By to-morrow, or perhaps within a few minutes, I shall certainly have something more definite to wire." At the hotel he was greatly disappointed to find no trace of the missing lad, and after eating a hearty breakfast he made a thorough search of the water-front, though of course without avail.

He had intended dropping a hint here and there of the predicament in which he had left Sheriff Riley and his followers, but on second thoughts concluded to let them work out their own plan of escape from the island, rather than run the risk of further delay.
By noon he was ready to depart from Dubuque, satisfied that there was no information to be gained in that place concerning either Winn or the raft.

Although he was not discouraged, he was puzzled, and was even beginning to feel anxious at the strange aspect this affair of the lost _Venture_ was assuming.
Until sunset he rowed steadily and swiftly downstream, hailing the ferrymen as he passed, and stopping at the settlements on both sides of the river to make inquiries.

He also hailed passing boats, and boarded several rafts that he discovered tied to the western bank, but all in vain.

He failed to learn anything about Winn, and heard that but one raft had passed down the river the day before.