"Mr. Thomas," replied that worthy.

"My God!" rapped out Burns in such a tone of disgust and defeat that
she shrank from him with uplifted hands. But he did not notice her.
Instead he rushed out of the house and along the road toward Freekirk
Head.

* * * * *

The boarding-house was a full half-mile from the wharfs of the
village, and after a hundred yards Burns slowed down into a rapid
walk.

"The fool took the bait like a dogfish," he snarled. "Lord knows where
he is by this time. I'll bet Schofield is at the bottom of this."

He had not as yet found out where Code was, and his first step when he
reached the village was to go to the Schofield cottage and verify
Templeton's note.

Josie, the orphan girl, was there alone, and was on the point of tears
with having been left alone so long with night coming on.

When questioned the girl admitted readily enough that Mrs. Schofield
had taken a bundle of Code's clothing and gone to Castalia in the
afternoon, she having overheard the conversation that took place
between her mistress and Pete Ellinwood.

When he had gained this information Burns hurried from the house and
toward the spot on the beach between the wharfs where his dory lay.

He had not the remotest idea what had become of Templeton, but he was
reasonably sure that if Thomas had taken him to Castalia, Schofield
was no longer there.

What Thomas had really done did not occur to him, and his one idea was
to get to the neighboring village as soon as possible and ascertain
just what had taken place.

His dory was beached alongside the pier where the _Charming Lass_ had
lain for the past week. Now, as he approached it, he suddenly stopped,
rooted in his tracks.

The _Charming Lass_ was gone.

CHAPTER IX

ON THE COURSE

"All dories aboard? All hands set tops'ls! Jimmie Thomas, ease your
mainsheet! Now, boys, altogether! Yo! Sway 'em flat! Yo! Once more!
Yo! Fine! Stand by to set balloon jib!"

It was broad daylight, and the early sun lighted the newly painted,
slanting deck of the _Charming Lass_ as she snored through the gentle
sea. On every side the dark gray expanse stretched unbroken to the
horizon, except on the starboard bow. There a long, gray flatness
separated itself from the horizon--the coast of southern Nova Scotia.

There was a favorable following wind, and the clean, new schooner
seemed to express her joy at being again in her element