The Adventure Club Afloat

ey run until there was a sudden bump that toppled the milk-can over and nearly treated him the same way. He loo

Look where you're going! If I hadn't got you wit

ke a "fade-out" at the movies, before Perry found h

e ocean," replied the voice jeering

but-what bo

lvania, Pride of the Na

hook took form in the fog. "You're Cas Temple,

, it's Perry Bush. I thought you were B

puzzled, as Cas pulled the

Wink and the

't see

e'd you get th

t bo

ne you're in! Sa

ur boat an

r boat, you silly chump! Thin

is! Then, where's mine! I mean

o," chuckled Caspar Temple. "You must remember so

oosened stopper. "Then we went to look for our boat and I found this and I yelled to him and he didn't come and so I sta

I don't

ted to scramble out of th

d Cas hopeful

son-

keen disappointment. "Well, w

rry, reaching the cockpit. "See

, Perry, I wouldn't

y n

of alcohol-Besides, I'm all alone he

o's going to drink it? I'm go

to the cabin. Perry dropped into the dingey again and set the milk-can upright, and then, after anot

ere and I'll give it a chance. Say," he continued as he lave

ou'd better hustle back with it, too, for they said th

back with it," replied Perry moros

said Cas, pointing.

paddling around all day and night. Got anything to eat on board?" Cas found some cookies and these, with a glass

this place yesterday?" asked Cas as the de

ooked blank. "What

w. We had an awful tim

the jetty and didn't have any trouble at all finding it

aight ahead. While he had been aboard the Follow Me the fog had again taken on its amber hue and now was unmistakably thinning out. But it was still thick enough to hide objects thirty feet away and Perry couldn't for the life of him be certain that he was sending his craft toward the beach. To be sure he had started out in the general direction of the shore, as indicated by Cas, but there was always the possibility that he was rowing stronger with one oar than the o

re! Where's

was th

men as Perry beached the dingey and tiredly dropped the oars. The men came toward him and proved, on nearer acqu

und with misgiving. The beach looked more abrupt tha

got any name exactly. What

ineyard Haven and-an

across the harbour, son. T

The tide had turned between the time the Follow Me's crowd had gone ashore and the time that Perry had reached that boat, and Ca

t a mile. Guess, though, you'll be able to see y

. The calm blue water was rippling under the brushing of a light southerly breeze and here and there lay boats anchored or moored. While the fog had hidden the harbour he had supposed that not more than half a dozen craft were within sight, but now, between mouth and causeway, fully two dozen sailboats and launches dotted the surface. Over his shoulder was a little hamlet that was doubtless Vineyard Haven. Facing him was a larger community, and he decided that that would be Oak Bluffs. Half a mile down the harbour lay the Adventurer an

took his place beside Perry and relieved him of the port oar. Perry would have yielded the other very gladly, but none offered to accept it and he hadn't the courage to make the suggestion. The dingey floated off the sand again, headed for the Follow Me, and then the

er come to some perfectly deplorable end and that for their part they didn't care how soon it might be. By the time the Follow Me was reached Perry was too worn out to offer any excuse. Cas, however, did it for him, and, as the others' tempers had somewhat sobered by then amusement succeeded anger. Perry faintly and vaguely described his wanderings about the

rry set eyes on as he scrambled onto the bridge deck was Han. Perry fixed

n. "You see I was afraid about that poison-

led you an

e of times. And then I may h

ity you didn't

to look for you I couldn't find

ybe I'd swum across,

d find a boat

t the laughter of the others. "And I hop

plied Han gently, "Maybe it w

in the companion way. "What," he demanded irately of Perry,

ympathetic and amused faces and wandered l

own, and then, after putting in gasoline and water, set out