Still there was no sign of Rob.

Merritt grew so anxious that he could hardly keep from pacing up and down to conceal his nervous state of mind.

However, he stuck to his duties and oversaw the first routine of the morning without betraying his anxiety to any of the lads under his charge.

At last there came the awaited chug chug of the returning boat, for which he had been so eagerly listening, and Rob appeared rounding the little point below the camp.

In the craft was another figure, that of the captain himself.
Merritt's first hope when he saw the two persons in the boat--namely, that one of them might be the missing boy--was promptly dashed, and he instinctively guessed by Rob's silence as he dropped the anchor and he and the captain tumbled into the dinghy that there had been no news.
"No," said Rob, shaking his head dejectedly as they reached the shore, "there isn't anything to tell.