"Oh, then it was you who found the boat afloat and brought it back?" Jack
said carelessly. "Very kind of you, I am sure."

"What boat, what are you talking about?" growled Herring, turning redder
than ever. "I don't know nothing about no boats."

"No, I suppose not," laughed Jack carelessly, and then going on to join
Percival, who said:

"Herring and Merritt are the fellows."

"Yes, so I supposed. They don't know anything about it. They never know
anything about things that happen to me, and generally you cannot prove it
on them."

"We can't now, but I am satisfied that they were in it just the same."

"Well, we got out of it all right, so there is no need of accusing them.
The next time we go there we will be on the watch."

"I suppose they saw the boat, and then came up to see what we were doing,
saw the rope and knew we were down in the hole, and closed it upon us."

"They might have drawn up the rope, but they don't think of everything,
fellows like that."

"No, they do not, and that's how you can catch them."

Later Dick and Jack saw the captain and Dr. Wise in the cabin, and told