“I can’t help it,” the boy answered.  “I am not squalling, but I feel badly to lose a chum like those boys were.  So do you, too.”

“I sure do,” answered Jack poking about Tom’s discovery.  “I’d feel awful to lose a good friend even if he was a black sheep.”

As Jack spoke he held up on the end of a stick a small tuft of wool which had adhered to the end of his staff.  With it came the odor of burned flesh again.  Jack smilingly pulled Tom’s sleeve.

“The boys are safe,” he said, exhibiting the wool.  “It was a black sheep that burned.  Arnold and Harry are not black sheep.”

“Good, oh, goody,” cried Tom, capering about.  “That’s just fine.”

In a short time the boys finished their search now fully convinced that whatever might have happened to Harry and Arnold they were not now in the ruins of the burned cabin.

“Now let’s get Rowdy to help us track the boys to wherever they went,” suggested Tom.  “I’d like to find ’em.”

“Good idea,” responded Frank.  “Let’s do that.  Here, Rowdy.”

“Fine,” declared Jack.  “Just the thing, if he’ll do it.”

But the boys were doomed to another disappointment.  Rowdy, after being put on the scent by Tom, circled about a while and then started off in the direction of the leaning oak.  Although the boys tried to drive him off that trail a number of times, the bulldog persisted in following that route or none.  At last they yielded.

Straight back to the oak went Rowdy.  There he stopped and gazed over the water for a moment, then let out a howl that echoed and reechoed across the water.

“Well, here goes back to town,” cried Jack.  “That dog is all right to do some things, but he isn’t much use, of course, as a bloodhound.  I can’t blame him but he’s really no use in that line.”

Rowdy felt keenly the disgrace that was heaped upon him.  He slunk into the stern sheets and hid behind Frank’s legs.

Once more at the shipyard the boys began to think of dinner.  Before their preparations could be started, however, the foreman of the work on the Fortuna announced to them that the little vessel was all ready for the water.  The plank was repaired, the boat all painted and ready for launching.  Nothing was needed except a full crew.

“Let’s get her into the briny, then,” Jack ordered.  “We’ve had long enough visit ashore.  Let’s get out to sea again.”

“I’m with you there,” declared Frank.  “It was too bad we were forced to come here at all.  I want to be on my way and find the boys.  They must be somewhere near here.  May be they are purposely hiding.”

“Hello, there’s your boat back,” cried Tom to the day watchman.  “And as I live, there’s our Petit Bois skiff,” he shouted.

“That’s the boat the boys had last night,” ejaculated Frank.

“Say,” the watchman called, “Wyckoff was lookin’ for you.”

“What did he say he wanted?” asked Jack.