a story has been written in that phrase!
How could this anxious watcher face the parents of those boys and tell
them news such as this? At least for a time he was spared this, for no
boat would go back to Valdez within a month, and those who awaited news
were Alaska mothers and knew the delays of the frontier. None the less,
Mr. Hazlett had borne in upon him all the time the feeling that he
himself had been responsible for this disaster. Even as he set to work
to organize search-parties he felt despair.

The natives, not clear as to the instructions given them, had supposed
that they were to go in search of the revenue-cutter _Bennington_; yet
as a matter of fact that vessel was moored on the western instead of the
eastern side of the island at the time, whereas it seemed sure that the
dory with the missing boys must have been carried along the east coast
of the island, and not through the straits to the westward.

Mr. Hazlett knew well enough the strength of the outgoing Japan Current
here. A boat might be carried to Asia, for all one could tell to the
contrary, although its occupants must long ere that have perished from
hunger and thirst. And what chance had a small boat in waters so rough
as those of this rock-bound coast, risky enough for the most skilled
navigators and in the best of vessels? Was not all this coast-survey
work intended to lessen the danger of navigation, even for the most
skilled commanders? What chance had these, weak, young, and unprepared,
who had thus been thrust into such perils? All that could be held sure
was that the boys had disappeared as completely as though the sea had
opened up and swallowed boat and all!

Duty now required that Mr. Hazlett should report on board the
_Bennington_; so, after a few days spent in fruitless searching within
reach of Kadiak town, he took the pilot-boat and hastened over to the
west side of the island where the _Bennington_ lay at anchor, with her
boat crews engaged in the tedious work of making coast soundings.

Mr. Hazlett laid before Captain Stephens the full story of the
mysterious loss of his young charges. The face of the old naval officer
grew grave, and for some moments he turned away and engaged in thought
before he spoke. Then he turned sharply to his executive officer.

"Call in the boat crews, sir!" he commanded. "We move station within the
hour!"

"Then you mean that you are going to help search for them?" asked Mr.
Hazlett.

"With all