Guilt of the Brass Thieves Part 15

By the time she had them on, Sally was ready to shove off for the trial run.

"Suppose we take about an hour's work-out, and then rest until time for the race," she suggested. "You'll quickly learn the tricks of this little boat. She's a sweet sailer."

The _Cat's Paw_ had been tied to the dock with a stiff wind blowing across it, and larger boats were berthed on either side. To get away smoothly without endangering the other craft would be no easy task. As the girls ran up the mainsail, a few loiterers gathered to watch the departure.

"All set, mate?" grinned Sally. "Let's go."

With a speed that amazed Penny, she trimmed the main and jib sheets flat amidships, placing the tiller a little to starboard.

"Haul up the centerboard!" she instructed.

Penny pulled up the board, feeling a trifle awkward and inadept.

Sally leaped out onto the dock, and casting off, held the boat's head steady into the eye of the wind. With a tremendous shove which delighted the spectators, she sent the _Cat's Paw_ straight aft, and made a flying leap aboard.

With sails flat amidships, the boat shot straight backwards. As they started to clear the stern of the boat that was to starboard, Sally let the tiller move over to that side. The bow of the _Cat's Paw_ began to swing to starboard.

Not until then, did Penny observe that the _Spindrift_ was tied up only a few boat-lengths away. Jack, armed with several bottles of pop, came hurriedly from the clubhouse. Noting Sally's spectacular departure, he joined the throng at the railing.

"We'll give the crowd a real thrill," Sally muttered, keeping her voice low so that it would not carry over the water. "If this trick works, it should be good."

Even Penny was worried. The bow of the _Cat's Paw_ had swung rapidly to starboard. But Sally, calm and cool, still hung on to the sheets.

"Put your tiller the other way!" Jack shouted from the dock. "Let your sheet run!"

Enjoying the boy's excitement, Sally pretended to be deaf. Wind had struck the sails, but the _Cat's Paw_ continued to sail backwards. A crash seemed impossible to avert. Then at the last instant, the bow swung clear of the neighboring boats.

Grinning triumphantly, Sally put the tiller to port and started the sheets. They sailed briskly away.

"Beautifully done!" praised Penny. "Not one sailor in a hundred could pull that off. It took nerve!"

"Pop taught me that trick. It's risky, of course. If the sails should decide to take charge, or the tiller should fail to go to starboard, one probably would collide with the other boats."

"You surprised Jack. He expected you to crash."

"We'll surprise him this afternoon too," Sally declared confidently, steering out into mid-stream. "If this breeze holds, it's just what the doctor ordered!"

For an hour the girls practiced maneuvers until Penny was thoroughly adept at handling the ropes and carrying out orders. Although the rules of the race did not allow them to sail the actual course, Sally pointed it out.

"We start near the clubhouse," she explained. "Then, taking a triangular route we sail past Hat Island to the first marker. After rounding it, we keep on to the marker near the eastern river sh.o.r.e, and sail back to our starting point."

Sally was in high spirits, for she declared that if the breeze held, _Cat's Paw_ would perform at her best. Though no one knew exactly what Jack's new boat, _Spindrift_ could do, observation had convinced most sailing enthusiasts that it would be favored in a light breeze.

"I hope it blows a gale this afternoon!" Sally chuckled as they moored at the dock. "Get some rest now, Penny, and meet me at the clubhouse about one o'clock. The race starts sharp at two."

Penny did not see Jack when she returned to Shadow Island, so had no chance to tell him of her plan to sail with Sally in the compet.i.tion. Her father, whom she took into her confidence, was not entirely in favor of the decision.

"We are guests of Mr. and Mrs. Gandiss," he reproved mildly. "To sail against Jack is a tactless thing to do. Though actually you may do him a favor, for you'll likely be more of a handicap than a help in the race."

"That's what I figured," laughed Penny.

By chance, Mr. Gandiss overheard the conversation. Entering the living room, he declared that Penny must not hesitate to enter the compet.i.tion.

"After all, the race is supposed to be for fun," he said emphatically.

"Lately Jack and Sally have made it into a feud. I really think it would do the boy good to be defeated soundly."

Long before the hour of the race, Penny was at the yacht club docks, dressed in blue slacks, white polo shirt, and an added jacket for protection from wind and blistering sun rays.

Rowboats, canoes and small sailing craft plied lazily up and down the river, while motor yachts with flags flying, cruised past the clubhouse.

Out in the main channel where the race was to be held, the judges' boat had been anch.o.r.ed. The sh.o.r.es were thronged with spectators, many of whom had enjoyed picnic lunches on the gra.s.sy banks.

Penny walked along the dock searching for the _Cat's Paw_. She came first to the _Spindrift_ which was just preparing to get underway. Jack and a youth Penny did not know, were busy coiling ropes.

"Hi, Penny!" Jack greeted her, glancing up from his work. "You're going to see a real race today! Will I take Sally Barker for a breeze!"

Just at that moment, Sally herself appeared from inside the clubhouse.

Seeing Penny, she waved and called: "Come on, mate, it's time we shove off!"

Jack's jaw dropped and he gazed at the two girls accusingly.

"What is this?" he demanded. "Penny, you're not racing in Sally's boat?"

"Yes, I am."

"Well, if that isn't something!" Jack said no more, but his tone had made it clear he considered Penny nothing short of a traitor.

The two boats presently sailed out from the protecting sh.o.r.es to join the other fifteen-footers which had entered the race. With the breeze blowing strong, the contestants tacked rapidly back and forth, jockeying for the best positions at the start of the contest.

Tensely Sally glanced at her wrist.w.a.tch. "Five minutes until two," she observed. "The gun will go off any minute now."

Nineteen boats comprised the racing fleet, but in comparison to Jack and Sally, many of the youthful captains were mere novices. Experts were divided in opinion as to the winner, but nearly everyone agreed it would be either Jack or Sally, with the odds slightly in favor of the latter.

"There goes the signal!" cried Sally.

The boats made a bunched start with _Cat's Paw_ and _Spindrift_ in the best positions. In the sharp breeze, one of the craft carried away a stay, and with a broken mast, dropped out of the race. The others headed for the first marker.

At first Sally and Jack raced almost bow to bow, then gradually the _Cat's Paw_ forged steadily ahead. Except for three or four boats, the others began to fall farther and farther behind.

"We'll win!" Penny cried jubilantly.

"It's too soon to crow yet," Sally warned. "While it looks as if this breeze will hold for the entire race, no one can tell. Anything might happen."

Penny glanced back at Jack's boat a good six to eight lengths behind. The boy deliberately turned his head, acting as if he did not see her.

The _Cat's Paw_ hugged the marker as it made the turn at Hat Island.

Rounding the body of land, the girls were annoyed to see a canoe with three children paddling directly across their course.

"Now how did they get out here?" Sally murmured with a worried frown.

"They should know better!"