Four Afloat: Being the Adventures of the Big Four on the Water

by Ralph Henry Barbour

  CHAPTER XIX--NARRATES A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE

  The fog held close until just before sunset, although there were timeswhen the three on the _Vagabond_ could make out the shore quitedistinctly and thereby gained a very fair notion of where they lay. Whenthe mist finally disappeared inland they found their notion to becorrect. The launch lay some hundred yards from shore to the east of theriver's mouth. Just how they had managed to reach the position it washard to say, although Nelson's idea was that they had become bothactually and metaphorically turned around when the launch had goneaground and had subsequently, instead of running upstream, crossed itdiagonally and passed out toward the east.

  It was a long day. The _Vagabond_ rolled sleepily from side to side inthe slow swells and seemed very bored and weary. The boys played cardsfor a while after luncheon, but, as Dan remarked, there wasn't a decentgame that three could play. So they threw down the cards in disgust andwent to writing letters. But, somehow, inspiration didn't come verywell, and finally Nelson gave up the attempt in despair and went out tothe engine room and "fiddled with the engine"; the expression is Dan's.Nelson could always manage to spend an hour or so quite contentedly withwrenches and pliers, oil cans and emery cloth and a nice big bunch ofcotton waste. Just what he accomplished this afternoon I can't say; buthe killed fully an hour.

  In the meanwhile both Bob and Dan had taken to their bunks and hadsucceeded in getting to sleep. And so it was Nelson who discovered thatthe fog was lifting when, his "fiddling" completed, he put his head outof the door to toss a bunch of very dirty waste overboard. As theeasiest way to awaken the sleepers he gave a long blast on the whistle.The effect was almost magical. Dan jumped clear out of the bunk andlanded very wide-awake in the middle of the floor. Bob managed to escapewith a bump on the side of his head. After recovering themselves theydescended wrathfully on Nelson, demanding explanations. Nelson, wedgedin a corner between the engine and the ice box, explained and waspermitted to adjust his rumpled attire. Whereupon all went out to thedripping cockpit and watched the land appear slowly before them out ofthe gray void. It was like watching the development of a negative in thedark-room. At first there was a blank expanse of gray. Then a shadowappeared, dark and formless. Then a bit of the low-lying shore stood outboldly, its colors still blurred by the dissolving mist. And presentlythe sun appeared in the west, a hazy orange disk at the end of a funnelof orange light. And then, in an instant, the fog was nowhere to be seensave that here and there on an inland hillside a wisp of gray, like afloating veil, hung entangled amidst trees or bowlders. And with thereturning sunlight came a brisk breeze from the south that stirred theoily surface of the water into tawny ripples that began to lapcheerfully against the hull of the _Vagabond_. Dan started to whistleblithely.

  A few minutes later the launch was speeding back across the bar, boundfor the little cove where they had left Tom. That young gentleman's fatehad not greatly bothered his friends, although there had been throughoutthe day much idle speculation as to his probable whereabouts. Tom couldlook after himself, said Dan, and the others agreed. But when theyreached the cove and the little beach with the blackened embersdisfiguring the clean gravel and saw no Tommy they were at oncesurprised and disappointed. Bob was even inclined to be indignant.

  "Where the dickens has he gone to?" he asked. "He might have known we'dbe back for him as soon as the fog cleared away."

  "Well, I suppose we could hardly expect him to spend the day herewaiting for us," said Nelson. "Probably he found a house where he couldget dry and have something to eat. As we can't see any from here maybehe had to go quite a ways. We'll wait a while and see if he doesn't turnup."

  "Bet you he's asleep in the best bed in the house," laughed Dan. "We'llbe lucky if he turns up before to-morrow noon. Tommy's just as likely asnot to sleep the clock around if there's nobody there to wake him up!"

  "I suppose," said Bob, "we might as well have something to eat while wewait." But Dan demurred.

