VIII--THE CANOE
David would have liked to have taken to his heels and beaten it down theroad to the bay, but he was not allowed to do this. Not only the Tigers,but all that section of New Hampshire appeared to think that he hadvindicated the honor of the country against the big cities, representedin this case by the boys of Camp Amoussock. Horny-handed farmersinsisted on coming up and shaking his hand, slapping him on the back,inviting him to supper. And what tickled Ben more than anything else wasto see the girl who had exclaimed, "I thought this fellow looked like hecould knock a home run!" push her way through the crowd and thrust outher hand at David.
Ben nudged Tom. "Look at our brave boy now."
The girl was saying, "I knew you looked like a winner. I've got a kidbrother at home; he's got a sore foot and couldn't get over here; butI'm going to tell him how you soaked that ball and hit the old cow, andmaybe he won't be excited! What's your name? He'll want to know."
No beet was ever redder than David's face as he gave a sheepish grin."David Norton," he said. And as the girl insisted on shaking hands hetouched her fingers gingerly. "Much obliged," he stammered. "Hope thekid's foot gets well again. Funny about that cow;--hope it didn't hurther."
"I wouldn't care," said the girl, "if it broke one of her ribs. Butdon't you worry, Mr. Norton. I'm right glad to have met you." And shepushed her way out of the throng again, delighted to be able to tell herkid brother that she had shaken hands with the hero of the day.
"You may be a mighty batter," said Ben, when David was able at last torejoin his friends, "but when it comes to the girls you're a beautifulimitation of a wooden Indian. You shake hands like a pump."
"Oh, cut it out," growled David, who always stood more or less in fearof girls, and hated to be teased about them. "I suppose you'd have madeher some kind of a pretty speech; asked her to dance, perhaps."
"I'd have looked as if I liked being told how fine I was. Oh, what ashame it is that nobody ever says such things to me," sighed Ben, "whenI'm the one that could really appreciate them!"
Sandy Hapgood now came up, and David, eager to be rid of any more talkabout the game, hurried his friends away. "Looks like a thunderstorm,"he said, squinting at the sky, where dark clouds were rapidly rising.
They passed the meadow, where the cow was now peacefully chewing her cudagain. She cast a reproachful eye at the boy in the baseball suit."That's the longest hit that was ever made on our field," remarkedSandy. "And against Lanky Larry, too! Oh boy! Did you see Lanky afterthe game? He looked--well, he didn't look so all-fired stuck onhimself."
"He's a fine pitcher," said David; "a mighty good one."
They quickened their steps, for big drops of rain were beginning tofall. They turned in at the Hapgood farmhouse and stopped long enoughfor a word with Sandy's mother. Tom swung the basket of provisions onhis arm.
"Don't you think you'd better wait a short spell," said Mrs. Hapgood."Looks to me as if we were in for a right smart shower."
They looked at the sky--pierced now with frequent sharp jabs oflightning.
"It's not raining hard yet," said Tuckerman. "How about it, boys?"
"Let's beat it," said Tom.
Out in the road again they jogged down to the water, where the _Argo_was fastened. Casting her adrift, Tom took the tiller.
It was a real summer thunderstorm that had come up quickly--spurts ofrain and banks of black clouds--at the end of the warm day.
But the boys were used to a wetting, and Tom had often sailed through aheavier downpour than this. David stretched himself out on a seat inluxurious comfort. "A shower-bath feels good," he murmured. "All I wantnow is a good swim."
The wind, however, wouldn't stay in any one quarter; it kept jumpingabout as if it were trying to box the compass and succeeding prettywell. Tom had to keep changing course. The _Argo_ zigzagged about like adarning-needle flying over a pond. And the thunder kept crashing louder,and the lightning opening bigger and bigger cracks in the violet-blackof the sky.
"Hello, there's a canoe!" sang out Ben suddenly.
Ahead of them, an eighth of a mile from shore, a cockleshell craft wasdancing over the waves. There were two people in it, one at either end,and each was paddling fast.
