“If you ever come out this way again, look out for the rocks. They’re indicated by a red and white striped buoy for days, but the lighthouse marks them by night. They’re bad ones, so look out.”
“Thanks, we will,” shouted Bob.
It was now very dark, but the lights of the Three Bells enabled the boys to follow her. She made a fast pace, but the Dartaway was no slow boat, and in about an hour Jerry swung his craft into the little cove.
“See you to-morrow perhaps,” called Captain Jenkinson, as he increased the speed of his craft, and steered toward the boathouse on the opposite shore to where Mrs. Hopkins had her cottage.
“Good-bye!” shouted the boys.
A few minutes later the Dartaway was at her dock, and three soaking wet, and somewhat tired, but very proud boys strolled up to the cottage.
“Good boat we’ve got,” observed Jerry. “Hard to beat, eh, fellows?”
“Now you’re talking,” said Bob. “I believe we could cross the Atlantic in her—if we could take along enough to eat,” he added quickly.
The boys found Mrs. Hopkins so busy with the servants arranging the cottage, that she had hardly given the lads a thought. She did not even know they had gone out in the boat, so the storm had not worried her. However, a number of the cottagers, who paid more attention to the boating affairs, had heard of the boys’ peril and were relieved to learn they got back safely. There was no small appreciation of their pluck, after Captain Jenkinson had told of the affair.
When Mrs. Hopkins heard of it she was, at first, much frightened over the danger the boys had escaped. But Jerry assured her they could look out for themselves, and, on his promise to use all precautions thereafter in going out of the cove in the boat, his mother placed no restrictions on his actions.