The Camp Fire Girls on a Yacht

  CHAPTER III

  THE BOOJUM

  The first of July was a day so perfect that it might well have beenmade to order. The brilliant blue sky held little wisps of clouds thatwere scattered by a steady, gentle wind.

  "That taxi will never come and I just can't wait another instant. Itshould have been here long ago. I just know we'll be late," and Janebobbed up from her chair and rushed to the window at the sound ofevery car that passed.

  Mr. Wing had called them up the night before and asked them all to beout at City Island by ten o'clock. He planned to have lunch and be onthe way by one.

  "Patience, my dear sister, is like--well, something or other--I can'tremember just what, but it is a good old saying," Jack flung over hisshoulder as he went to answer the knock of the boy who had come totell them that their taxi was waiting.

  Mabel and Mr. Wing met them and took them down to the foot of one ofthe many little wharves that jutted out in the harbor.

  "Frances is already on board. There wasn't room in the tender for allof us," Mabel explained. "Oh! I am so happy I can hardly stand it. Italmost killed me when Ruth couldn't come. You know she is taking somesort of social service course this summer and didn't feel that sheought to stop right in the middle of it."

  "Yes, it must have been a disappointment," agreed Ellen. "But maybethis will cheer you up some. I had a telegram from Anne Follet thismorning saying that she and Ruth would try to be in New York for a fewdays when we get back."

  "Splendid, marvelous!" bubbled Mabel, who was hard to depress forlong.

  "Miss Pellew," suggested Mr. Wing, "you come out and have lunch withus and I'll have one of the men set you ashore directly after. I'dlike to have you see the boat."

  "You are very kind, indeed," said Aunt Min, rather hurriedly. "Butcouldn't you point out your boat to me from here?"

  "What, you aren't afraid, are you?" Mr. Wing laughed that delightfullaugh that so often accompanies fatness.

  "Yes, I am," admitted Aunt Min. "But don't tell the girls or I'llnever hear the end of it."

  Mr. Wing pointed to a two-master, with a black hull. "She is theschooner type and was built by a shipbuilder at Gloucester, so she isas sturdy as a Gloucester fisherman, but her yachty lines give hermore speed. She's got a big Lathrop engine in her that can kick heralong at ten knots when our wind goes dead on her. She has been almosteverywhere and is perfectly able to go anywhere she hasn't been."

  It was perfectly plain to Aunt Min that boats and water were Mr.Wing's hobby even though she hadn't understood half of what he hadsaid, particularly about kicking her along. What was the object inkicking her along if there was an engine?

  "None of this fancy yachting for me," went on the black yacht's owner."I'm my own sailing-master because half the fun of yachting to me isthe work it entails. Why, I love the feel of the old 'Boojum' as sheanswers to wheel! And let me tell you she handles quick. She is alive,every inch of her."

  "Well, I hope there are plenty of life preservers in convenientplaces. Thank heavens, all the girls can swim well!" Aunt Min lookedrather dubiously at the "Boojum" and at its owner.

  Somehow the black hull upset her. It smacked of the piratical and shehad visions of drawn cutlasses and bearded men with their headswrapped up in red rags. It would have been better, she thought, if theboat had been white, as she imagined all yachts were.

  "My dear Miss Pellew, it is safe as safe can be and dry as a bone. Ittakes days to get a drop in her bilges," Mr. Wing hastened to assureher.

  "What in the world could be the advantage of it taking days to get adrop in the bilges, and what did bilges have to do with lifepreservers, and what were bilges anyway?" thought Aunt Min. But sheonly said, "Well, that is very nice, I am sure."

  Mabel had been explaining to her young guests that Mr. Wing was takingthe boat out a little short-handed because he wanted all of them tolearn something about sailing. "Daddy says it is exactly twice as muchfun if every man on board has some little work to do. I adore steeringby a point of land, but I just can't bear to do it by the compass."

  "Much as I hate to tell Aunt Min good-bye, I wish we would shove off.I am wild to see it on the inside." Jane's black eyes snapped at theprospect.

  Soon the young people were seated in the dancing tender and, with manygood-byes to Aunt Min, they scooted through the sparkling stretch ofwater that lay between them and the "Boojum."

  "Mabel, how in the world do you ever get over the side and up ondeck?" asked Ellen uneasily.

  "She is falling off a lot, I think," defended Charlie.

  "Goose, I didn't mean that. I mean, how does anybody do it?"

  "You see there is a little ladder that they hook on the side wheneverpeople want to get off or on and when it isn't being used, it is kepton deck," Mabel explained.

  Two men in spotless blue denim work suits appeared on the deck asMabel finished speaking and lowered the sea ladder over the side ofthe "Boojum."

  "Jane, you go first," whispered Ellen.

  "The water is perfectly flat today, but there will be days when itwon't be, so you might just as well begin by being careful," explainedMr. Wing. "Step in the middle of the boat, grab hold of the sides ofthe ladder and step up as lightly as you can because, if you give muchof a spring from the tender, it is liable to push us away from the'Boojum'."

  "It is nice to know that I have you in my power," Jane laughed.

  However, Jane did not take advantage of her new found power but madean impressive embarkation on the "Boojum." Her sureness and quicknesswon a gleam of approbation from the keen gray eyes of the bronzedyoung sailor, who had offered her a hand, which she smilingly refused.

  "Pretty good for a land-lubber, Jane," applauded Mr. Wing. "Now,Ellen, see if you can do as well."

  "Ellen, you are so light, you couldn't push us away to save yoursoul," said Jack rather proudly.

  "And I just bounce up from long practice," giggled Mabel.

  With all of them safe on deck, Mr. Wing gave a few orders to the twomen, telling the short Dutchman to serve lunch as soon as it was readyand the young sailor to haul the tender up in the davits. "And Jack,you better help Breck. Sorry to put you to work so soon."

