At this question all ran outside and down to where the _Snapper_
had been tied to an overhanging tree. The rowboat had disappeared.

"Well, if this isn't the limit!" groaned Shep.

"Boat gone, cooking utensils gone, supplies gone---everything
gone but our firearms! Who could have done it?"

"Maybe the Felps crowd," suggested Whopper.

"Or Ham Spink's gang," added Giant. "Or the ghost."

"I don't believe the ghost had anything to do with this," said Snap.
"I think it was either the Felps or the Spink crowd. It looks
just like some of their dirty work."

"Well, this thing was done within the last three hours," came
from the doctor's son. "The question is, what have they done
with the boat and our stuff? Of course, we must get them back."

"We ought to have somebody arrested for this," put in Whopper.

"Perhaps, Whopper, but we've got to catch them first," answered
the leader of the club.

All looked eagerly up and down the lake, and across to the other
shore. Shep imagined he saw a boat pulled up in the bushes on the
other side, but was by no means sure.

"If we can't get our things back we'll have to go home," said Giant,