try to find those fellows first or go upstairs and look
around?" asked Songbird.

"Let us try to find them first," said Dick. "We can come back here any
time."

"I have a plan," said Tom. "Let us scatter in all directions. If anybody
sees anything of them, give the school whistle."

"Good! that's the talk!" exclaimed Sam. "The sooner the better."

In a minute more the six cadets were hunting in as many different
directions for those they were after. Larry, Songbird and Fred took to
the lake shore, while the three Rover boys went up and down the roadway
and into the woods beyond.

Nearly half an hour was spent in the search when the other lads heard a
whistle from the lake shore. The signal came from Larry, and was
repeated several times.

"He wants us in a hurry," said Sam to Dick, when they met, and started
on a run. They met Larry coming towards them, beckoning wildly.

"Hurry up!" he called.

"What's up?" asked Dick.

"They just went past in a sailboat and they are bound across the lake."

"The two men?" asked Sam.

"Yes, and Tad Sobber, too."

"Tad!"

"Yes. Their boat couldn't have been very far from mine. I saw the two
men get on board and then Tad came from a cabin, and all three hoisted
the sails as quickly as they could and stood over in the direction of
the point with the three rocks--you remember the spot?"

"I do--the place we once went nutting," said Dick.

By this time the other cadets were coming up, and they listened with
keen interest to what Larry had to tell. In the meantime all ran to the
_Polly_, and the sloop was poled out of the cove and the mainsail and
jib were hoisted. As Larry was in no condition to steer, Dick took the
tiller.

"They will get away if they possibly can," observed Songbird. "Do you
think, if we get too close to them, they'll fire at us, or anything like
that?"

"There is no telling," answered Dick. "But I am going to load up that
empty barrel of the shotgun, and if they dare to shoot I'll shoot back,"
he added, with determination.

The other boat was in sight, but a good half mile away, and it was a
serious question whether the _Polly_ could get anywhere near the craft
before the point with the three rocks was gained.

"Well, if they go ashore we can capture the boat anyway," observed Sam.
"That will be something."

"Probably the boat was only hired. The owner may not know what rascals
those chaps are."

"The craft looked old and clumsy to me," said