The Curlytops at Sunset Beach; Or, What Was Found in the Sand

by Howard Roger Garis

  CHAPTER IX

  OUT TO SEA

  "That's Mother calling!" announced Janet.

  "Yes," agreed Ted, looking up from where he was delving in the sand.

  "Then you children had better run home," said Mr. Keller. "Don't keepyour mother waiting." He and his wife were now eagerly searching on thebeach for the lost wedding ring and the bunch of keys.

  "Tell your mother I will call and see her another time," said Mrs.Keller, scarcely raising her eyes from their eager look down at thesand. "I must help my husband find his keys," she added. She seemed tohave forgotten about her wedding ring--at least, for a time. "If hedoesn't get those keys back, and Mr. Narr finds out about their loss,there will be a sad time."

  Mrs. Martin called again:

  "Ted! Janet! Where are you? Is Trouble all right?"

  "Yes, Mother! Here we are!" answered Ted.

  "And William is with us. But there's a lot of trouble here," addedJanet--she meant the trouble Mr. and Mrs. Keller were having about thewedding ring and the keys lost in the sand of Sunset Beach.

  Mrs. Martin came up over the sand dunes. These were low hills, coveredwith coarse saw-toothed grass. There was a row of these sand hillsbetween the sandy beach and the road that ran along the ocean front.Across the road, and back a little way from it, was the cottage Mr.Martin had hired for the summer. On another road, a little farther upfrom the beach, were the cottages of Mr. and Mrs. Keller and Mr. andMrs. Randall, together with the vacation homes of many other families.

  "What is going on here?" asked Mrs. Martin, with a smile, as she saw herCurlytops and William, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Keller. "Are you playinga game?" she wanted to know. For it did look odd to see so many of themdelving in the sand.

  "No, Mother, it isn't a game," said Janet.

  "Mrs. Keller has lost her wedding ring and Mr. Keller has lost his bunchof keys," added Ted.

  "Oh, I'm so sorry!" exclaimed Mrs. Martin. "Let me help you look forthem. Shall I call Mr. Martin? He is on the porch and----"

  "I don't believe it would do any good--thank you, just the same,"replied Mr. Keller. "We have been looking for some time, but I am afraidboth my keys and my wife's ring are covered with sand. It is likelooking for a needle in the haystack."

  "Oh, but we mustn't give up searching!" murmured Mrs. Keller.

  "Oh, no," agreed her husband.

  The story of the lost things was quickly told to Mrs. Martin, and shebegan casting her eyes about, hoping she might see either the ring orthe keys. But neither was found, even though the Curlytops, Trouble andMr. and Mrs. Keller also aided.

  "I shall have to do as I said I would, and get some men with shovels andsieves to look over all this sand around here," said Mr. Keller,pointing to the ring of stones and sticks made by Ted.

  "It will be the only safe way," agreed Mrs. Martin.

  "Don't you folks bother any more," went on Mr. Keller. "I'll go and seeif I can hire some men. You stay here, my dear," he told his wife, "sowe will be sure no one comes along and picks up the things."

  "They would need to be very lucky to do that," remarked Mrs. Keller,with a sad smile.

  "I know just how you feel," said Mrs. Martin to Mrs. Keller. "Once Ilost my wedding ring, and I thought I would never find it again. But Idid. It had rolled down a little hole in the corner of my room. Troublepoked it out with one of his drum sticks when he was playing. He didn'tknow what it was, but called me to come and see the shiny band he hadfound. Oh, I was so happy to get it back!"

  "And I would be happy to get back my wedding ring," murmured Mrs.Keller. "But I feel worse now over my husband's lost keys. You don'tknow what it may mean! He may even be discharged by Mr. Narr if it isfound out."

  "You don't mean it!" gasped Mrs. Martin.

  "Yes," was the answer. "You have no idea what a hard-hearted man Mr.Narr is. If he once found out----"

  The Curlytops could not hear all that Mrs. Keller said, but they had theidea that Mr. Narr was very cruel.

  "You had better go up and talk to my husband, Mr. Keller," said Mrs.Martin. "He is on the porch and he can tell you where best to hire themen to sift the sand and find the lost things. He has been here atSunset Beach before, and knows many persons."

  "Thank you, I'll do that," said Mr. Keller.

  Mr. Martin came down to the shore to help look for the ring and thekeys, but it was of no use. Then he and Mr. Keller went on to thevillage to hire some men for the work.

  A little later several Italians, with shovels and sieves, were turningover the sand in the circle of sticks and stones made by Ted. Eachshovelful and each sieveful was carefully examined by the men.

  The Curlytops and Trouble, though wishing they could help find the lostthings, did not stay on the beach much longer. There was nothing theycould do, so they went up to the cottage and were given something to eatby Norah.

