CHAPTER XVI
“PUTTING UP” A MARINE JOB
THE “Rocket” was now drifting, while those aboard watched developmentsin the ocean game ahead.
“I don’t quite understand what it profits us if Frank is sent aboardthe schooner as a prisoner,” insisted Mr. Moddridge.
“Well, if the launch crowd do that, and then the launch heads backfor the coast, passing out of sight of things hereabouts, it’s goingto be rather easy for a fast boat like ours to keep up with a sailingschooner, isn’t it?” Captain Tom propounded.
“Yes, but how are we going to help Frank Delavan any?” demanded thenervous one. “There must be men aboard the schooner, and undoubtedlythey’re armed, which we’re not.”
“We’ll have to see what happens, and use our ingenuity,” Tom replied.
“Humph!” said Mr. Moddridge, sadly. “I’d rather have one small cannonthan all the ingenuity in the world, just now.”
Knowing that nothing could happen right away, Hank Butts coollystretched himself on the mattress to finish his interrupted nap. Tomand Joe remained intently watching the mastheads of the two craft thatwere miles away.
“The launch is surely making straight for the schooner,” Joe Dawsonventured. “Your guess is all right, Tom.”
Within a few minutes more the mastheads were mingled to the view of theyoung observers aboard the “Rocket.” The two suspected craft remainedtogether for nearly half an hour.
“Now, they’re breaking apart,” Halstead reported, at last, watchingthrough the glass. “The launch is turning. She’s making back west. Andnow, old fellow, it’s us for a more southerly course. We must keep outof the launch’s sight, but never for an instant lose the schooner’smastheads. For, if Francis Delavan isn’t aboard that schooner now Ishall never feel at liberty to make a guess again. Take the wheel, Joe,and start her up. Keep to the southwest. I’ll keep my eye mainly on thelaunch’s masthead.”
This they did, for fifteen minutes. Then Tom laid the glass down in itsrack by the wheel.
“The launch has just gone out of sight,” he announced. “Not even thebutton on her masthead is visible through the glass. Now, head aboutfor that schooner’s tops, Joe.”
After a few minutes more they could make out the schooner’scross-trees. Bit by bit more of her masts became visible. Thenfollowed the first glimpse of the schooner’s upper hull.
Throwing on the speed to full eighteen miles an hour, Captain Tom nowgave fast pursuit. The schooner had now observed the “Rocket’s” chaseand was using all sail, but could not make more than seven knots.
“We’ve surely kicked up some excitement on that other craft,” laughedthe young skipper, gleefully.
“How many men can you make out on her decks?” queried Joe.
“Five.”
In a stern chase of this kind the “Rocket” was not long in coming toclose quarters with the sailing vessel. But now eleven men were visibleon her decks.
“And all rough, hard-looking customers, too,” chuckled Halstead.
“Hm! I can’t quite understand what you’re so merry about,” said Mr.Moddridge, wonderingly.
“Force of habit,” replied Captain Tom, with a smile.
He ran the “Rocket” up parallel with the schooner, shutting down speedconsiderably. There was now a distance of barely five hundred feetbetween the two craft. The crew of the schooner lined up at her portrail, surveying the “Rocket” and those aboard, but no hail was passedbetween the two craft.
“They’re not allowing Mr. Delavan the freedom of the deck, anyway,”declared Tom. He now ran the “Rocket” a little further to thenorthward, every eye on the schooner’s deck following the manœuvre.
“Joe, shut off speed jerkily,” ordered the young skipper, by the timethe two craft were almost a mile apart. “Shut off as though somethingwere happening to our engine.”
“Why—er—what——” began Eben Moddridge, hesitatingly, as Joe vanishedbelow after turning the wheel over to his chum.
“I’m going to try the value of putting up a marine job on those fellowsyonder,” replied Halstead, very quietly.
Eben Moddridge asked no more questions, though there was a mostwondering look in his eyes. The “Rocket’s” speed began to dwindle.
“Hank,” called Tom, “get up and rush about, into the engine room andout. Mr. Moddridge, show all the excitement you can yourself. Thatought to be easy,” the young captain added, under his breath.
“Why—why—why——” came from the nervous one.
“Act as though our engine had broken down, and we were simply crazyover our luck.”
By this time the motor boat was lying all but motionless, moving onlyunder the impulse of recent headway. Leaving the wheel at a bound,Halstead leaped down into the engine room.
“If the fellows on the schooner are holding a glass on us, they saw medo that,” laughed Tom, as he landed beside his chum. Hank rushed up ondeck, vanishing aft. After a few moments he flew forward again, divingdown into the engine room.
“I say,” called Eben Moddridge, from the hatchway, “this conduct ofyours is about as hard to understand as——”
“That’s right, sir,” replied Tom, coolly. “Stand there, looking down atus as though you’re all broken up. That’ll help fool the fellow withthe glass aboard the schooner.”
“It’s working bully, fine!” reported Joe, gleefully, looking out of oneof the starboard port-holes. “The schooner’s skipper is easing off hissheets. He’s going to lie to and watch us. Hank, you’d better startanother excited merry-go-round between here and aft.”
Young Butts was surely in his element doing things that looked crazy.The way he raced over the deck and bobbed in and out must have madethe schooner’s people believe that there was extraordinary excitementaboard the motor boat. Halstead now joined his chum in looking out tostarboard.
“Say,” he roared, suddenly, “that’s just what we wanted!”
Eben Moddridge turned to stare over the water.
“Why, they seem to be lowering a boat,” he observed.
“Just what,” retorted Captain Halstead, springing up on deck andbringing the marine glass to bear. “One, two, three—say, they’reputting eight men over the side to man that boat. They’re going to sendthat hard-looking crowd to board us.”
“What for?” demanded Moddridge, beginning to tremble.
“They think our engine has broken down temporarily. They’re going toboard us and finish the job by putting our engine out of business forgood,” laughed Tom Halstead, happily.
“I—I—er—I can’t quite see where we gain by that,” quaked the nervousfinancier.
“Keep your eyes open, then,” begged Halstead, as he continued to watchthe strangers. The boat, with its eight men, was coming across thewaters as fast as four lusty rowers could send it. Hank performed a fewmore frantic rushes in and out of the engine room during the minutesthat the boat’s crew used in getting near the “Rocket.”
“Keep off!” hailed Tom, mockingly, when the small boat was within threehundred feet.
No reply came from the boat’s crew. They were sullenly silent. Halsteadcould see no signs of weapons among them. Suddenly the young skippersprang to the speed-ahead deck control of the engine, giving it awhirl. Then, instantly, he laid hands on the wheel. The “Rocket” forgedahead once more, while angry oaths burst from the lips of the men inthe small boat, almost alongside. But the motor boat shot on her way,leaving the small boat’s crew helplessly in the lurch.
Giving a wide sweep to the helm, Tom brought about, heading straightfor the distant schooner. Those in the small boat followed at only afraction of the speed.
“Why, what are you up to, now?” demanded Eben Moddridge, his eyes wideand almost bulging.
“Going to board the schooner before that boat’s crew has a chance toget back,” replied Captain Tom, his eyes gleaming brightly. “If Mr.Delavan is aboard we’ll get him. There are only three men left on theschooner, and the ‘Rocket?
??s’ crew numbers three.”
“There are four of us, you mean,” declared Moddridge, with anear-whoop. “If there’s to be any fighting, now, on Frank Delavan’saccount, you’ll have to count me in!”
The shock of that sudden announcement almost had the effect of causingTom Halstead to fall away from the wheel in sheer amazement.