before his departure from
Mandrake, Billy Brackett had also written and mailed a letter that read
as follows:
"MY DEAR SISTER,--I am up a stump just at present, but hope to climb
down very soon. In other words, your boy is smarter than I took him to
be. He has not only managed to hide the raft, but himself as well, and
both so completely that thus far I have had but little success in
tracing them.
Pages:
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148