Then they came back to me.

"Were you going back to Lanesport tonight?" asked the Professor.

"Yes," I replied, "if I didn't find Captain Bannister."

"I don't believe you can now," said he, looking at his watch.
"It's half past four, and the last car leaves the Cove at four.
Besides, your surest way to find this Captain Bannister is to stay
right here. He'll be here tomorrow, sure. Then you can go back on
the steamboat at noon, if you want to. We'll fix you up for
tonight, and make you comfortable. What do you say?"

There didn't seem to be any way out of it. If it had been the tall
man alone I would have walked all the way back to Lanesport rather
than stay. I never saw anyone whom I disliked so much, from the
very first instant. But the Professor seemed perfectly
straightforward. The cars had stopped, and I was left here on
Rogers's Island, and might as well make the best of it. Besides if
Captain Bannister were coming in the morning it was foolish to
lose this chance of finding him.

I decided to stay, and told them that I would do so.





CHAPTER IX