  "No, let's go back to New London and get a good feed. We'll wait untilsix-thirty and if he doesn't show up by that time--Say, maybe he's goneback to New London himself!"

  "I'll bet he has," Nelson agreed. "Let's go and see."

  So they returned up the broad twilit stream and made their former berthnear the ferry slip. A hasty toilet followed and then they hurried upthe street to the hotel. But no Tommy awaited them. The clerk assuredthem that no one answering to the description which they gave had beenseen that day. Nor did the register show Tom's elegant handwriting. Butafter the first moment of disappointment they comforted themselves withthe assurance that the missing member of the crew was quite safesomewhere, and went in to dinner. Nor did anxiety over Tom's fateinterfere with their appetites.

  Up until bedtime they expected at any moment to see Tom stumble down thesteps, and when, at half-past nine, lights went out it was unanimouslydecided to leave the hatch unlocked in case he should turn up during thenight. Once, along toward morning, Bob was dimly aware of some onemoving about the cabin.

  "That you, Tommy?" he asked sleepily.

  But if there was any answer he didn't hear it, for he fell asleep againimmediately. In the morning, in the act of yawning and stretching hisarms over his head, he recollected the noise in the night and lookedinquiringly at Tom's bunk. But it hadn't been slept in. Bob puzzled overthis fact for a moment. Then----

  "Where's Tom?" he asked.

  "How the dickens do I know?" asked Dan, sitting up in his berth.

  "Didn't he come back last night? I heard some one and I thought sure itwas Tommy."

  "That was me," said Nelson, opening his eyes. "You asked if it was Tommyand I said No. I was closing the ports. The wind and rain were justdrowning me out."

  "Rain!" exclaimed Bob and Dan simultaneously. Then----

  "Gee, what a storm!" muttered Dan, as he subsided after a glance throughthe nearest port. "I see where we stay in New London for a day or two."

  "Well," said Bob philosophically, "it's better to be here than tied upin some little old cove along the Sound. We can go ashore, at least."

  "That's so," agreed Dan. "And maybe there'll be another show at thetheater."

  During the night a heavy gale from the southwest had sprung up and nowthe rain was beating fiercely against the cabin sides and playing atattoo on the roof. There was a stiff wind behind it and the waves wererunning high. Under the double assault the _Vagabond_ was heaving at herlines and grinding dismally against the pier. Nelson, pulled on hisoilskins and hurried out to see that the fenders were in place. In aminute he was back, wet and glistening.

  "It's a peach of a storm, all right," he said, shedding his oilskins."The old sailors along the Cape used to tell us that a storm from thesoutheast was good for three days and one from the southwest was soonover. But it doesn't look like it now."

  It was so dark in the cabin that when Bob brought the breakfast to thetable it was necessary to light the lamps in order to distinguish thescrambled eggs from the hashed brown potatoes. But it was very jolly tosit there with the fragrant steam from the coffee cup curling up pasttheir noses and hear the rain rattle and sweep against the boat and seeit go trickling down the port lights. Barry sat on the edge of a bunkand stared solicitously at Dan every time the latter raised his fork tohis mouth. Dan would never feed him at table, but all of the others didso whenever they thought they would be undetected. Bob believed he saw achance to transfer a half a slice of bread and butter from his plate toBarry's mouth, but Dan interposed a quick hand and the bread went flyingacross the cabin to land face downward on Tom's pillow.

  "If Tommy was here," laughed Nelson, "I know what he'd say."

  "'Hope you ch-ch-ch-choke!'" mimicked Nelson. "Barry can have it now,can't he, Dan?" he continued, as he rescued the bread and wiped theworst of the grease from the pillowcase with his napkin.

  "After we're through," said Dan inexorably.

  "Hard-hearted brute!" said Bob. "Why don't you change masters, Barry?I'd be dre'ful good to you!"

>   "Wonder if Tommy's getting any breakfast," observed Nelson thoughtfully.

