an almost, though not quite
to the bank of the river.

Keeping well within the shadow of the fence, young Ripley hastened
toward this point.

Here the amount of space was not sufficient for him to step around
the end of the fence. However, by grasping it on both sides Fred
could swing himself around it and into the boatyard. He did so
with ease, then halted, peering cautiously about the yard.

"No one here," the lawyer's son decided at last. "Whew! I wouldn't
dare even to stumble over a tramp taking a nap here. This is
ticklish business, or it would be if I were caught here. Now,
where is the canoe?"

Early in the evening the moon had shone, but now the stars gave
all the light there was to be had. It was so close in the yard
that Fred soon pulled off his jacket, carrying it or his arm.

Nowhere in the open yard was the canoe to be seen. There were
three semi-open sheds. Into each of these in turn Ripley peered.
The canoe was nowhere to be found.

"I'm a fool to lose my sleep and take all the risk for this!"
grunted the boy, halting and staring moodily about him in his
great disappointment. He now glared angrily at a large building,
two-thirds boathouse and one-third boat-building shop.

"Hiram Driggs had the canoe taken in there!" muttered the boy.
"Just my luck. I couldn't get into that building unless I broke
a window---and I don't dare do that."

Still determined to get at the canoe, if possible, Fred stole
down to the inclined platform from which boats were carried to
the water. But the water-front entrance to the boathouse also
proved to be locked.

"There's no show for me here," grunted the young prowler. "I
wonder if any of the windows have been left unlocked."

His good sense told him that it would be a serious matter indeed
to raise a window and enter the building---if he were caught.

But Fred, after a few moments of strained listening, decided to
take the chance. At any hazard that he dared take he must get
to the war canoe and put it out of commission for all time.

He tried three of the windows. All of them proved to be locked.

"I'm going to have some more of my usual luck," groaned young
Ripley. "I wonder why it is that I always have such poor luck
when I have my heart most set on doing a thing?"

He was slipping along to the fourth window when he heard a sound
that almost caused his heart to stop beating.

Merely the sound of footsteps pausing by the gate to the boaty