It touched them to feel that, amid all his distresses, Rollitt was loyal to the School shop; and if anything was needed to spur them on to his rescue, this did it.
They bought up the remaining eighteen biscuits between them, and sallied forth.
"You see," said Wally, "it's much more likely to be the island than the mountain.

There's water there, for one thing." "There's water on the mountain," said Ashby; "plenty." "But not good to drink, you ass!" argued Wally.
"And there's that old broken boat-house to live in, and lots of wood to make fires, and ducks to bag and fish to catch.

I say! I expect he's having rather a lark." The prospect of sharing in his wild sports urged them on still faster.
At the lake-side a new problem arose.

If Rollitt was on the island, how had he got there?
And, still more important, how were they to get there?
Widow Wisdom's boat had already been laid up for the winter; and the few others, which in the summer were generally kept at the river- mouth for the use of the boys, had been taken back to Penchurch.

The only craft available was a flat-bottomed punt used by fishermen, and at present moored to a stake at the river-bank.