CHAPTER VII
THE STORM
For a moment or two the girls did not know whether or not to accept astruth the statement Will had made in such a dramatic manner. Then hissister Grace burst out with:
"Oh, Will, is it really true? Is that the secret you were going to tellme?"
"That's the secret, Sis! Isn't it a good one, and didn't I keep itwell?"
"You certainly did, but I didn't expect it would be that. I thought itwould be about--about--er----"
She paused in some confusion.
"She thought it would be about a _girl_!" broke in Mollie. "Why wasn'tit, Will?"
"It may be yet. There are lady smugglers, you know!"
"Oh, nonsense!"
"Will Ford!"
"Is it really true?"
"I think he's just teasing us!"
Thus cried the girls in turn, Betty appealing to Allen in an aside toknow whether Will really had been appointed to a government position.
"Oh, yes, its true enough," Allen said, smiling indulgently.
And finally, after a little gale of laughter had subsided, Will managedto make the girls, his sister included, understand, and believe that hereally was telling the truth. Then they inspected his badge, looked at asort of identifying card he carried in an inner pocket, and weresatisfied.
"But what does it all mean?" asked Grace. "I didn't know you were goingin for that sort of thing, Will! How did it happen? And are there anysmugglers around here?"
"Hist! Not a word! Sush! Take care!" hissed her brother, stepping aboutwith elaborate precautions on tiptoes, glancing rapidly from side toside, while he flashed a pretended dark lantern, and Allen imitated thelow, shivery music of a Chinese orchestra.
"They may be here any minute!" chanted Will in dramatic tones. "Quick!We must hide those diamonds. And then, gal, at the peril of your life,you must give me those papers!" and he hissed after the manner of somestage villains.
"Oh, quit your fooling and tell us!" demanded Grace. "Then we'll go fora ride in your boat, and you can stop at the Point and get me somechocolates, Will."
"Oh, I can, eh? Awfully kind, I'm sure."
"Do tell us about it," begged Amy.
"Ah, at least _you_ are sincere!" exclaimed Will, with a look that madegentle Amy blush.
"Go on," urged Roy. "Then we'll get out on the water again. This weatheris too good to miss."
"It was this way," explained Will. "I told dad I wanted a little longervacation before I started in for college, after my experiences in thatturpentine camp, and he agreed that I could have it. I don't knowwhether I told you or not, but when I ran away from Uncle Isaac's downSouth, I fell in with a Government Secret Service man. I guess he rathersuspected I was up to some game, but he was real decent about it, anddidn't give me away.
"I happened to do him a favor--helped him trail a certain man he waslooking for, and he was good enough to compliment me on my memory forfaces. He said it was the beginning of a successful detective's career.
"Well, I had no notion of being a detective, but it made me stop andthink. I _am_ pretty good at remembering faces and voices, you know,even if I do say it myself."
"That's right!" chimed in Allen. "I wish I had that faculty. It is thehardest thing for me to remember the faces and names of those I meet.But go on, Will."
"Well, the upshot of it was that this government man said if I everwanted a lift he'd be glad to help me. He gave me his card, and, afterall my troubles were over, thanks to your efforts, girls," and heincluded them all in his bow, "I decided to go in for Secret Servicework.
"It wasn't as easy as I had expected, but at last I got the promise of achance, and I began studying up, and taking the examinations. I passedsuccessfully, and received my commission."
"So that's what you were doing all those days you were away so much?"asked Grace.
"That was it, Sis. And now I am a full fledged Secret Service agent,though I haven't arrested anyone yet."
"And are you really going to?" asked Betty.
"That all depends," replied Will. "If I see any law violations I'll haveto."
"But are you looking for anyone in particular, up here?" asked Amy. "Anysmugglers, pirates, or--or anything like that?"
"Bless her heart! She shall see a pirate arrested the first chance Ihave!" laughed Will.
"Oh, be serious, can't you?" asked Grace, with just the hint of a snapin her voice.
