Part 1 (1/2)
The Rushton Boys at Treasure Cove
by Spencer Davenport
CHAPTER I
THE COMING STORM
”Say, boys, it looks like a storhter ceased at once, and three pairs of eyes looked in the direction pointed out by the speaker
”See that big bank of cloud cli up the sky?” continued Fred Rushton ”There'sabout weather”
”You're right, Fred,” said Lester Lee, as handling the tiller ”And we're a long way off from home! It's up to us to turn about and make a run for it”
”Oh, I don't think it will aer brother, as never averse to taking a chance ”We're having such a grand time that I hate to make a break for land unless we have to Besides, I've never been out in a squall, and I'd like to have the experience”
”You'd have more experience than you cared for with this blow that is co anxiety in his tone ”I'm more familiar with this coast than you are, and I'd rather look at the storm from the shore than from the deck of this catboat So, here's for a quick scoot for hoht the boat around and laid the course for the shore
It was a staunch little sailboat of twenty-two feet in length, and the way she minded her helm, as well as the ease hich she rode the waves, spoke eloquently of her qualities
On this afternoon, off the coast of Maine, she held a jolly party of four boys Lester Lee, ned the boat and uests were Bill Garwood and Fred and Teddy Rushton, all of them fellow schoolmates of Lester's at Rally Hall It was vacation tioing to have several weeks more than usual before school opened in the fall The news had co froer, one of his last year's chuood we'd feel about it, and he couldn't get the news to us quickly enough”
”That stroke of lightning knew its business when it struck the right wing of the building,” laughed Fred ”Mel says that several of the rooms were burned out, and it will be fully a ot in running order”
”I'll bet old Hardtack is raving, because he can't get us under his thu in this irreverent fashi+on to Dr Hardach Rally, head of Rally Hall
”It's lucky the lightning didn't hit the gyh tea year and we'll need all the practice we can get Ease her off a little, Fred,” he added, to the older Rushton boy, as handling the sheet
Fred did so, just in ti on the port side But enough of it caing at the foot of the mast
”Wow!” yelled Teddy, as he scraallon down my back that time”
”Gallon?” echoed Bill ”It seeshead I'm as wet as a drowned rat”
”Don't you care, fellows,” called out Lester ”We won't any of us have a dry stitch on by the tier, do you?” asked Bill, who at his father's ranch would have been perfectly at ho broncho, but here on the sea felt out of his element
”Oh, no,” replied Lester, carelessly ”That is,” he hastened to add, ”there's always er when one's out in an open boat in a storm But this _Ariel_ of mine is a jim dandy, and I don't think we'll have any trouble Even if she should go over, we could hang on to the bottom, and there are so many boats in these waters that we'd soon be picked up”
Despite his careless air and confident words, it was evident fro waste of waters that he was secretly uneasy