CHAPTER V
The Missing Whale
UNFORTUNATELY, the three mothers, Henrietta's grandmother, and AuntyJane could not look into that queer chicken-coop of a house to seetheir precious chickens sleeping the sound, sweet sleep that life inthe open induces.
Still, the evening was so very fine that no one was surprised becauseof the prolonged outing--that is, at first. But when nine o'clock cameand the Whale failed to appear, Mrs. Slater, Henrietta's grandmother,telephoned to Mr. Black's unresponsive house, and then to Jean'smother, Mrs. Mapes. Mrs. Mapes obligingly ran in to ask Marjory'sAunty Jane if anything had been seen of the delayed Whale; and thenboth ladies scurried to the rectory to ask Doctor Tucker if _he_ knewthe whereabouts of the Whale--or the Whale's passengers. Of course hedidn't; so he and Mrs. Tucker went with the inquiring pair to DoctorBennett's to ask if Mabel had returned. Naturally, she hadn't, so,joined by Mabel's now mildly anxious parents, they all went--just likepersons in a moving-picture show, Doctor Bennett said afterwards--toMrs. Slater's house to ask what _she_ thought about it. They found heranxiously watching the clock.
Mrs. Slater promptly sent Simmons, the butler, to order her carriage,in which the entire party, somewhat crowded it is true, was speedilytransported to Mr. Black's home, where they found Martin waiting in thelighted garage.
"Where," asked Doctor Bennett, "is your master?"
"Sure," returned Martin, pulling politely at a long lock of sandy hair,"that's what _I'd_ like to know. 'Tis a lonely evenin' I'm spendin'without even a horse for company."
"Does his automobile ever break down?" queried Aunty Jane, a thin womanwith very sharp eyes and other features to match.
"It never has, mum; but most of 'em does, sooner or later. Still, Mr.Black is always careful--he'd be likely to choose a safe spot to breakdown in."
"He said," offered Doctor Tucker, "that he was going to look at someland of his--where is his land?"
"Sure," returned Martin, with a gesture that included the entirehorizon, "he has land anywhere you'd want to look--he owns a pile ofrale estate, they say. When annybody wants a little money, he justsells his land, back taxes and all, to that aisy-going man. _He_ don'tknow where his land is; it's iv'rywhere. But wheriver he's gone hecan't starve, for Mrs. Crane and Bridget cooked all day yesterday; andhe can't freeze because there's three big robes and a fur coat."
"But what can be keeping him?" asked Mrs. Tucker. "He knows that Bettieought to be in bed by nine."
"Most like it's a busted tire--'tis time wan was givin' out. If hewasn't smart enough to put the new one on--and belike he isn't, him notbein' used to the job--why, there he is, laid out in the road."
"But all our girls are with him," protested Mrs. Bennett. "There'sseven in the party. Our five children----"
"The more the merrier," consoled Martin, comfortably. "Even if two orthree was spilled overboard, there'd be four left to spread the tale.Depind on it, ladies--and your Riverince--they're safe somewhere, orwe'd hear the bad news. That's the kind that travels fastest."
"I think Martin is right," agreed Doctor Tucker, mildly. "I'm quitesure that they're all safe, _somewhere_; at some farm, perhaps, wherethere's no telephone. Even if those girls were alone they'd manage tomake themselves comfortable somehow--just remember what they did toDandelion Cottage."
"They're smart enough," agreed Mrs. Mapes, "and they are allresourceful. And Mrs. Crane is with them. If they haven't all plungedover some embankment----"
"Not Mr. Black, mum," assured Martin. "He's that careful and slow thatI'm ashamed to be seen ridin' with him. Why, mum, whin I'm in theWhale I feel just like a baby in a go-cart."
Their fears somewhat allayed by optimistic Martin, the parents andguardians of the castaways, after waiting hopefully until midnight,finally dispersed and went to bed, for there was really nothing elseto do; but the passengers of the missing Whale spent a far happierand more peaceful night than did their anxious relatives; for thecastaways, at least, knew that they were alive and unharmed.
The morning sun was shining brightly when Ambrosial Delight, whohad escaped at dawn, chased a frightened chipmunk into Mr. Black'striangular den and roused that recumbent gentleman from the soundestsleep he had had in years.
"Great Scott!" exclaimed the surprised man, sitting up under his biasroof, "the stars were shining when I looked out last! It must be sevenor eight o'clock. Hi there, Sarah! Jean! Girls! Has that fish-boat goneup the lake?"