  "Of course he is," answered Dan, buttering another piece of bread. "Why,look at the time! He's had two or three breakfasts by this!"

  "It's funny, though, that he doesn't turn up," said Bob. "If we don'tfind him to-day I think we ought to do something."

  "What?" asked Dan disconcertingly.

  "Advertise in the Lost and Found column of the local paper," suggestedNelson.

  "We ought to go back and look for him," said Bob.

  "But we did look," Nelson expostulated. "If he wasn't there last nightit isn't likely he'd be there to-day."

  "He might have gone somewhere and spent the day," said Bob. "Then maybehe'd expect us to come back to the cove for him this morning."

  "Well, he isn't likely to wait for us long in this storm," commentedDan. "And we couldn't get down there very well, anyhow. I hope he'skeeping dry and warm, wherever he is, but I do think he was a silly assto get lost again. This is the third time since we got together."

  "Second," said Bob.

  "Third. Don't you remember how we lost him in Boston the day we boughtthings for the boat? And found him sitting in the cockpit eatingcaramels when we reached the wharf?"

  "That's so," laughed Nelson. "If we were detectives all we'd have to dowould be to go to the candy stores and describe him."

  "Wherever he is," said Bob, "I suppose he doesn't know whether we'vereturned to New London or gone on to New Haven or somewhere else."

  "All he has to do is to go back to the place we left him," said Dan."And if he ever does come back I vote we forbid him to leave the boatalone. We'll never get anywhere if we have to stop all along the way andlook for him."

  "Well," said Nelson, "we'll go up to the hotel again after a while andleave word for him in case he comes there to inquire."

  "It would be just like him to jump a train and go home to Chicago,"observed Dan.

  "Don't believe he has money enough," Nelson replied.

  "He probably didn't have any with him," said Bob. "He had his ducks on,didn't he?"

  "No, he wore that old gray suit of his," Dan answered. "But I guessyou're right about the money. I doubt if he had a cent."

  "Well, he'll manage all right," said Nelson cheerfully. "He has plentyof cheek, you know. If he doesn't show up by afternoon we'd better goand have a look for him just as soon as the weather will let us. We'llrun back to the cove and go ashore. He's probably in some farm-housearound there."

  Just before noon they wandered up the wharf and across the tracks to thestation, for want of anything more exciting to do, and stood on theplatform for a while watching the trains come and go. Finally Bob said:

  "Come on, fellows; if I stay here any longer I'll just have to get on atrain and go somewhere!"

  "That's what I'm going to do," said Dan resolutely. "I'm going to NewYork."

  "What?" exclaimed the others.

  "I might as well. We can't get out of here before to-morrow and I can beat home by three, spend the night and get back here by nine or tento-morrow. Do you fellows mind?"

  "Of course not," answered Nelson.

  "You see, I haven't seen the folks since the Spring recess," said Dan."And I'm only three hours from New York, and----"

  "Guess I'll take a run up to Portland," said Bob with a smile.

  "And I'll go with you as far as Boston," said Nelson.

  "If you really rather I wouldn't go--" began Dan.

  "Nonsense!" exclaimed Nelson. "We don't mind. Go ahead. It's a goodscheme. But mind you don't forget to come back!"

  "Not likely! I'll be here to-morrow forenoon. Come on over to the boatand help me put some things in a bag. There's a train in about twelveminutes."