  "This afternoon maybe Mr. Keller will find his keys," said Janet, as shegot out her doll with the shoe-button eyes. "And maybe his wife willfind her ring. I hope so."

  "I hope so, too," said Mrs. Martin.

  "Why is Mr. Keller so worried about his keys?" asked Ted. "Would thatman he works for discharge him just for losing a bunch of keys?"

  "I'm afraid so, my dear," answered his mother. "Mrs. Keller told mesomething about this Mr. Narr. He is very rich, it seems, and owns asummer home on one of the islands in the bay. Being very rich, hethinks, I suppose, that he can have nearly everything his own way. Atleast he wants Mr. Keller, who works for him, to do everything justright."

  "Mr. Keller wouldn't do anything wrong, would he, Mother?" asked Janet.

  "Oh, no! Of course not!" Mrs. Martin replied. "But Mr. Narr might thinkit wrong of Mr. Keller to lose the keys. One of the keys, it seems,opens Mr. Narr's strong box in the bank. In the box, or safe depositvault, are valuable papers, stocks, bonds and so on. Mr. Narr may thinkthat because Mr. Keller has lost the keys some one may find them andopen the box, robbing him of his wealth."

  "Could they do that?" asked Ted.

  "I think not, my dear. It takes two keys to open the safe deposit box inthe bank. One key is that of the man who rents the box, and the otherkey is kept in the bank."

  "Then I don't see why Mr. Narr would make such a fuss!" exclaimed Janet.

  "It is just because he is such an odd man," explained her mother. "He isvery fussy. He thinks that he must have everything his own way, and hehas trusted Mr. Keller with important keys. Now, if he finds out thatMr. Keller has lost those keys--even though it was not Mr. Keller'sfault--Mr. Narr might be so angry that he would discharge Mr. Keller."

  "Then he wouldn't have a job, would he, Mother?" asked Ted.

  "Well, I think he doesn't exactly call this place a 'job,'" and Mrs.Martin smiled. "It is more of a position. It is like that of a privatesecretary to Mr. Narr."

  "But if he lost that job--I mean position," corrected Ted, "he could getanother, couldn't he?"

  "Perhaps that is not as easy as it seems," Mrs. Martin answered. "Mr.Keller is quite an elderly gentleman. It would be hard for him to lookfor a new place--to learn new ways. Many persons will not hire an oldman. Mr. Keller is not rich--he needs the money Mr. Narr pays him--andif Mr. Narr were to discharge him for losing the keys, then it would gohard with Mr. Keller."

  "Then we must help him find the keys!" exclaimed Ted.

  "And help Mrs. Keller find her wedding ring," added Janet.

  "Yes, my dears, it would be wonderful if you could find the things lostin the sand," remarked their mother.

  "I wish I could find a nellifunt!" burst out Trouble, and they alllaughed at him.

  "If the men don't find the things after they sift the sand we'll golook, Jan," proposed Ted.

  "Yes," agreed his sister, "we'll do that."

  "Of course they may find them without you," Mrs. Martin said. "But it isvery kind of you to offer to look. But now, Curlytops, don't let thisworry you too much. You came down here for a r
estful and happy vacationfrom school. And, while it is right and kind to think of the troubles ofothers, you are too little to be made to worry."

  "Well, anyhow, we'll look for the keys and the ring if the men don'tfind them," said Teddy.

  "Yes, you may do that," agreed his mother.

  "And now let's go down to the beach and play," proposed Janet. "Let's goover by the fishing boats. I want to see them go out in the big waves."

  "Oh, yes!" cried Teddy. "It's just about time for them to go out now.After we see them we can go back to the place where Mr. Keller lost hiskeys and see if they found them."

  Sunset Beach was a fine place for fishing. All along the shore, in thebay and out in the open ocean, were nets set out in the water, a mile oroften several miles from the shore. These nets are put down where thewater is about forty feet deep, the nets being fastened to poles stuckin the sand.

  The fish, swimming up and down the coast, get tangled in the nets, andsome of them swim into a circular part called a "purse," from which theycannot get out. Once a day, or perhaps not quite so often if there is astorm, the fishermen go out to the nets in big motor boats, lift up the"purse" and take out the fish which they bring to shore. The fish arethen put in barrels, with cracked ice to keep them fresh, and are senton trains to distant cities.

  The Curlytops had been to the seashore once before, when they were quitesmall, and they remembered to have seen the fish boats go out and comein. Sometimes the waves were so rough that the boats would be upset andthe fishermen spilled out.

  Now, having come to Sunset Beach when they were older and couldunderstand things better, Ted and Janet were eager, once more, to watchthe fishing boats depart for the distant nets, some of which could justbe seen from the beach.

  "Come on, Trouble!" called Ted.

