It did not occur to Sheen immediately that his boat had actually gone.

　　The full beauty of the situation was some moments in coming home tohim. At first he merely thought that somebody had moved it to anotherpart of the bank, as the authorities at the inn had done once or twicein the past, to make room for the boats of fresh visitors. Walkingalong the lawn in search of it, he came upon the stake to whichDunstable's submerged craft was attached. He gave the rope a tentativepull, and was surprised to find that there was a heavy drag on the endof it.

　　Then suddenly the truth flashed across him. "Heavens!" he cried, "it'ssunk."Joe Bevan and other allies lent their aid to the pulling. The lost boatcame out of the river like some huge fish, and finally rested on thebank, oozing water and drenching the grass in all directions.

　　Joe Bevan stooped down, and examined it in the dim light.

　　"What's happened here, sir," he said, "is that there's a plank gonefrom the bottom. Smashed clean out, it is. Not started it isn't.

　　Smashed clean out. That's what it is. Some one must have been here anddone it."Sheen looked at the boat, and saw that he was right. A plank in themiddle had been splintered. It looked as if somebody had driven someheavy instrument into it. As a matter of fact, Albert had effected thejob with the butt-end of an oar.

　　The damage was not ruinous. A carpenter could put the thing right at nogreat expense. But it would take time. And meanwhile the minutes wereflying, and lock-up was now little more than half an hour away.

　　"What'll you do, sir?" asked Bevan.

　　That was just what Sheen was asking himself. What could he do? The roadto the school twisted and turned to such an extent that, though thedistance from the "Blue Boar" to Seymour's was only a couple of milesas the crow flies, he would have to cover double that distance unlesshe took a short cut across the fields. And if he took a short cut inthe dark he was certain to lose himself. It was a choice of evils. The"Blue Boar" possessed but one horse and trap, and he had seen thatdriven away to the station in charge of a fisherman's luggage half anhour before.

　　"I shall have to walk," he said.

　　"It's a long way. You'll be late, won't you?" said Mr Bevan.

　　"It can't be helped. I suppose I shall. I wonder who smashed thatboat," he added after a pause.

　　Passing through the inn on his way to the road, he made inquiries. Itappeared that two young gentlemen from the school had been there totea. They had arrived in a boat and gone away in a boat. Nobody elsehad come into the inn. Suspicion obviously rested upon them.

　　"Do you remember anything about them?" asked Sheen.

　　Further details came out. One of the pair had worn a cap like Sheen's.