  A quarter of an hour later only Bob and Barry and Nelson remained. Theyhad seen Dan off on the Bay State Limited and were on their way to thehotel for luncheon, the skirts of their oilskins wrapping around theirlegs and impeding progress at every gust of the wind that tore up thestreet. They weren't particularly hungry, but the hotel promised moreexcitement than the launch on a day like this. After luncheon they wentto the writing room and wrote letters to everyone they could think of,Bob supplementing the letters with a number of souvenir post cards. Theykilled three hours quite easily and went back to the _Vagabond_ at fouro'clock. The rain had slackened considerably, but the wind still blewhard and gustily. The dark, leaden clouds which closed down upon theworld showed no signs of breaking. They spent the rest of the afternoonas best they might, each rather dispirited and decidedly bored. Athalf-past five Bob went out and bought supplies for the larder andcooked dinner aboard when he returned. Neither he nor Nelson was veryhungry and the meal was rather a silent one. After the things werecleared up they tried to read, but even that didn't satisfy theirrestlessness, and when, at a little before nine, Bob wandered out tolook at the weather and came back with the information that the moon wasalmost through the clouds and that the rain had ceased entirely and tothe proposal that they take a walk Nelson assented eagerly. They gotback into their oilskins and thick shoes, locked the door behind themand started out.

  "Gee," said Nelson, "I feel as though I could walk a hundred miles!"

  "So do I," answered Bob. "My legs feel positively rusty. Let's have agood long tramp. I'm not the least bit sleepy."

  "Nor am I. Which way shall we go?"

  "It doesn't matter. Let's turn down here. It's no more muddy than anyother street, I guess." So they left the main street behind, turning tothe left onto a dimly lighted road which led southward. Overhead themoon gleamed fitfully from between masses of somber clouds. The rain hadceased and the air felt warmer than it had all day. They struck outlustily, splashing through unseen puddles and leaving the town behindthem in a jiffy.

  "This is something like," grunted Bob, as he recovered himself from astumble over a tree root.

  "Yes," Nelson laughed. "If you don't break your neck, there's nothinglike walking, after all. Remember the dandy times we had last summer."

  "Well, we've had pretty good times this summer, too, so far," repliedBob. "Only, I wish Tommy would show up. I'm beginning to get worriedabout him. If he doesn't come back to-morrow we ought to write to hisfolks, or telegraph, maybe, and see if he's with them."

  "Oh, tommyrot!" said Nelson. "He wouldn't go home. Besides, he didn'thave money enough. He's around somewhere having a good time. I dare sayhe thinks he'll get back at us for running away from him."

  "Maybe, but how does he know we won't go off without him?"

  "Well, he knows that he wouldn't if he was in our place, and doesn'texpect us to."

  "I suppose that's it. Hello!"

  "What?"

  "Rain."

  "That's so. And our friend the moon has retired again. Say, how far fromtown do you suppose we are?"

  "Two miles and a half, maybe."

  "More like three and a half, I'll bet! Shall we turn back?"

  "I suppose so, but I'm not nearly walked out. Maybe it'll stop rainingagain in a minute. If there was some place we could go out of the dripfor a while----"

  "There's a light over there."

  "Yes, but it's a half mile away," answered Bob. "And blest if I know howwe'd get to it. Let's keep on for a bit. It isn't raining very hard.Besides, we can't get much wet."

  So they went on, quickening their pace and watching each side of theroad for shelter. A minute later the rain began in earnest.

  "Aren't we a couple of idiots?" laughed Nelson.

  "Oh, I don't know; this is more fun than being cooped up in that littleold cabin back there. My, but it is coming down some, isn't it? What'sthat ahead there? A house?"

  They broke into a run and headed for the dark object in question. Itproved to be a tumble-down shed standing back from the road some five orsix yards. It was unlighted and their groping hands encountered only ahasp and padlock.

  "Locked," grunted Bob.

  "Not a bit of it," answered Nelson, lifting the padlock out of thestaple. "The
y knew we were coming." They pulled one of the folding doorsopen and slipped inside. "Who's got a match?" Nelson asked.

  "I guess I've got some somewhere," answered Bob. "Yes, here we are."

  In the tiny light they saw that the building had at one time been ablacksmith's shop. The forge and bellows stood in front of them and thefloor was littered here and there with old iron. That the roof was notin the best of repair was evidenced by the numerous puddles on thefloor.

  "How many matches have you got?" asked Nelson as the light flickeredout.

