The Motor Boys Bound for Home; or, Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Wrecked Troopship

by Clarence Young

  Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online DistributedProofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

  “WHALES!” SHOUTED JERRY, “WE’RE IN THE MIDST OF A SCHOOLOF WHALES!”]

  THE MOTOR BOYS BOUND FOR HOME

  OR

  Ned, Bob and Jerry on the Wrecked Troopship

  BY

  CLARENCE YOUNG

  AUTHOR OF “THE MOTOR BOYS SERIES,” “THE JACK RANGER SERIES,” ETC.

  ILLUSTRATED

  NEW YORK CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY

  BOOKS BY CLARENCE YOUNG

  12mo. Cloth. Illustrated. Colored Jacket.

  =THE MOTOR BOYS SERIES=

  THE MOTOR BOYS THE MOTOR BOYS OVERLAND THE MOTOR BOYS IN MEXICO THE MOTOR BOYS ACROSS THE PLAINS THE MOTOR BOYS AFLOAT THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE ATLANTIC THE MOTOR BOYS IN STRANGE WATERS THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE PACIFIC THE MOTOR BOYS IN THE CLOUDS THE MOTOR BOYS OVER THE ROCKIES THE MOTOR BOYS OVER THE OCEAN THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE WING THE MOTOR BOYS AFTER A FORTUNE THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE BORDER THE MOTOR BOYS UNDER THE SEA THE MOTOR BOYS ON ROAD AND RIVER THE MOTOR BOYS AT BOXWOOD HALL THE MOTOR BOYS ON A RANCH THE MOTOR BOYS IN THE ARMY THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE FIRING LINE THE MOTOR BOYS BOUND FOR HOME

  =THE JACK RANGER SERIES=

  JACK RANGER’S SCHOOLDAYS JACK RANGER’S WESTERN TRIP JACK RANGER’S SCHOOL VICTORIES JACK RANGER’S OCEAN CRUISE JACK RANGER’S GUN CLUB JACK RANGER’S TREASURE BOX

  COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY

  =The Motor Boys Bound for Home=

  Printed in U. S. A.

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER PAGE I TURNING BACK 1 II SUSPICIONS 9 III THE LITTLE MAN 18 IV OFF AGAIN 26 V THE NIGHT ATTACK 37 VI A STRANGE ENCOUNTER 45 VII A MIDNIGHT BLAST 52 VIII DISABLED 60 IX THE MYSTERIOUS CABIN 68 X CALLING IN VAIN 76 XI DRIFTING 83 XII THROUGH THE OPEN DOOR 91 XIII A WELL-KNOWN VOICE 101 XIV THE FOG 109 XV THE CRASH 117 XVI A WAIF OF THE SEA 125 XVII NED WONDERS 133 XVIII A QUEER CRAFT 140 XIX A LONE NAVIGATOR 149 XX THREE ON A RAFT 156 XXI REUNITED 165 XXII NED AND PEPPER-POT 175 XXIII MAKING THE BEST OF IT 181 XXIV NED LEARNS SOMETHING 189 XXV THE BOW GUN 198 XXVI LEAKING 208 XXVII THE WIRELESS 214 XXVIII THE SEARCH 222 XXIX “DERELICT AHOY!” 232 XXX ALL’S WELL--CONCLUSION 237

  THE MOTOR BOYS, NED, BOB AND JERRY BOUND FOR HOME

  CHAPTER I

  TURNING BACK

  Slowly and ponderously the United States transport, _Sherman_, movedout of the maze of boats that had clustered about her at the Brestdock. With ever-gathering speed she thrust her prow into the ripplingwater, leaving behind, on the wharf, cheering hundreds of Uncle Sam’sboys who envied the lot of their fellows in thus sailing for home afterthe Great War. Mingled with the resonant voices of the Americans werethe shriller notes of their French comrades, who were bidding God-speedto their allied comrades.

  “Well, we’re really off at last,” remarked a tall, bronzed youth,speaking to some of his chums who leaned over the rail with him, wavingto friends on the wharf.

  “Yes, Jerry,” remarked a rather stout khaki-clad soldier lad, “off atlast. And now that the captain can dispense with my valuable servicesin warping the ship away from the dock--I believe warping is the properword--I’m going to look----”

  “For the kitchen!” interrupted a third member of the little groupclustered about the lad called Jerry, who wore on his coat the D. S. C.of valor. “Isn’t that what you were going to say, Bob?”

  “What’s that about a kitchen?” asked the youth called Jerry.

  “Oh, Bob is up to his old tricks,” remarked the soldier who hadinterrupted his friend’s facetious words.

  “Perhaps I may be, Ned,” came in reply from the stout one; “but I knowenough not to call the place on board a ship where food is prepared a‘kitchen.’ Why don’t you say galley, you land-lubber?” and with thisparting shot Bob Baker, winking one eye at his tall friend, JerryHopkins, strolled aft.

  He was soon lost in the throng of soldiers which crowded everyavailable part of the transport, and Ned and Jerry, retaining theirplaces by the rail, looked down at the water of the harbor which theywere leaving behind. This was one of the first transports to departfor the United States after the terrible conflict, and in addition totaking home a number of unwounded men, it also carried many casualcases.

  Among the former were many friends and comrades of Jerry Hopkins, NedSlade, and Bob Baker, three chums known to many of my readers as the“Motor Boys,” of whom more will later be told.

  “Yes, we’re on our way,” remarked Ned to Jerry, as the two stoodsomewhat apart for the moment, their friends at the rail having movedto one side. “We’re on our way, and Bob hasn’t lost much time instarting his favorite indoor sport.”

