"Yes, if," was the rejoinder from Roy, "but we can't steal it, and, as you say, it might spoil everything if Fanning Harding thought that we had overheard any of his talk."
"Look out!" warned Jeff Stokes in a whisper the next instant. The warning did not come a bit too soon. The door of the hut opened and the party which had been in conference inside emerged. They made straight for the motor boat, which Jeff Stokes had, in the meantime, recognized as one that was for hire at Sandy Bay.
"Come on, boys, we've got to be getting back," urged Fanning moving quickly and preparing to shove the craft off.
"Wait till I chuck some of this truck in," grumbled Giles.
He stooped and rapidly threw in the ropes and other gear scattered about. Then as Fanning Harding and the flabby-faced butler shoved the craft off he made a hasty scramble for the boat's bow, leaping in as she floated free of the beach.
"H'I soy," shouted Morgan, "you forgot the bloomin' gasolene."
"Better put back and get it," growled Giles; "if you fellows had helped me a bit instead of givin' advice it wouldn't have bin forgotten."
"Oh, we can't bother with it now," struck in Fanning, impatiently, "we've plenty in the tank to take us back. I'm not going to delay any longer."
He spun over the fly wheel as he spoke and the motor boat began to cut rapidly through the water headed for Sandy Bay. As soon as it had gone a safe distance the three stranded young adventurers joined hands and executed a wild war dance of joy. By a means almost miraculous they had fallen across the very thing they needed.
"It's just like the story books!" cried Peggy, delightedly.
They raced down toward the coveted can, which was half full of the precious fuel. Enough to get them ashore at any rate. Before returning to the stranded aeroplane they examined the hut, but found nothing in it but a few broken-down bits of furniture.
"Queer," commented Jeff, "I half expected to find something."
"Not likely," laughed Roy, "they're too foxy for that."
"What do you suppose they came to the island for?" asked Peggy.
"To get a quiet place to talk where they would not be observed by any one who knew them, I guess," rejoined her brother. "Oh, if only we could solve the mystery. It's tantalizing to be so close to it and yet with so many tangled ends left ravelled."