Four Afloat Part 13

"'Bout three o'clock," he answered finally.

"Thunder!" muttered Nelson. Then, "How far is it?" he asked.

The pipe came forth again and the informant let his gaze travel around the horizon as though he were looking for a milestone.

"'Bout thirty or forty miles," he said.

"Thanks!" shouted Nelson. There was no reply to this. Doubtless the sailor thought it a waste of time to remove his pipe for a mere polite formality. Presently he and his companions, all save the man at the wheel, disappeared.

The sun grew warmer and the sea calmer. The wind had stolen around into the south and blew mildly across the sparkling waves. There was nothing to do save take life easily, and so Bob and Dan stretched themselves out on the cabin roof, Tom went to sleep in the bow, and Nelson stayed in the c.o.c.kpit where he could get to the wheel if the necessity arose. At twelve Tom was awakened out of a sound but not silent slumber, and sent below to cook luncheon, and at a little before two bells they ate. By this time they were near enough the sh.o.r.e so that they could distinguish objects. Plymouth was pa.s.sed at two, and at three the tug was heading into the shallow harbor of Sanstable.

"How much are you going to offer him?" asked Bob.

"The tugboat fellow? I don't know. What do you think?" said Nelson.

"Well, I suppose he could demand a lot if he had a mind to, but I think ten dollars would be about right, don't you?"

Nelson thought that it would, and so when the tug slowed down and the man at the wheel of the _Lizzie and May_ tossed them their line Nelson dropped into the tender, which had been put over, and rowed to the tug.

"Ten dollars!" said the captain. "Why, say, young man, I'd tow you around the world for that! No; you give me a couple of dollars for the boys and we'll call quits."

"Well, we're awfully much obliged," Nelson a.s.sured him as he handed up the money.

"That's all right," answered the captain, who, on nearer acquaintance proved to be a squat, broad-shouldered man with a grave face lighted by a pair of twinkling blue eyes, "that's all right. Maybe you can give me a tow some day!" And he chuckled as Nelson a.s.sured him of his willingness to do so. The tug and schooner proceeded on up the harbor along the waterfront, and Nelson rowed back to the _Vagabond_. There Dan joined him with the towline, and the two pulled the launch up to the nearest wharf. The harbor was not large, nor were there many piers, but it was well filled with pleasure craft and small schooners, and every slip was occupied. As there was no chance of getting up to a wharf, they decided to tie up to a schooner-the _Henry Nellis_-which was landing a load of pine boards.

"We'll have to stay here until morning," said Nelson, "so we might as well make the best of it. As soon as we get some gasoline aboard we can run out and anchor in the harbor."

Luckily they were able to buy their fuel at the head of the wharf where they had berthed, but it was hard work getting it aboard, since they had to carry it down from the little store in five-gallon cans, lug it across the schooner's deck, and hand it down the side. Dan stayed aboard the launch and the others carried. It was awkward work, and they decided that they would take aboard merely enough for a two days' run and fill again where things were more convenient. So they put in thirty gallons and called it off. It was then four o'clock, and they decided to go ash.o.r.e awhile before taking the launch out to her anchorage. After they had reached the village street Nelson stopped.

"Say, I forgot to lock that hatch," he said. "I wonder if I'd better go back."

"You closed things up, didn't you?" asked Bob.

"Yes."

"Oh, it will be all right, then. Come on!"

They found the post office, and Nelson wrote a brief account of their adventures to his father. When he had signed his name to the postal card he paused and chewed the end of the pen for a moment. Then-

"Look here, fellows," he said to the others, who were watching the village life through the dusty window, "we ought to decide where we're going, so that dad can send our mail to us."

"That's so," agreed Tom.

"Let's keep on to New York, now that we've started," said Bob.

"Well, but you wanted to go to Portland," answered Nelson doubtfully.

"Never mind Portland. Maybe we can run up there when we come back. Let's make it New York."

"All right. Then I'll tell dad to send our mail to the general delivery at Newport, and we'll stop for it there the day after to-morrow. How's that?"

"Sounds good to me," said Dan.

An hour later they were back at the wharf, having given their legs a good stretching, and were making their way through the piles of lumber which covered the pier.

"It's time we got here," observed Bob. "The schooner's through unloading, and there comes a tug to take her out. Let's get a move on."

He led the way across the deck of the schooner and was hailed by a thin, red-faced man, who came hurrying back from the bow.

"Hi, there! Where you going?"

Bob explained.

"Oh!" said the other. Then, "Say," he asked, "you ain't seen a young feller about fourteen around here, have yer?"

Bob replied that he had not.

"Well, if you do, you let me know," said the captain of the _Henry Nellis_ savagely. "He's my boy, and if I catch anyone helpin' him to run away from this ship, there'll be trouble."

"Oh, run away, has he?" asked Dan.

"What's that to you, young feller?" asked the man angrily.

"Nothing," replied Dan, flushing. "Only if he has, I hope he keeps out of your way."

"Oh, you do, eh? Well, you get off my deck, do you hear? Get, now!"

"Come on," whispered Bob. But Dan's ire was aroused.

"Don't think I want to stay here, do you?" he asked sarcastically. "You aren't laboring under the impression that your personal attraction is so great that I can't tear myself loose, are you? Why, I've seen better-looking folks than you in the monkey cage!"

By that time Nelson and Bob were hurrying him unwillingly to the side of the schooner, and Tom, choking with laughter, was scrambling over the rail. The captain choked with anger for an instant. Then he found his voice, and the boys landed on the deck of the _Vagabond_ amid a veritable thunder of abuse. He came to the side of the schooner and continued to give his opinion of them while they cast off.

"Go it!" muttered Dan. Then, seeing the boat hook in Bob's hands, "Say, let me have that a minute, Bob," he begged. "Just let me rap him one over the knuckles with it!"

But Bob refused, and the _Vagabond_ slid astern under the amused regard of the crew, who had gathered as the storm broke. Dan waved farewell in the direction of the flaming red face which still regarded them savagely over the rail.

"Write often!" he called.

There was a quickly hushed howl from the crew, the captain disappeared from the rail, and from the subsequent sounds it was evident that he had transferred his attention to his subordinates.

"Gee, isn't he an old bear!" marveled Dan.

"Don't blame the boy for running away!" observed Nelson, as he shoved back the hatch and opened the doors. "Take the wheel, Bob, and we'll run across there toward the bar, where we'll be out of the way. See that spar over there? Sing out when we get almost up to it and I'll shut her off."

"Yes, sir! Very good, sir!" replied Bob, touching his cap ceremoniously.

Nelson went below, and as his feet touched the engine room floor he heard a shuffling sound in the stateroom beyond. With a bound, he was at the door. There was no one in sight. Evidently his ears had deceived him; probably he had heard some one moving on deck. Then, as he turned to go back to the engine, he saw that he had not been mistaken after all. Huddled in the corner of Tom's berth lay a boy, whose anxious face gleamed pale in the dim light and whose wide, eager eyes stared pleadingly up at him.