  “Well, I don’t know that I blame him,” announced Jerry. “The eatingproblem has been a hard one for all of us since this war started, andthere’s such a crowd on board that it isn’t likely to be an easy matterto get a feed now. Bob always was one who believed in safety first,when it comes to his stomach.”

  “You’re right!” assented Ned. “But there’s one thing about him: Heisn’t mean, and if he finds a way to get an extra supply of grub he’llshare it with us.”

  “You said a mouthful!” agreed Jerry.

  For several moments they stood looking at the gradually disappearingreminders of the late conflict--the docks and the buildings at theBrest camp, in France, where they had spent some days in waiting fortransportation back to the United States. Then Ned turned to look overthe seething deck.

  “This is some crowd!” murmured Ned. “I hope Bob doesn’t get lost in it.”

  “Especially if he does manage to find the galley, and can bribe orintimidate one of the cooks into slipping him something on the side,”added Jerry. “In that case I hope Bob’s memory carries him back to us,for, to tell you the truth, I’m hungry.”

  “So’m I,” admitted Ned; “though I did pull a raw one on Chunky. But Iguess we ought to consider ourselves lucky to be on board.”

  “You said it!” declared Jerry. “There’s a lot of the boys who wouldgive up a wound stripe for the sake of going back on one of these earlyboats. Now that the war is practically over, there’s going to be a bigslump in the enthusiasm that kept us going when nothing else would havedone it. Yes, we’re dead lucky to be going back.”

  And so, amid the whistle salutes of other craft, the waving of handsand the tossing of hats and caps from unknown well-wishers, the_Sherman_ kept on her way.

  Out toward the west she headed, out toward the land of the Stars andStripes, and deep in their hearts Ned, Bob, and Jerry were thankful forthe Providence that had picked them as among the first to go back homeafter the fighting was over
.

  They had covered themselves with glory, for in addition to the D. S. C.bestowed on Jerry Hopkins, Ned and Bob had received honorable mention,and their company was one picked out for signal honor, the three boyssharing in the general praise.

  “I wonder how things are going back in Cresville,” mused Ned, after aperiod of silence on the part of himself and Jerry.

  “That’s queer! I was just thinking that same thing myself,” the tallerlad exclaimed. “It will seem mighty quiet after the hail-storms we’vebeen through.”

  “Hail-storms is right,” agreed Ned Slade. “But it can’t be too quietfor me. All I want to do is to sit under a tree back of the house,with plenty of books and magazines to read, clean clothes--real cleanclothes--to wear, a bath-tub where I know where it is, and----”

  “Something to eat!” interrupted a voice behind him, and, turning, Nedand Jerry beheld their stout chum, Bob Baker, who smilingly held outsome sandwiches.

  “Running true to form,” murmured Ned, as he accepted one, and also abit of chocolate candy his friend extended. “How’d you manage to do it,Bob?”

  “Oh, my hypnotic eye. Just told one of the cooks I had to havesomething if they didn’t want the captain to read the service forburial at sea. And the cook allowed he didn’t want that to happenso soon after we’d got started. This is the result,” and Bob beganmunching on his share of the auxiliary rations, an example followed byNed and Jerry.

  “Am I right?” mumbled Bob, between bites.

  “Right-O, Chunky!” murmured Jerry. “This touches the right spot.”

  “Do you accept my amendment regarding the necessities you require onreaching home, Ned?” asked Bob, after a period of eloquent silence.

  “Amendment accepted, all in favor say ‘aye!’” exclaimed Ned, adding, amoment later: “The ayes have it!”

  “Didn’t see anything of Professor Snodgrass, did you?” asked Jerry ofhis chums, as they disposed of the last of the sandwiches and chocolateBob had procured in some mysterious way.

  “No,” answered Ned. “The last I saw of him was when he had seen to itthat Gladys Petersen and Dorothy Gibbs were safely on their way homeand he was packing up his pictures and specimens of bugs and things toship to the college.”

  “He said he might possibly join us on this transport,” said Bob. “Andhe may be here, for all we know. Looks as if everybody I ever met inFrance is on board.”

  “Not that pretty little girl with the black hair and brown eyes youwere so fond of in the restaurant--she isn’t here, is she?” asked Jerry.

  “Oh, cut it out!” growled Bob. “You know what I mean.”

  “But did she know what _you_ meant?” asked Ned pointedly. “You know younever could get the hang of the French words, and she used to rip themout like a drygoods clerk tearing off a yard of muslin.”

  “Say, if you fellows think I’m going to rustle grub for you, and thenhave you insult me, you’ve got another guess and a half coming!” criedBob hotly--so hotly, in fact, that Jerry quickly interposed.

  “That’s all right, Bob,” he said quietly, laying a cautioning hand onNed’s shoulder. “We two were just as fond of Marie as you were, onlyshe seemed to take more of a notion to you than she did to us.”

  This admission apparently brightened Bob visibly, and his anger slowlydied away.

  “And, going back to the original subject,” said Ned, “did either of yousee the professor?”

  They had not, they admitted.

  “Well, we’re not likely to hear from him until we get across, then,”decided Bob.

  But it was not to be long before his words were disproved.

  Gathering speed, the transport moved ahead, and the craft wasapproaching the open sea, leaving behind, in a misty haze, the camp atBrest, when without warning she suddenly slowed up, not gradually, asif making a regular stop, but with a jar and a shudder that seemed togo through her whole structure.

  “What’s that?” cried Bob, as he and his chums felt the tremors and thevibration.

  “Something’s wrong!” said Ned in a low voice.

  “Could we have struck a mine?” asked Bob in a half whisper, as thoughhe feared to start a panic. “It couldn’t be a sub, could it? Ithought----”

  He did not finish the sentence, for in the midst of it the vesselstarted on again; but, to the surprise of all, she began turning slowlyback toward the port she had so recently left.