George wanted to take the drag-rope himself, but a feeling that he was eccentric, if not insane, kept those in charge of the boat from giving it to him.
When Sunday morning came, Katy's body had not yet been found, and the whole village flocked to the lake shore.

These were the first deaths in Metropolisville, and the catastrophe was so sudden and tragic that it stirred the entire village in an extraordinary manner.

All through that cloudy Sunday forenoon, in a weary waiting, Charlton sat on the bank of Diamond Lake.
"Mr.Charlton," said Gray, "git me into that air boat and I'll git done with this.

I've watched them fellers go round the place tell I can't stan' it no longer." The next time the boat faced toward the place where Charlton stood he beckoned to them, and the boat came to the shore.
"Let Mr.Gray row a few times, won't you ?" whispered Albert.

"I think he knows the place." With that deference always paid to a man in grief, the man who had the oars surrendered them to the Hoosier Poet, who rowed gently and carefully toward the place where he and Albert had dived for Katy the night before.
The quick instinct of the trapper stood him in good stead now.