into trouble; it's too dangerous."

"I don't believe you could stop those boys from hunting for Lillian, if
they had to go into the very jaws of death," interposed the grandmother.

"Oh, well," spoke the father; "they must not wear themselves out, and
to-morrow, I will tell Gilbert and Sandy to leave the investigation to
the police."

"They'll never do it," objected the grandmother, "they love Lillian too
much. You mark my words."

At this very moment, Sandy, Leander, Gilbert and Dink were together, in
Sandy's little garret room. Sandy closed the door carefully, locked it,
and called his companions about him in the middle of the room.

"Boys," he whispered, "afore I sez anythin', I wants yer to gimme yer
word, honor bright, an' cross yer heart three times, that yer won't
spout a syllable of what I tells yer to a soul."

All were agreed, and the boy began:

"Now, it's this 'ere way. My boat wuz stolen an' left, right below the
upper bridge, an' I foun' footprints an' this 'ere piece of ribbon,
which Gil knows b'longed to his sister, for she wore it round her hair.
Willie Bagner's skiff's bin stolen, an' I believe the party that took
it hez got little Lily, because I foun' the hoop I give her, an' this
envellup in the same place, an' it seems to me the galoot whose name's
on it is hid somewhere up the river, an' I'm goin' after him if I has
to go alone."

"But you won't go alone, while I'm alive," insisted Leander, intensely
excited.

"An' I'm goin', too, even if I never come back," added Dink, taking it
for granted that he was needed.

"And you must take me," said Gilbert imploringly.

The four boys grasped one another's hands, and Sandy declared in a
solemn tone:

"We'll stick together to the bitter end."

"What's your plan?" asked Leander, with great interest.

"Without breathin' a word to a soul, to-night about nine o'clock we
wants to leave the boat-house, you an' Dink in one skiff, an' me an'
Gil in t'other, an' sneak up the river, an' try so nobody won't see us.
When we gits to the upper bridge, paddle in as close to the Causeway on
the right, as we kin, huggin' the marsh all the way. Jest before we git
to Beaver Dam, there's a deep gut that runs 'longside of it fer a
hundred yards or more. Foller me in there, Leander, an' stay hid till I
sez move. Don't speak a word, from the time we push off till I sez so.
Beaver Dam is the lonesomest creek in the world, an' mebbe Gil's little
sister is kept in