“Have I clapped deadlights on my optics, or am I gone plumb locoed?” bellowed the amazed captain, as he saw the little craft dancing lightly on the sunny waters.

“You are certainly not mistaken in supposing that is your boat.  I’d know her among a thousand,” Rob assured him.  “Are you quite certain that she was not here last night, captain?”

“Just as sure as I am that yer and me is standin’ here,” rejoined the bewildered captain.  “I’ve sailed the seven seas in my day, and man and boy seen many queer things; but if this don’t beat cock fightin’, I’m an inky Senegambian!”

The captain’s voice had risen to a perfect roar as he uttered the last words, and a sort of jack-of-all-trades about the wharf, whose name was Hi Higgins, came shuffling up, asking what was the trouble.

“Trouble,” roared the hermit of Topsail Island.  “Trouble enough fer all hands and some left over fer the cat!  Say, shipmate, yer hangs about this here L wharf a lot.  Did yer see any piratical humans monkeyin’ around my boat last night?”

“Why, what d’yer mean, cap’n,” sniffled Hi Higgins.  “I seen yer tie up here, and there yer boat is now.  What d’yer mean by pira-pirawell, them parties yer mentioned?  Yer mean some one took it?”

“Took it—­yes, yer hornswoggled longshore lubber!” bellowed the captain.  “I thought yer was hired as a sort uv watchman on this wharf.  A find watchman yer are!”

“Well, yer see, cap’n,” returned Hi Higgins, really alarmed at the captain’s truculent tone, “I ain’t here much after nine at night or before five in the morning.”

“Well, was my boat here at five this mornin’?” demanded the captain.

“Sure it was,” rejoined Hi Higgins, with a sniffle; “the fust boat I seen.”

“Rob, my boy, I’m goin’ crazy in my old age!” gasped the captain.  “I’m as certain as I can be that the boat wasn’t here when I came down to the wharf last midnight, but the pre-pon-der-ance of evidence is against me.”

The captain shook his head gravely as he spoke.  It was evident that he was sorely puzzled and half inclined to doubt the evidence of his own senses.

“Douse my toplights,” he kept muttering, “if this don’t beat a flying Dutchman on wheels and with whiskers!”

“I certainly don’t believe that your eyes deceived you, captain,” put in Rob, in the midst of the captain’s rumbling outbursts.  “It looks to me as if somebody really did borrow your boat last night, and that the decoy note supposed to be from me had something to do with it.”

“By the great horn spoon, yer’ve got it, my boy!” roared the captain.  “And now yer come ter speak uv it, my mind misgives me that all ain ’t right at the island.  I didn’t tell yer, but I left a tidy sum uv money in that old iron safe off the Sarah Jane, the last ship I commanded, and all this what’s puzzled us so may be part uv some thievish scheme.

“I’m going ter hurry over ter the island and make certain sure,” he went on the next minute.  “The more I think uv it, the more signs uv foul weather I see.  Good-by, my lad, and good luck.  Will yer be out ter see me soon?  The bluefish are running fine.”