"No, he ran into the kill, and as soon as he got out of sight around
a bend tied up my boat and skipped out," said Jack in a tone of
disgust.

"That's too bad. I hoped that you would catch him"

"Young J.W. will think all the more of his boat after this," said
Billy Manners. "You made it go, Jack."

"Haven't I told him that he could get speed out of a canal-boat?"
Percival retorted with a laugh.

"No one will want to race with Jesse W. after this," remarked
Arthur. "They won't make fun of his boat now, nor of him either."

"Well, he got away from me," said Jack, as the boys turned and went
back with him, "and now I suppose he will be harder than ever to
find. He has not got the watch anyhow."

When the boys reached camp supper had already started, but Bucephalus
looked after them, and the doctor readily excused them on account of
the importance of their errand.

"He got away from me, Doctor," said Jack, "but I recovered my
boat and that is something."

"Percival told me of the conversation you heard this afternoon,
and so I readily, understood why you were so anxious to apprehend
the man. I was prepared to turn the watch over to him, being
convinced that he was the owner, and your accusation came as a