"Beg your pardon, Amy," apologized Will. "You see it's this way. I'm inthe Boston district, and that takes in a good part of the New Englandcoast. I haven't really been assigned to any particular locality yet.I'm supposed to keep my eyes open wherever I am, though."
"Around here?" Mollie wanted to know.
"Yes, here as well as anywhere else. But I'm on a leave of absence now.I'm spending a few days cruising with the boys. I'll soon have to goback to Boston."
"Well, then busy yourself and buy me those chocolates!" demanded Grace."You don't need to act in your official capacity for that."
"Do you really think there may be pirates or smugglers around here?"asked Amy, who seemed strangely interested in the matter.
"Well, there might be. You never can tell," said Will, with a lookaround the horizon as though to discover some mysterious and suspiciousvessel in the offing.
After Will's explanations he had to answer a hail of questions from thegirls. The boys already knew all he could tell them. Then his sister andher chums wished him all kinds of good luck.
"And I hope we see you arrest your first smuggler!" exclaimed Mollie,with a quick gesture of her expressive hands and shoulders.
"Oh, I don't!" cried Amy, with a nervous look behind her.
"Well, if we're going to take the girls for a ride let's do it,"suggested Allen.
"How does the boat run?" asked Betty, as she turned her attention to it.
"Fine and dandy!" he exclaimed with enthusiasm.
A little later the merry party of young people were out on the wide,blue waters of the bay.
Several gladsome days followed. The boys were welcomed at Edgemere, and,as the cottage was a large one, Mrs. Nelson insisted on Will and hischums remaining there, though they said they wanted to camp out, orsleep aboard the _Pocohontas_. But the quarters there were rathercramped.
One day, when the boys were coming back in the boat with the girls, theengine suddenly stopped while they were still a short distance from thedock.
"Hello! What's up? Trouble?" asked Roy.
"Yes, it's that magneto again," decided Allen. "I think I'd better tieher up and get a new one. It will be giving us trouble all summer if Idon't."
And then, as the craft was ingloriously paddled up to the dock, the boysheld a mysterious conversation regarding ground-wires, brushes, platinumpoints, spark plugs and batteries.
"Oh, will the boat have to go to the repair shop?" asked Betty.
"Will you be sorry?" returned Allen, meaningly.
"You know I shall. I do so enjoy--the water," she answered with a littleblush and a bright glance.
"You sha'n't miss anything," he declared. "I'll charter a sailboat whilethe _Pocohontas_ is laid up."
And this he did, arranging with Old Tin-Back for the hire of a catboatthat would hold all the party. Thus the glorious summer days were usedto best advantage, the young people cruising about the bay, fishing andbathing as suited their fancy.
"Not going out to-day; are ye?" asked Old Tin-Back, as he came down tothe dock one morning, and found the boys and girls about to start off.
"We certainly are!" declared Will. "I think something will happento-day. I have a feeling in my bones that I may land a smuggler ortwo."
"Oh, Will!" expostulated his sister. "Don't joke. That may be serious."
"I only hope it _is_ serious," he declared.
"What's the matter with going out to-day?" asked Allen.
"Wa'al, it looks like a squall," replied the old lobsterman. "If ye dogo don't go out too far."
"Oh, I don't want
to go!" objected Grace.
The others laughed Grace out of her fears, and they started off in thesailboat, the motor craft having been left at the repair dock somedistance up the coast.
As they swung and dipped over the blue waters of the bay, the signs ofthe storm increased, and the girls, becoming more and more nervous,insisted on the boys keeping close to shore.
And finally, when they were some distance from Ocean View, butfortunately near a little sheltering cove, the storm broke with suddenfury.
"Down with that sail!" yelled Allen, as the gust struck the boat,heeling her over so that one rail dipped well under water.
"Oh, we're going to capsize!" screamed Grace.
"Keep still!" ordered her brother.
With frightened eyes the girls clung to one another, huddled together inthe little cockpit cabin, while a big wave coming from the stern seemedto threaten to swamp them.