  "We'll take good care of him, Mother," promised Janet, in answer to hermother's look.

  "Where you goin'?" William wanted to know. "Are you goin' to see anellifunt?"

  "We are going to see some fish," answered Ted. For sometimes a boatladen with fish from the nets would come ashore as an empty boat wentout, so both operations could be seen at the same time.

  "I don't want to see fish--I want to see nellifunt!" objected Trouble,hanging back.

  "Oh, come on!" urged Ted, with a laugh. "Maybe you'll see a shark,Trouble, or a horse mackerel. That's almost as good as an elephant."

  "Do they have sharks in the nets?" asked Janet, eagerly.

  "Oh, yes," her mother told her. "I read the other day that a large onegot in the nets of some fishermen and tore the nets all to pieces. Thefishermen caught the shark, however, and brought him to shore."

  "I wish they'd catch one now!" exclaimed Ted.

  "What's a horse mackerel?" Janet wanted to know.

  "It's a very large mackerel-shaped fish," her mother answered. "It isnot quite as large as a horse, but it is very big."

  "As big as a shark?" asked the little girl.

  "As big as some sharks," said Mrs. Martin.

  "'Nen I guess I go see a shark an' a horsie mackel," announced William."Maybe he'll be 'most as good as a nellifunt!"

  "Oh, you and your elephants!" laughed Janet.

  So the children went down to the beach--that part of the beach whencethe fishing boats departed. There was a crowd about the craft, waitingto see them motor off through the surf, which was rather high. In thedistance the Curlytops could see where Mr. and Mrs. Keller, with thegang of Italian men, were sifting the sand, trying to find the lost ringand the keys.

  "I hope they get them back," said Janet.

  "So do I," agreed her brother.

  The fishermen were getting ready to put the boat into the water. It wassent down the sloping beach, a few feet at a time, on wooden rollers.

  When it was almost at the edge of the surf, the boat was held back fromsliding in by a rope fastened to it. The other end of the rope was madefast to a big pole set in the sand, well up the beach.

  Ted, Janet and Trouble wandered about in the crowd, looking at the boatwhich was ready to be launched. Another boat had come in a few minutesbefore, and the men were busy taking out the fish. There were manykinds--some good to eat and some not. Those that were of no use weretossed away. The others were put into bushel baskets and loaded on along two-horse truck to be taken up to the fish house. There they wouldbe put into iced barrels.

  "Oh, there's a lobster!" cried Ted, as a big one was tossed on top of abasket filled with fish.

  "I want to see a shark!" announced Trouble in his shrill little voice,and the crowd laughed.

  "I'll hold you up so you can see the lobster," said Janet, taking herlittle brother in her arms.

  "No, I want to see shark!" he declared. "You didn't let me seenellifunt, an' I want to see shark."

  Janet was kept so busy trying to amuse Trouble that she lost sight ofTed for a moment. She heard a shout as voices cried:

  "They're going to launch the other boat! Come on!"

  "Oh, Trouble, we want to see the other boat go into the waves!"exclaimed Janet. "You've seen enough of the lobster, haven't you?"

  "Yes," Trouble admitted slowly. "But I didn't see him pinch any shark.An' I like to see a nellifunt!"

  Janet didn't stop to argue. She lifted Trouble down, and with himhurried over to the place where the second fishing boat was held inplace, ready to be launched.

  "All ready! Let her go!" shouted the captain of the fishing boat.

  A man on shore loosed the rope that held the craft to the mooring post.Several fishermen, taking hold of the gunwhale, or side of the boat,pushed it along the wooden rollers down toward the surf. As the bow ofthe boat entered the water, the waves splashing high up and over it, themen leaped in.

  In an instant the gasoline engine was started and the boat began to moveout into deeper water.

  "Oh, wasn't that great!" cried Janet, with excitement shining in hereyes. "Did you see that, Ted?" she called, thinking her brother must beclose at hand.

  But Ted did not answer--at least from shore. However, as the crowd grewsilent, Janet heard Ted's voice.

  But it came from the fishing boat putting out to sea. And Ted shouted:

  "Here I am, Janet! Here I am!"

  Janet looked. Her ears caught the sound of her brother's voice. She sawa small figure standing up in the departing fishing boat, waving ahandkerchief to her.

  It was Curlytop Ted.

  "Oh! Oh!" cried Janet. "Oh, Teddy!"

  Well might she exclaim, for Teddy was being taken out to sea. True, itwas only out as far as the fish nets. But there he was--a little boywith all those fishermen in the boat that was tossing about on theheaving billows. The sea was quite rough, and the boat might upsetcoming back with its load of fish! Perhaps there might be a shark in thenets!

  "Oh! Oh, dear!" sighed Janet. Then she began to cry.