elf was not to be found. The method of his exit,
however, Nick discovered.

A window in the end of the house, farthest from the street, was wide
open, and beneath it, with the aid of his lantern, Nick found the
foot-prints of a man who had leaped from the window.

Unquestionably that man was Patrick Deever.

The footprints could be traced a little way. They led toward a hedge
which separated the property from a large, vacant tract south of it.

Nick could see where some person had recently broken through this hedge.
And here he made a more important discovery, which gladdened his eyes.

Beside the hedge were Deever's foot-prints, and another's. The second
must be Patsy's.

Passing through, Nick saw a wide field with a grove at its end. The
foot-prints were very faint, but it seemed that Deever had started in
the direction of that grove.

Nick hurried thither. He searched through the little clump of trees with
the utmost minuteness, till at last, on the farther side, in a bit of
soft ground, he found the foot-prints.

They still led in the direction of the river. Following such faint clews
as he could find, Nick continued the search till dawn broke.

* * * * *

"Uncle Jimmy" Redwood has boats to let in Nyack. He has a boat-house on
the river bank from which a flight of steps leads down to a long "float"
extending into the river.

His boats are moored to that float, or anchored near the end of it. He
has several fine, fast cat-boats, of which he is very proud.

Uncle Jimmy was overhauling his boats about six o'clock on the morning
after the events just described, when a man, whom he had never seen
before, came somewhat hurriedly down the steps, and said he wished to
hire a cat-boat.

"I want the fastest boat in the fleet," he said.

Uncle Jimmy looked the stranger over carefully. There was a bandage
around his head. Uncle Jimmy suspected that something was wrong, but
that, after all, might not be any of his business.

"Get the Clio ready for this man," Uncle Jimmy shouted to an assistant
at the far end of the float.

"Ay, ay, sir," said the man.

The Clio was lying with her nose against the float, and there was
nothing to do but hoist her sail.

However, the stranger seemed impatient of even this delay.

When the sail was up, he jumped into the boat, and prepared to get under
way.

But Uncle Jimmy's assistant had hold of the "painter," or rope, by which
the Clio had