9 o'clock in the morning
`` Faith , hunting is wan thing and finding 's anither , '' commented Gerald . Which proved to be quite true in this case , for when the officers reached the cabin in the woods they found it deserted and dismantled . The occupants had evidently taken alarm and disappeared , leaving no trace , although the boys were destined to meet them again under decidedly unpleasant circumstances . The race had been set for 9 o'clock in the morning , but , with the sun , there had come up a strong breeze from the west that had stirred up the water into such a lumpy condition that any kind of time would be impossible , and the advantage would be all on the side of the Altons . So the race was put off from time to time in the hope that the wind would die down so as to equalize the chances , and it was not until late in the afternoon that the committee decided to have it rowed , although the wind was still blowing and the water rough . The course , as agreed upon , was a straight-away three miles over a clear stretch of the river from off the Creston landing . `` What have you got there ? ''