Here's a short story:

CHAPTER XXII 

THE REFUGEE'S RETURN 

Sabatini's attitude of indolence lasted only until they had turned from the waterway into the main river. Then he sat up and pointed a little way down the stream. 

"Can you cross over somewhere there?" he asked. 

Arnold nodded and punted across towards the opposite bank. 

"Get in among the rushes," Sabatini directed. "Now listen to me." 

Arnold came and sat down. 

"You don't mean to tire me," he remarked. 

Sabatini smiled. 

"Do you seriously think that I asked you to bring me on the river for the pleasure of watching your prowess with that pole, my friend?" he asked. "Not at all. I am going to ask you to do me a service." 

Arnold was suddenly conscious that Sabatini, for the first time since he had known him, was in earnest. The lines of his marble-white face seemed to have grown tenser and firmer, his manner was the manner of a man who meets a crisis. 

"Turn your head and look inland," he said. "You follow the lane there?" 

Arnold nodded. 

"Quite well," he admitted. 

"At the corner," Sabatini continued, "just out of sight behind that tall hedge, is my motor car. I want you to land and make your way there. My chauffeur has his instructions. He will take you to a village some eight miles up the river, a village called Heslop Wood. There is a boat-builder's yard at the end of the main street. You will hire a boat and row up the river. About three hundred yards up, on the left hand side, is an old, dismantled-looking house-boat. I want you to board it and search it thoroughly."  (End of story)

Provide your best guess for the following question. Give ONLY the guess, no other words or explanation.

For example:

Guess: <most likely guess, as short as possible; not a complete sentence, just the guess!>

Here are a few examples of questions and answers:

Question: What were they trying to do?
Guess: to get to the other side of the hedge.

Question: Who has been lazy?
Guess: Sabatini

Question: Did they go to the water for fun?
Guess: no

Question: Why then?
Guess: to do a service."

Question: Who did he ask?
Guess: Arnold

Question: What surprised him?
Guess: that Sabatini for the first time was in earnest

Question: Who was he to find?
Guess: his chauffeur

Question: Where was he to go?
Guess: to a village

Question: How far away?
Guess: some eight miles

Question: Was that his final destination?
Guess: no

Question: What was he to do next?
Guess: hire a boat

Question: Was it a powerboat?
Guess: no

Question: What color was the lazy man's face?
Guess: marble-white

Question: How far was he to travel up river?
Guess: About three hundred yards

Question: Was his destination on the right?
Guess: no

Question: What was his destination?
Guess: a house-boat

Now answer the following question in the same format.

Question: What was he supposed to do there?

search it thoroughly