One of the men now came in from the piazza, and after much
questioning we found out all they knew. Captain Bannister had
arrived in Lanesport sometime the latter part of the afternoon. He
left the "Hoppergrass" at the wharf, and came up into the town.
When he returned, an hour later, his boat had disappeared. One or
two men had seen it sail down the river, but in the fog had not
noticed who was on board. The Captain "flew round like a coot shot
in the head," declared our informant. He went from one wharf to
another, started to hire a yacht and go in pursuit, but gave up
the plan. Then he went to the police-station.

"The police reckoned it was some of them burglars had took it. The
fellers that have been breakin' into houses on Little Duck."

"They've ketched them fellers," said the hotel man.

"Ketched 'em?"

"Yes. Got 'em last night, breakin' into a house in Bailey's
Harbor. Bert Janvrin was in here not more'n ten minutes ago, and
he heard 'bout it from a feller that was off Bailey's this
mornin', haulin' lobster-pots. They got the whole gang, and put
'em in jail, an' they all got out again, somehow, an' got away on
a boat, an' there's a man missin',--Mose Silloway,--you know
Mose, Joe--an' they think likely he's been murdered by 'em."

Mr. Daddles looked at me very gravely, and rubbed his upper lip,
hard.