He was about to declare his satisfaction with them, and admit that perhaps he had made a mistake, when the man whom he had left to guard Winn rushed up with the announcement that his prisoner had escaped.
At this the Sheriff's face clouded angrily.

"We'll find him if he is still on the island!" he exclaimed.

"If he has left it we'll follow him; and, at any rate, Mr.Brackett, I must now insist upon your coming to Dubuque, where you will be granted every opportunity for proving what you please.

In the mean time, you and I will await here the result of the search for the escaped prisoner that my men will at once proceed to make." To this Billy Brackett returned no answer, but stood silently considering how he should avoid the vexatious delay that now appeared inevitable.

While he was thus cudgelling his brains, one of the searching party returned to report that the skiff in which they had come up the river was missing.
The Sheriff became furious.