"I'll go out in dad's boat," volunteered Tony Prito.
"Fine!" agreed the others, and the boys hastened down the street in the direction of the boathouses.
Jerry Gilroy and Biff Hooper went with Tony, while Phil Cohen went with Chet and the Hardy boys.
Frank unlocked the door of the boathouse and went inside, followed by the others.
But the familiar shape of the Sleuth could not be seen.
The front of the boathouse was open. The motorboat had disappeared.
"The boat's gone!" he exclaimed in consternation.
The other boys stared, amazed at this unexpected development.
"It's been stolen!" cried Frank. "No one has a key to the boathouse but Joe and me."
"It was here at noon!" exclaimed Joe. "I was in here for a few minutes before I went to school."
"Who could have taken it?" asked Chet.
"Do you think it could have been Paul Blum?" suggested Joe.
The same thought had been in Frank's mind.
"That's who it was! He wanted to make a quick getaway, so he figured his best chance would be by boat."