  Mr. Wing led the way down the companion into the saloon. "I hope Mabelcan make you fairly comfortable, girls. You will feel a bit cramped atfirst, but most people soon accustom themselves to it. She is verycompact and it really is just a matter of adjusting yourself to asmaller scale. Now I must go above and see that we get under way.Charlie, Mabel tells me you have been cruising before and I'm going todepend a lot on you. As soon as you stow your duds, come up and helpBreck and me with the sails."

  "I'm a peach of a crew, I'll admit," and Charlie chanted:

  "The crew was complete; it included a Boots-- A maker of Bonnets and Hoods-- A Barrister, brought to arrange their disputes-- And a Broker, to value their goods.

  A Billiard-marker whose skill was immense, Might perhaps have won more than his share-- But a Banker, engaged at enormous expense, Had the whole of their cash in his care.

  There was also a Beaver, that paced on the deck, Or would sit making lace in the bow: And had often--the Bellman said--saved them from wreck, Though none of the sailors knew how."

  "What delicious nonsense! What is it?" queried Ellen.

  "Mabel, you explain, I've got to go, for the 'Boojum's' piped allhands on deck," and Charlie scrambled up the companion.

  "Your education has been neglected if you don't know Lewis Carroll's'Hunting of the Snark.' Why, you do, don't you, Plain Jane?" demandedMabel.

  "Brought up on it," answered Jane. "Must I prove it?"

  "I engage with the Snark every night after dark-- In a dreamy delirious fight: I serve it with greens in those shadowy scenes, And I use it for striking a light."

  Suddenly the brown curtains before one of the bunks that were on eachside of the saloon were flung aside, and Frances Bliss poked out atousled head and started,

 
"But it knows any friend it has met once before; It never will look at a bribe; And in charity meetings it stands at the door And collects--though it does not subscribe."

  "Plain Jane and Ellen, I am just as glad to see you as though youhadn't waked me up. Come, salute me."

  Both girls made a dash for their disheveled friend.

  "Well, get out of Daddy's bunk and tell Ellen the tragedy of the Snarkwhile I take Jane into your little stateroom and show her where shecan scrouge in her clothes," commanded Mabel.

  Frances crawled out of the bunk and began, "Well, my poor littleignorant friend, it is this way: The Snark was a fabulous creature ofgreat value, so great in fact that a band of worthy gentlemen set outto catch it. This band was headed by the noble Bellman who was muchrespected by the others. One of these gentlemen was a Baker and wasunfortunate enough to vanish in thin air after the Snark was caught,because it proved to be a Boojum. Now it is all nice and clear, isn'tit, my priceless child?"

  "About as clear as mud," laughed Ellen. "I'll get a copy and read itso I'll know what you lunatics are talking about. Anyway, I'm glad Iknow where Mr. Wing got that ridiculous name for this lovely boat."

  Mabel had taken Jane into a tiny stateroom with two narrow littlebunks, one over the other.

  "The lockers are under the lower bunk and you can put your roughclothes in there. Bring your suit and hat into my cabin and I will putthem in my closet. Ellen and I are in the 'Skipper's cabin.' It has adouble bunk that folds up against the side of the cabin and has theonly full length closet in the 'Boojum.' Consequently, the whole bunchwill have to keep their good clothes in it," said Mabel. "And now, ifyou and Ellen are ready, let's go up on deck and maybe we can pick upsome dope on how to put up the sails."

  The four girls ran up the companion, the two newcomers giving theirheads a terrific bump on the main boom.

  "Mabel, you horrible creature, why didn't you tell us to duck?" wailedJane, holding her throbbing head.

  "No use," answered Mabel in cruel tones. "Daddy says that everybodyhas to butt their heads a certain number of times on the main boom ofa yacht and the sooner they begin, the sooner it is over." Thenrelenting a bit, she added, "I'll warn you to this extent; whenever weare at anchor and whenever the sails are down, that is just where theboom is going to be."

  The girls were standing in the cockpit, looking with admiration at theimmaculate deck gleaming in the July sun, and the shining brass work."Oh! just imagine keeping a house as clean as this. It would keep youworking every minute," said Ellen.

  Mr. Wing let go the rope he was coiling and turned a beamingcountenance on the girls. "I've got a splendid idea," he said. "Yougirls can take entire charge of the metal work on the good ship'Boojum' and, if I see a single dull place on it, I'll put half of youin irons and the rest of you on hard tack and water."

  "There are no irons on board but flat irons, girls," Mabel wriggled anunbelievable length of pink tongue at her father, "so don't let himscare you."

  "Well, anyway I can see by your feet that you are very wise children,"said Mr. Wing as he went forward to see what Jack had done with therope he had been left to coil.

  "What in the world does he mean, Mabel?" giggled Frances. "Your fatheris the funniest man!"

  "He means that we have all got on tennis shoes and that endears you tothe heart of any yachtsman, for it is so easy on the decks. Some yachtowners keep an extra supply of them on hand so that anybody withoutthem can be supplied," explained Mabel.

  The good-looking young sailor whom Mr. Wing had called Breck came aftto the girls and, touching the white cap that covered a very smallpart of his crisp black hair, said to Mabel, "Miss Wing, the stewardsays that lunch is ready in the saloon."

  "Ah, the low pleasures of the table!" said Mabel with a great show oflicking her chops, then called to the men working up forward, "Hey,you kids, we are going to lunch and it will be all gone in about twoseconds because the lady crew is hungry as sharks and is not going towait for you."

  "You don't have to," and, with surprising lightness, fat CharliePreston jumped down the galley hatch, ignoring the ladder and had hisfeet under the table before the others had time to shut the mouthsthat had opened in surprise as he disappeared below.