"Ticklish business," said Tuckerman. "There's white water off thatpoint. See how it jerks about. I say, Tom, couldn't we get up nearthem?"
"Righto," answered the skipper. "Confound those blooming gusts!"
If the _Argo_ was having her hands full in standing up to the constantsqualls that kept chasing over the water, the canoe was finding thestruggle an even more difficult task. She careened, righted, almostdisappeared in a wave. The _Argo's_ crew were now all at the rail,except the skipper, watching the little craft battle her way along.
Then Ben sang out: "Why, it's Lanky Larry and the Amoussock captain!Gee, but that water's rough!"
A lightning flash so vivid that it seemed to daze the crews of both theboats, was followed by a roll of thunder that shook the sea and the sky.Next instant the waves leaped up as if in a frenzy of fright. A greatroller caught the canoe and twisted her nose about; another slapped heramidships; a third--All that the crew of the _Argo_ saw was a swirl ofwild waters where the little craft had been.
Tuckerman muttered something. Tom, with a shout of warning, brought the_Argo_ about. Now there were to be seen in the water two heads, twotossing paddles, and the upturned bottom of the canoe.
The point of land was not far distant, and for some reason the boys inthe water were striking out in that direction, possibly because theythought the sailboat, in such a squall, could not keep her course.
While Tom manoeuvred the _Argo_, the other three watched the swimmers.Both were making fair headway, the Amoussock captain somewhat in thelead. Then suddenly Larry threw up his hands and disappeared.
Tom swung the sailboat around, and almost instantly Ben and David, coatsand shoes stripped off, dove into the water. For the moment the sea wascalmer, and the two made the most of their chance. Hand over hand, ingreat spurts, they drew closer and closer to the place where Larry hadvanished.
Tom said things to the sail, which would not fill as he wanted.Tuckerman clutched the rail, his eyes never leaving the swimmers. And atlast--an eternity, it seemed to the watcher--the two boys reached thespot. A moment later, and in some way they had managed to draw Larry upbetween them.
By now the Amoussock captain had turned and was swimming back; and bynow Tom had contrived to make the _Argo_ behave. With a rush she arrivedwhere the boys were struggling in the waves. Ben clutched at the side;with his other hand he helped David lift Larry up into Tuckerman's arms.
Larry was hauled aboard. David and Ben climbed in. The other boy waspulled up from the water.
The _Argo_, restive, cavorting, commenced to dance again. "Can't stop topick up the canoe," muttered Tom. "Thank Heaven, Lanky's all right!"
Larry, very white and shivering, was rubbing the muscles of his legs."It was a cramp," he explained. "Doubled me up in a minute."
Tuckerman put his coat around Larry's shoulders. "Never mind, nevermind," he kept murmuring. "We'll have you up at my house in a couple ofjiffies."
And, the wind blowing great guns, but keeping in a fairly steadydirection, the _Argo_ soon reached the island. By that time Larry,assisted by Tuckerman, had managed to rub the kinks out of his legmuscles, and was able to hobble ashore.
Cold, and drenched, and all of them shivering more or less, the partywent up to the house. "The kitchen's the place," said Tuckerman."There's plenty of firewood there."
Shortly the logs were blazing on the wide kitchen hearth, and Tuckerman,finding a tin of coffee in a cupboard, was making a steaming drink. Tomin the meantime had brought an armful of Christopher Cotterell's clothesfrom a room abovestairs, and the boys who had been in the water put ondry things.
"Well," said Larry, when he was warm and dry, and had swallowedhalf-a-cupful of Tuckerman's steaming hot coffee, "I knew this Davidfellow was
a good sport when I tried to strike him out this afternoon;though I tell you it made me mad when he stung that ball for a homer."
"Don't mention it," said David. "A fellow's got to do his duty."
"You do yours, all right," nodded Larry. "I guess we'll have to forgivehim now, won't we, Bill?"
Bill Crawford, the Amoussock captain, gave his knee a great slap. "We'llhave to elect him to the club of good scouts, Lanky. And the rest ofthis bunch, too."
"Pass the coffee pot," said David.
