Hope you'll get her back," said the boy.

"I say, do you think any one stole her ?" "May be, may be not," replied the boatman.
"Jolly rum thing about that boat," said the spokesman of the party, as the boys continued their walk.
"I expect it got adrift somehow," said another.
"I don't know," said the first.

"I was speaking to a bobby about her: he says they think she was stolen; and fancy they've got a clue to the fellow." Heathcote stumbled for no apparent reason at this particular moment, and it was quite amusing to see the concern on Dick's face as he went to the rescue.
"Jolly low trick," continued the boy, who appeared to interest himself so deeply in Tom's loss, "if any one really took the boat away.

Tom will be ruined." "Who do they think went off with her ?" asked another.
"They don't say; but they're rather good at running things down, are our police.

Do you recollect the way they bowled out the fellow who tried to burn the boat-house last year, and got him six months ?" This police gossip was so alarming to our two heroes, that they gave up taking walks along the beach, and retired to the privacy of the school boundaries, where there was no lack of occupation, indoor and out, to relieve the monotony of life.
A week after the Grandcourt match, a boy called Braider came up to Dick and asked to speak to him.