"I think you are right, Dory; and what to do is the next article in the warrant," replied Matt, whom the influence of the other had completely cooled off, and he saw the folly of running about at random without any plan of operations.
"All we have to do is to cover the open points of escape, as we understand them. Have the fellows turned out yet?"
"I believe every one of them is out, in front of the dormitory."
"My uncle ought to be on the spot by this time; but if he is not, I will assume the responsibility of acting without him. If you will take a crew, and man the Marian, I will follow the route by the bridge. The keys of the boat-house are in the office. Be in a hurry about it," added Dory briskly; and he started off in the direction of the quarries.
"Suppose I see a boat working out of Beechwater, do you think I ought to try to capture it?" asked Matt, who seemed to be in doubt.
"Not at all! Follow it, and see where it goes: follow it to the end of Lake Champlain, if it leads you as far as that. Don't meddle with it, and don't let any of your fellows get shot."
Matt ran back to the dormitory. Though the bell had been ringing some time, Captain Gildrock had not yet appeared at the scene of the tumult. The captain of the Lily took the keys, and summoned the crew of the Marian. In less than five minutes they were pulling out of the boat-house. The boat proceeded, with all the speed the oarsmen could give it, to the outlet. Matt went through it to the river, and then proceeded to examine the north shore of Beechwater.
Dory followed the road to the quarries, and reached the bridge. He crossed it, and was then in the great road. Between him and the lake the region was covered with woods. From the road there were cart-paths leading down to the lake, mostly used by picnic parties. If the burglars had come this way, they were likely to take to the woods, if they understood that they were pursued.
Dory halted several times to listen; but it was useless to do so, he found, for the wind in the trees made noise enough to silence all other sounds. He passed the cart-path which led down to Porter's Bay, and soon came to one which led to a very deep indentation of the shore from Kingsland Bay.