Stretched at his ease in a cane-bottomed kitchen chair, Larry's eyesroved around the room. "I thought there wasn't anybody on this islandthis summer," he said. "That's the story they tell at the camp."
"Oh yes, it's deserted," said Ben, "except for Professor Tuckerman andhis three able assistants."
"What is the Professor doing here?" asked Bill Crawford.
There was a momentary silence, broken by Ben's solemn voice. "He's busypolishing up the knocker of the big front door. I don't know whether younoticed it when you came in, but there is a beautiful knocker, made ofpure brass. He shines it every day."
An amused snicker from Bill was followed by Larry's asking anotherquestion.
"This is the Cotterell house, isn't it? There's some old yarn about it,seems to me I've heard."
"Did you ever hear of an old house that didn't have some yarn attachedto it?" demanded Tuckerman.
"Change the subject, Lanky," sang out Bill. "'Tisn't fair to pry intothe family's secrets."
"Right you are." Larry stretched his arms. "Well, the question before usis how are we going to get back to camp before they find that canoe, andus missing?"
Tom went to the kitchen door and looked out. "The storm isn't over yet,"he announced. "Couldn't you lads stay to supper? If you will, I'll sailyou back afterwards. Likely as not the water'll be smooth as a mill-pondin an hour or so."
"They won't be looking for you at your camp yet," said Tuckerman."They'll think you landed somewhere, and are waiting for the squall toblow over."
"We'll stay to supper," said Bill. "It would be a shame to have youfellows get wet again on account of us."
David jumped up. "We've got provisions stowed away right here in thekitchen." Rolling up his sleeves, he gave directions to his assistantcooks.
The kitchen of Cotterell Hall had never seen as much activity as it didin the next half hour, with the result that a sumptuous feast was soonset out on the table.
They ate as if they hadn't tasted food for a week, cleaned up, andtrooped out to the front door. The squall was over, a light wind wasblowing--not enough to ruffle the water--and stars were beginning toshine in a cloudless sky.
The _Argo's_ sail was raised, and the skipper sent her across the bay tothe place where the canoe had upset. Search soon found the canoe rockingin the surf on a sandy beach of the mainland. She was righted and herpainter fastened to a cleat at the stern of the sailboat, and the _Argo_took a course alongshore. Presently, rounding a point, the crew saw abonfire at Camp Amoussock lighting a stretch of woods.
They all went ashore, and found the Camp just about to start out on asearch for the missing boys. The visitors had to stay a while and beentertained by their hosts, and it was not until the moon was high inthe sky that the _Argo_ again pushed her nose across the water, asouthernly breeze filling her sail.
As they came abreast of the western end of their island anothersailboat, looking like a great white moth in the moonlight, wentscudding away over the silver sea.
"Hello," said Ben, "what is she doing here? Poaching on our preserves,it seems to me."
"The harbor's free to everyone," said David. "I don't suppose evenCrusty Christopher objected to people sailing boats on the water, ifthey didn't try to land on his shore."
"Lanky knew there was some old yarn about the Cotterell house," Bencontinued, paying no attention to David's remark. "And if he knew, whyshouldn't others?"
"Well," said Tom, "what's the answer?"
"The answer is that we're likely to have callers. Not the kind thatleave their visiting-cards, but the sort that snoop around when nobody'shome."
"Thieves?" questioned David.
"No," said Ben, "I didn't mean thieves exactly. Detectives come nearerto what I meant."
Tuckerman chuckled. "Benjamin, you're a wonder! You never let go of anidea once you get your teeth in it, do you? I'd forgotten all about thetreasure. I was studying the stars, and Dave was thinking aboutbaseball, and Tom about the course he's steering; but you--why, you werepuzzling your wits about Sir Peter and the mahogany man, and goodnessknows what else. Keep it up, Ben my boy. That's the road to success."
And Ben, thinking of what he had found that morning, grinned but saidnothing. If he could only work out the scheme he had in his mind, hefelt that he would be prouder than if he knocked home runs against thevery best baseball pitchers in the major leagues.