  "Three or four. Why?"

  "Don't light any more yet," was the reply. "I saw a piece of paper overin the corner there. If it's dry maybe we can have a fire and becomfortable." Nelson crossed the floor, stumbling over discarded wagontires and old bits of iron, and finally found what he was after. Theprize, several sheets of newspaper, was quite dry, and he found his wayback to the forge with it. "Now let's have a light, Bob," he said. "Andwe'll see if we can find some splinters or something." Luck againfavored them, for a piece of soft pine board was leaning against theside of the forge, and while the match held out Nelson whittleddiligently with his knife. Afterwards, in the darkness, he gatheredpaper and whittlings together in the center of the old fire bed, foundsome likely feeling bits of charcoal and coke and demanded anothermatch.

  "Aye, aye, sir," answered Bob. Then, "_Thunder!_" he exclaimed.

  He had scratched it on a damp place and the head had rubbed off withoutlighting.

  "Was that the last?" Nelson asked anxiously.

  "No, one more. You'd better do it, Nel." And Bob handed the preciousmatch over to him.

  "If this goes out, too--!" muttered Nelson.

  "What's the matter?" asked Bob presently.

  "The blamed thing hasn't any head on it," answered Nelson disgustedly."I've scraped it and scraped it and--oh, pshaw, it's a toothpick!"

  "Hang!" remarked Bob feelingly.

  "And just when I had a fire all ready! Look through your pockets again,Bob. Maybe you'll find another." There was a minute of silence duringwhich each searched from pocket to pocket, broken finally by an exultantexclamation from Bob.

  "Here's a piece of one!" he cried. "And it's the business end, too.Who's going to scratch it?"

  "Me," answered Nelson. "I know where the paper is. Hand it over. Allright. Now here goes!"

  The match lighted and Nelson quickly tucked it under the edge of thepaper. There was a breathless moment and then success was assured. Thepaper was in flames and the splinters were crackling merrily. Nelsonseized knife and wood again and frantically split off long pieces tofeed the flames.

  "See if you can't find some more wood, Bob," he said. "Here, light oneof these pieces and look around."

  Armed with the small torch Bob explored.

  "Fine!" he exclaimed presently from a distant corner of the shed."Here's a whole box. Part of it's kind of damp, but I guess the restwill burn."

  He brought it over and knocked it to pieces and soon there was agenerous fire flaring up from the old forge. Nelson seized the bellowsand found that they still worked, though somewhat wheezily. "Sounds asthough it had the asthma," he said. Presently the coke caught, too, andwhen they could leave the fire they rummaged the place from end to end,finding enough fuel of various sorts to last them all night ifnecessary. A gunny sack in a corner held a few quarts of charcoal, therewas a loose beam which came away readily under Bob's persuasion, and asmall box which had once held horse shoe nails was discovered under oneof the windows where it had done duty as a cupboard. They took off theiroilskins and wet shoes, placing the latter near the flames where theysoon began to steam prodigiously.

  "Wish we had something to sit on," lamented Nelson.

  "That's easy," Bob answered. "Here's this old anvil over here. If we canget it to the fire it will do finely."

  After several minutes of the hardest sort of work they managed to edgeit over to the forge. Then they sat down on it, very close together ofnecessity, and puffed and blew like a couple of porpoises.

  "How long are we going to stay here?" asked Nelson, tossing anotherpiece of wood on the flames.

  "I don't know. Until it holds up a bit, I suppose. Listen to it now,will you?"

  The rain was pouring down on the roof like a hundred waterspouts.

  "We could sleep here if we had to," said Nelson.

  "I suppose so," Bob answered dubiously, "but I guess I'm a little bitlike Tommy; I have a weakness for mattresses and bedding. If----"

  He broke off suddenly and together they turned toward the door which wassqueaking back on its rusty hinges. In the opening there appeared a darkform which, while they stared blankly upon it, shuffled into the shedand closed the door behind it.