Fantasy Football Challenge - Football Fanatics Library

Fantasy Football Challenge - Library of Books for Football Fanatics

Fantasy Football Challenge presents
The Adventure Club Afloat

23 of 54

didn't seem to. While they were still at table Harry Corwin's voice was heard and Ossie investigated by the simple expedient of climbing on top of the galley locker and thrusting his head through the open hatch. "He wants to know if we'll go to the movies with them," said Ossie, ducking back into sight. "Surest thing you know," agreed Perry. "We might as well, eh?" asked Joe. "It'll be beastly hot, though." "I'll go if they've got Charlie Chaplin," said Han. "Ossie, ask him if they have, please." "He says he doesn't know," responded Ossie after an exchange of remarks. "I told them we'd go, though," he added, dropping to the floor. "They're going to wait for us on the landing in half an hour." "Half an hour!" grumbled Perry. "You told them that so I couldn't get enough to eat, you stingy beggar! Got anything more out there?" "Great Jumping Jehosaphat!" ejaculated Ossie wildly. "I've cooked two messes of potatoes and toasted a hundred slices of bread--" "Oh, all right. Bring on the dessert, then." "The dessert's on now," answered Ossie shortly. "Cookies and jelly. That's all you get, Piggie." "Won't we have to buy some more grub pretty soon?" asked Steve. Ossie nodded and glanced darkly at Perry. "If _he_ stays around we will," he answered. "We've got enough for three or four days yet, though. Better have some canned stuff, I guess. And some flour and sugar." "How's the treasury, Phil?" inquired Han. "Still holding out. Where's the next stop, Steve?" "We said Portsmouth, but Harry wants to put in at Salem. I don't suppose it matters much." "Then we cut out Boston altogether?" "Why, yes, it's out of the way a bit. Besides, we didn't start out on this cruise to visit cities." "We started out to look for adventures," said Perry sadly, "but I don't see many of them coming our way." "What do you call adventures?" asked Han. "Didn't you have a fine time being lost in the fog the other day?" "Huh!" replied Perry, scraping the last of the jelly from the glass. "Being lost in the fog isn't an adventure. It's just plain punk. What I mean is--is pirates and--and desert islands and--and that sort of thing." "You were born a hundred years or so too late," said Joe, shaking his head. "Toss me a cookie, Han. Thanks. If you saw a pirate, Perry, you'd--um--you'd drop dead." "If I saw a pirate," replied Perry indignantly, "I'd--um--live as long as you would! Besides, I've got a perfect right to drop dead if I want to." "Go ahead," said Joe lightly. "Any time you like, old chap." "The reason I spoke of Boston," reverted Phil, "was that I thought it might be a good place to buy our supplies. There's no use paying any more for them than we have to and going broke before the cruise is half over." "Yes, but don't forget that gasoline's pretty expensive stuff these days, Phil," said Steve. "I guess we'd burn up enough gas getting to Boston to make up for any saving on supplies, eh? I suppose there are stores in Salem." "Thought it burned up awhile ago," said Han. "Part of it did, but I don't suppose it stayed burned up, you idiot. What time is it? We'd better beat it for shore." "Right-o," agreed Han. "I hope they have Charlie Chaplin, though." By some strange inadvertency, however, Mr. Chaplin's eccentric person was missing from the screen. In spite of that, though, Han managed to enjoy the evening. Afterwards Perry suggested light refreshments and they set out in search of a lunch counter. But anyone who knows Plymouth will realise the hopelessness of their search. After roaming around the quiet and deserted streets and at last being assured by a policeman that their quest was worse than idle they went back to the tenders. "I suppose," said Perry disgustedly, "they close all the stores early so they can go to the movies. I wish now we'd had some soda at that drug store where the man had insomnia." "We've got food on board," said Ossie. "I'll fix up some sandwiches. I wish you'd get enough to eat for once, though," he added as he took his place in the dingey. "Don't they ever feed you at home, Perry?" "Huh, I'll bet you're as hungry as I am! What are they yelping about over there?" The other tender had left the landing a moment before the _Adventurer's_ boat and now its occupants were heard shouting confusedly across the moonlit water. "Can you make out what they're saying?" asked Steve of the rest. "Just nonsense, I guess," answered Phil, tugging at his oar. "Stop rowing a minute and listen," Steve directed. "Now then!" "Something about the boat," murmured Han. "I can't make it out, though." "By Jove, I can!" exclaimed Steve. "The _Follow Me's_ gone! She must have slipped her anchor or dragged or something. Row hard, fellows!" CHAPTER XI PURSUIT Whatever had happened, one fact was plain, and that was that the smaller of the two cruisers was not swinging at anchor where they had left her. Nor could they see her anywhere. That she had dragged her anchor was impossible, since the harbour was almost land-locked and the night was still, with hardly enough breeze to stir the water. After the first few minutes of stunned surprise the twelve boys, gathered on the _Adventurer_, held council. It was Phil who eventually summed up the situation quietly and tersely as follows: "The boat's gone. She isn't in the harbour, because if she were we could see her. Either she's been taken off as a joke or stolen. I can't imagine anyone doing it as a joke. In any case it's up to us to find her. We went ashore about eight, and it's now ten to eleven. It's probable that whoever swiped her waited until we were safely ashore and out of the way. I mean, they probably allowed us at least half an hour." "They were probably watching us," suggested Steve. "Why didn't they take this one instead of the other?" asked Cas Temple. "Perhaps," replied Steve, "because they found the control locked. All they had to do on the _Follow Me_ was break the padlock on the companion way doors. Still, that's just a guess. They may have preferred the _Follow Me_ for some other reason." "Never mind that," said Joe impatiently. "The question now is how we're to find her. Go ahead, Phil." "I was going to suggest that we inquire among the other boats between here and the harbour entrance. Two or three still have lights aboard.

23 of 54 pages. Go to page:

Go to this Book's Directory Page