Fantasy Football Challenge - Football Fanatics Library

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Fantasy Football Challenge presents
The Adventure Club Afloat

24 of 54

Maybe they saw the _Follow Me_ pass out." "Somebody look after the tenders," said Steve briskly. "Haul ours out and tie the other astern. Give her a short line, so she won't switch around and fill with water. All ready, Joe?" Five minutes later the _Adventurer_ slid through the still water toward the mouth of the harbour. On her way she stopped twice to shout inquiries, and the second time a sleepy mariner, leaning, in pajamas across the rail of a small launch, supplied the information they sought. "Yes, there was a cruising motor-boat went by about nine, or a little after, headed toward the Pier Head. I didn't notice her much, but she was painted dark. Come to think of it, it must have been pretty nearly half-past, for I remember hearing three bells strike just afterwards." "You didn't see her after she went by here?" asked Steve. "No, I was getting ready for bed and saw her through a port. Anything wrong?" "Nothing," replied Steve dryly, "except that she belongs to us and someone's evidently stolen her. Thanks very much. Good night." "Good night," was the answer. "I hope you get her." "Well, we know she got this far," said Joe, "but--um--which way did they take her when they got outside?" "That's the question," said Harry Corwin. "They might have gone across to Provincetown and around the Cape, or taken her up the shore or down. I guess the best thing for us to do would be to hike back and give the alarm. If we telegraphed--" "She went north," said Phil with conviction. "How do you know?" demanded Joe. "I don't _know_, but think a minute. If you were stealing a boat you'd want to keep out of sight with her, wouldn't you?" "Suppose I should." "Then you wouldn't mess around in Cape Cod Bay. You'd set a course as far from other craft and harbours as you could. If they went south they'd be among boats right along, and they'd know that we'd work the wires and that folks would be on the lookout." "Then where," began Steve. "Let's look at the chart from here north," said Phil. The cover of the chart box was thrust back and the lamp lighted and as many as could do so clustered about it. Phil traced a finger across Massachusetts Bay past the tip of Cape Ann. "There's clear sailing for ninety miles or so, straight to Portland, unless--How much gas has she aboard, Harry?" "Only about twelve gallons." It was Tom Corwin who answered. "We were going to fill again in the morning." "How far can she go on that?" "Not more than seventy at ordinary speed, I guess. She's hard on gas." "Good! Then she'd have to put in at Gloucester or Newburyport or somewhere." "Unless she ducked into Boston Harbour," said Steve. "I dare say she could tuck herself away somewhere there quite safely. A coat of white paint would change her looks completely." "That's possible," agreed Phil, "but painting a boat of that size would take a couple of days, wouldn't it? It doesn't seem to me that they'd want to take the chance." "Then your idea is that they're on their way to Portland?" "Somewhere up there. They'd argue that we wouldn't be likely to look for them so far away." "Well, here we are," said Steve. "We've got to go one way or another." The rougher water outside was making the _Adventurer_ dip and roll. "As far as I can see, Phil's theory is as good as another, or maybe better. Shall we try going north, fellows?" No one answered until, after a moment's silence, Perry remarked philosophically: "I don't believe we'll ever see her again, but we can't stop here, and we were going northward anyhow." Murmurs of agreement came from the others. The only dissentient voice was Bert Alley's. "_I_ don't see your argument," he said. "If I had swiped the _Follow Me_ I'd hike out for New York or some place like that and run her into some little old hole until I could either change her looks or sell her." "And be nabbed on the way," said Joe. "Not if I stayed at sea." "But you couldn't stay at sea if you had only twelve gallons of gasoline aboard. Wherever she's going, she will have to put in for gas before long." Phil stared thoughtfully at the chart. "I'll allow," he went on, "that she may have gone any other direction but north. For that matter, she may be anchored just around the corner somewhere. It's all more or less guesswork. But, looking at the probabilities, and they're all we've got to work on, I think north is the likeliest trail for us to take." "Right-o," said Steve, turning the wheel and pointing the boat's slim bow toward Gurnet Point, "We've got to take a chance, fellows, and this looks like the best. In the morning we'll get busy with the telegraph and tell our troubles, but just now the best we can do is keep a sharp lookout and try to think we're on the right course. I'm going to speed her up, Joe, so you might dab some more oil and grease around your old engine." "All right. You fellows will have to clear out of here, though, while I get this hatch up. Some of you might go forward and keep your eyes peeled. I don't suppose, however," he added as he pulled the engine hatch up, "that they'll show any lights on her." "Not likely to," agreed Harry Corwin. "They'll run dark, probably, until they get near a harbour. Look for anything like a boat, fellows. It's a mighty good thing we've got this moonlight." "Yes, and we'll have to make hay while the moon shines," added Wink Wheeler as he climbed out of Joe's way, "for it won't last much longer. It'll be as dark as pitch by one or two o'clock, I guess." "Well, we've got a searchlight," said Perry. "There's no need for more than three of us to stay up," said Steve. "I'll keep the wheel and Joe will stay here with me. Phil, you take the watch for a couple of hours and then wake someone else." "Huh!" said Perry. "I'm not going to bed! Who wants to sleep, anyway?" Apparently no one did, for although presently the dozen fellows were distributed over the boat, not one went below. Phil and Han stretched themselves out at the bow, Steve, Joe, Harry and Tom Corwin and Cas Temple remained on the bridge deck and the rest of the company retired to the cockpit, from where, by looking along the after cabin roof, they had a satisfactory view of the course. Perhaps one or two of the boys did nod a little during the next two hours, but real slumber was far

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