"Yes, yes, Bridget," murmured Mrs. Crane, sleepily. "We'll havecreamed shrimps and----"
"Sarah!" shouted Mr. Black, "wake up! You've made me miss that boatagain."
So Mrs. Crane woke up, and presently the girls, with sleepy eyes andtousled heads, crawled out, one by one, to blink in the dazzlingsunshine.
"Run down to the lake," advised Mr. Black, "and wash yourfaces--that'll wake you up."
So the girls waded out and washed in the finest basin in the world,made friends with a courageous squirrel who was also bathing his face,and combed their tangled locks with Henrietta's side-combs.
"If you hadn't brought these," observed Jean, "we'd have been in a finefix."
"Anyhow," giggled Marjory, wiggling her pink toes, delightedly,"there's water enough."
"Bettie," cried Mrs. Crane, from the bank, "come out of that lake!You're a sick girl----"
"I'm not, either," contradicted Bettie, indignantly. "I feel justfine."
"I'm glad to hear it," returned motherly Mrs. Crane, "but I don't wantyou to take any risks. You've been in long enough."
"All right," agreed Bettie, regretfully. "I'll come out, just to begood, but I don't want to one bit."
"Isn't this just heaven!" breathed Jean, ecstatically, extending herarms as if she would embrace the whole beautiful universe. "Look atthat water--pearl-gray, with pink and gold sparkles all spangled overthe top! It's a different color every time you look at it. I love it."
"So do I," said Bettie, from the beach. "I wish I were a fish and could_live_ in it."
"But then," objected Henrietta, "you couldn't _see_ it--I'd rather be asea-gull."
"She's making puns," groaned Marjory. "Hurry up with that comb, Mabel;it's my turn next."
"Hi there!" called Mr. Black; "who's setting the table for breakfast?"
As the tablecloth was still serving as a roof, Mr. Black found a coupleof clean boards that served very nicely in its stead. This was notdifficult, since all the driftwood was most beautifully clean. So, too,was the sand. Even the soil under the trees, being free from clay, wasclean, dry, and pleasant. One could sit on the ground without fear ofdampness, dirt, or snakes. It was _pleasant_ ground.
"This place," said Mrs. Crane, who was boiling the coffee water, "isabsolutely dust-proof, I believe. I'd like to live here all the time,if only to breathe this air."
"Let's stay," pleaded Bettie. "_I_ don't want to go home."
"Neither do I," said Mabel.
"Nor I," said Henrietta.
"Nor I," echoed Marjory, who had finally succeeded in braiding herlong, fair hair.
"I guess," said Mr. Black, "we'll _have_ to stay for awhile, whether wewant to or not. But, if we don't turn up to-day, they'll begin to huntfor us."
"Oh," groaned Henrietta, "I _hope_ not."
"Peter," said Mrs. Crane, "we didn't meet a single soul on that roadafter we took the turn-off just out of Lakeville."
"I don't wonder," returned Mr. Black. "Nobody that could possiblytravel by any other road would ever think of taking that one. I suspectthat it hasn't been used very much since Randall stopped lumbering atBarclay's Point, six years ago. But, never fear, they'll find us allright--we're only seventeen miles from Lakeville."
"But _such_ miles," breathed Mrs. Crane. "Nobody 'd think of tryingthat road--they'd think we had more sense."
"Perhaps we should have had--perhaps I ought to have doubted Timothy.Anyway, we left tracks. If they look for us at all thoroughly, they'llsurely find those."
"That Timothy man," suggested Jean. "Wouldn'
t _he_ know?"
"Ye--es," admitted Mr. Black, "but when I asked him about that road hewas just boarding a train for Boston. But don't worry. We're not halfas lost as we might be. In fact, _we_ know exactly where we are."
The castaways had barely finished breakfast when sharp-eyed Marjoryspied a small, dark object on the water, not far from Barclay's Point.
"That wasn't there yesterday," said she, pointing it out to the others.
"It's moving!" cried Jean.
"Perhaps it's more driftwood for our house," suggested Bettie.
"Or a bear coming to eat us," offered Mabel.
"It's long and slim with a bump at one end," explained Marjory."Something like a dead tree with one branch sticking up. Just a log,perhaps, but----"
"Anyway," interrupted Jean, "it's coming this way and coming _fast_."