Part 31 (1/2)
”Not much,” retorted Bill ”I' picture, that of Teddy pulling and straining, isn't it?” laughed Lester, as he pointed to that young gentleman slumped down comfortably in the stern
With jest and banter, thewore away The day was serene and beautiful, with not a cloud obscuring the sky, while there was just enough wind to ress steady and rapid Alreed upon with Ross, and soon after descried the _Sleuth_ co down toface showed how deep and as his feeling for the boys, whom he already seemed to have known for years rather than weeks
”Soed to!”
laughed Lester
”We're the real thing in the way of sailorout his chest
”Listen to the mutual admiration society,” jibed the irrepressible Teddy ”Blushi+ng violets aren't in it with them Here you letbouquets to each other But that's the way it is in this world It's nerve and gall that counts Now if I----”
But his eloquent peroration was spoiled by a hasty shi+ft to escape a life preserver that Lester hurled at his head,him by an inch
”You'd better let hed Ross
”Then if the engine gives out, I'll start Teddy wagging his tongue That will furnish power enough”
”Not a bit of it,” replied Lester ”I want hiives out”
”It's evident that I'm the most important person here, anyway,” retorted Teddy ”Neither one of you see without me”
”Seven cities claimed Homer, you know,” said Bill sarcastically
”Yes,” said Teddy complacently, ”he and I are in the same class”
Ross turned his boat around, and the two craft went along side by side
”The sea's like a mill pond to-day,” remarked Fred ”How different from the day of the storm, atched it from the observation room Do you remember what your father said?”
”Not especially,” answered Lester ”What particular thing do you ood shi+p would lay her bones on a reef or beach before the storm was over”
”I suppose he was anxious,” answered Lester gravely, ”but I haven't heard of any shi+p's being wrecked on this particular strip of the coast during this storm The worst time we've had around here, as far as I can reo That storhts, and when it was over there were at least a dozen wrecks, just on the coast of Maine
”By the way,” he went on, as a sudden thought struck him, ”we'll have to pass one of those wrecks a few miles from here It's a schooner that went ashore in the storm There's part of the hull left, and, if you like, we'll run in and look it over”
”Was the crew saved?” asked Fred
”Every soul aboard was drowned,” Lester answered soberly ”They were swept overboard before the life-saving crew could get to them The masts went over the side, and the hull was driven so hard and deep into the sand that it has been there ever since”
A half hour ave a twist to the tiller and turned the _Ariel_ inshore
”There's the wreck,” he said in response to Fred's look of inquiry, as he pointed to a dark object near the beach ”We'll just run in and look her over But on't be able to stay more than a few minutes, for this is to be one of our busy days”
CHAPTER XXVIII
THE ABANDONED SCHOONER