The Adventure Club Afloat

dford harbour. A light drizzle was falling and even under the awning of the bridge deck everything was coated with a film of moisture. The Adventurer and the Follow Me had done

inclined to take a good share of the credit to himself. Perry, however, had de

Perry. "If you weren't we'd have been wallowing ar

e aboard to discuss plans and the question was whether to remain in harbour and await better weather or to set out again and run as far as Martha's Vineyard. Perry was all for action, and he had the support of numerous others, but Steve pointed out that runn

l get her to Edgartown or wherever yo

aid Han, "I get out and wa

rubbers on," sugg

t out to see some sport, and then the first time there's a heavy mist you want to stick around an old harbou

ll you what, Perry; if you are so keen for sport why don't you slip into the tender and r

's lots to look at in here. Whaling ships a

d sold them by the cord for fire wood. I know, for we bought a lot of it once. It cost dad abo

ns, Perry, don't resurrect your gran

indignantly. "She's ninety-one

tinctly remember you telling us that

old you she at

ch? Oh, all right.

iot. And if you ate them you wouldn't have to lug around a lot

we're to stay here or go on. Personally, I think that that should be up to the

al. "Steve's the captain.

ny rate, until tomorrow. If it's still nasty then and you fellows

"We're going to stay unt

e two boats exchanged calls, read, dozed, played the graphophone and didn't much care whether it drizzled or not. Toward the end of the day the sun peered forth experimentally and there followed another expedition ashore. But the sun soon gave up its attempt to do any business that day and the d

coffee, some of Ossie's baking powder biscuits and the almost invariable fried bacon cheered them remarkably, and at a little past eigh

antly, doing her fourteen miles without a murmur. As they neared Penzance the sea moderated and they swung into the channel on an almost even keel. Good harbours beckoned, and the plan of lying by until after dinner was discussed and finally abandoned. Edgartown was only another hour's sail and it would be better to keep on and lie in there for dinner. But when the Adventurer had passed into Vineyard Sound Steve began to wish he had waited. A bank of grey mist hid the island toward which they were headed and he feared they would find themselves in it before they could reach the nearest harbour, whi

them and from somewhere to the eastward came the dismal hoot of a steamer feeling her way along. J

. There's too much water here to drop anchor in." He eyed the advancing fog distastefully and then shrugged his shoulders.

orn and in response a similar but higher-keyed wail came through the fog from the Follow Me. And at th

exciting! Say, you can't see a thing, can

n almost taste the stuff. Say, Stev

ully. "Steering's perfectly easy.

e boys' sweaters in little beads of moisture. The Adventurer seemed to be standing still, for, with nothing to judge by, progress was made known only by the slow lazy throb of the engine. Ev

ssly into the grey void. "She's a good way

was no answer from the steamer. "She doesn't seem ver

ix

far is Ed

jetty comes out there and I guess we'd better give it a good wide berth." Collars were pulled up to keep the moisture from creeping down necks, and Perry begged to be allowed to manipu

. "Or a whale? Gee, wouldn't it be a surprise if we bust

Shut up a minute,

he engine under their feet and the drip, drip of the drops from the

ything?"

all s

sworn I heard surf." He leaned over the chart. "This doesn't sho

uently the Follow Me groaned dismally on a hand horn. It was ten minutes later, perhaps, when

fellows, I'd say it was crazy. Or if there was a strong current here-" His voice dwindled away to a murmur as he studied the chart again. Just then the Follow Me's fog-horn sounde

travelled the steamer's bellow. That, too, seemed considerably further away. Then the distant siren sounded, and after that there was silence again. B

he cried. "Isn't