The Go Ahead Boys on Smugglers' Island Part 22

John offered no objection and Fred accordingly seated himself and began to row.

The day was warm and the beams of the sun, which now was high in the eastern sky, were strongly reflected from the smooth waters of Lake Huron. Indeed, it was not long before the wind died away and the boys were nearly becalmed.

"We're almost as idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean, aren't we, Jack?" demanded Fred.

"No, we are not," said John. "Not at all, thank you. We're not idle and we're not going to be. I'm going to have my crew keep on rowing."

"I hope you'll set a good example."

"That's just what I intend to do," said John. "You change places with me and I'll show you how the thing ought to be done."

Without expressing the thought in his mind each boy was keeping a sharp outlook over the waters for the swift little _Gadabout_. Both somehow were expecting that the motor-boat either had not departed from the region or would surely return when morning came.

An hour or more had elapsed, however, and no trace of the _Gadabout_ had been discovered. Far away over the waters the faint trace of smoke left by the pa.s.sing lake steamers could be seen.

"This is a great job we have been thrown into, isn't it, Jack?" demanded Fred at last.

"Yes, I think it is," acknowledged John. "That letter of yours seems to make it worse, though. For the life of me I cannot understand how it came to Western Duck Island."

"Maybe that man dropped it," suggested Fred.

"Do you mean the smuggler?"

"I guess that's what he is all right. I don't know what his name is yet, but I mean the man that has a house over there on c.o.c.kburn Island."

"That's the man I mean," said John. "I think he's a smuggler. He may be, but the thing that puzzles me most is how he got your letter, if he was the one that dropped it over here on Western Duck Island."

"Yes, that's hard to explain," a.s.sented Fred, "but I guess if we knew more about it we wouldn't find it quite so hard."

"What do you mean? Do you think that man wrote the letter?"

"No, I don't."

"Well, then what do you mean?"

"I guess I don't mean very much of anything. Fred, do you see how this boat is leaking?"

Startled by the abrupt question, Fred glanced quickly at the spot in the bottom of the boat which the little j.a.panese had repaired. The water certainly was coming into the boat.

"What do you think, Jack?" demanded Fred quickly. "Shall we try to go back?"

"Is that the direction in which we usually go?" retorted John.

"I would rather go back than go down."

"But I would rather go ahead than either."

"But the boat is certainly leaking. We have seen one storm on the lake and we don't want to be caught in another, especially with a leaking old tub like this."

"There isn't any storm and we aren't caught yet. Besides, I feel a little puff of wind," John added, as he turned his face in the direction from which the wind appeared to be coming.

John had been rowing for a half-hour or longer, and perspiration was streaming down his face. Close to the water the air was cool, but as there was no breeze it was well-nigh impossible for any one working as hard as John had been to cool himself quickly.

"There's a little puff," he added, and once more the sail was hoisted and for a little while the skiff moved steadily forward.

"John," suggested Fred a little later, "I think the best thing for us to do is to try to get in the course of those lake boats. We can't see the sh.o.r.e of Duck Island any longer and if we go far enough over to the west and our skiff sinks, it may be that some one of those boats will pick us up."

Whether or not it was the swifter action of the skiff the leak steadily was becoming more apparent. Indeed, after a brief time Fred said, "Is there anything on board we can use to bail this boat?"

"I haven't seen anything," answered John, and a hasty search quickly revealed the fact that there was no implement on board which could be used in the manner indicated by Fred.

The latter, however, taking his cap did his utmost to dip out the water, which was steadily increasing in the bottom of the skiff, into the lake.

His efforts were unavailing, however, and in a brief time the boy, now thoroughly alarmed, arose and said, "I tell you, Jack, this boat isn't going to stay afloat very long."

John made no reply, but as he turned to look behind him Fred also glanced in that direction, but the island from which they had departed had long since disappeared from sight.

Far away in the west occasional trails of smoke could be seen, although both boys were aware that doubtless such indications of the pa.s.sing of the steamers came within their vision long after the vessels themselves had disappeared from the region.

It was speedily becoming manifest that the boys would be compelled to struggle desperately in order to keep their sinking craft afloat. They both clearly understood that they were Go Ahead Boys and were not to give up easily, but the water was entering faster now and the peril consequently became more threatening with every pa.s.sing moment.

Almost in despair John looked toward the low lying streak of dark cloud in the west which he clearly understood indicated the course of a pa.s.sing lake-boat. The mast meanwhile had been taken down and no attempt was made to sail.

"Let's throw that thing overboard," suggested Fred in a voice sounding strangely, even in his own ears.

"What thing?"

"Why, the mast and sail."

"Cut the sail and throw it overboard," ordered John, "but save the mast as long as you can."

"What for?" demanded Fred.

"Hand me your handkerchief and I'll show you," answered John. Speedily tying his own handkerchief to Fred's he then fastened both to the top of the mast. "Somebody may see our signal of distress," he explained.

"Pull, Fred! Pull for all you're worth!" he hastily added. "We've got to get nearer the boats if we ever make sh.o.r.e."

While Fred rowed, John was doing his utmost to bail the boat. He was using his hands and his cap, but even with his utmost endeavors the depth of the water in the slowly moving skiff did not decrease. Both boys were toiling desperately now. Their faces were red and streaked with perspiration. There was no evading the fact, however, that in spite of all their efforts their progress still was slow and the peril of sinking was steadily increasing.

At the mast-head floated the signal of distress. Neither of the boys was speaking now and the silence that rested on the great stretch of waters was unbroken.

CHAPTER XVI THE SINKING SKIFF

"We shan't be able to stay on board much longer," said Fred in a low voice.