It was an unexpected turn of affairs, and the boys were glad the contest had ended in their favor. They were congratulated on all sides, and jokingly asked what they were going to do with the money, which was likely to be quite a large sum.
“We’re going to buy a whaling vessel, make Mr. Trent captain, and go into the business,” said Andy with a laugh. He looked around for his brother, and saw Frank talking to Kett.
“I heard you say something about seeing a boat towing something you thought was the whale, but which turned out to be a wrecked motor boat,” began the elder Racer lad. “What sort of a boat was the wrecked one?”
“Well, it was pretty big, with a hood up forward, and it looked as if it had been in a fire. It was all blacked.”
“A fire!” cried Frank eagerly, as the memory of the boat from which Paul Gale had been rescued came to him. “Are you sure of this?”
“Certain. We were right close to ’em. That’s what made us lose so much time. If we’d taken after you boys in the first place we might have found the whale ourselves.”
“Bob Trent sighted the whale before he came for us,” explained Frank, “so he’d have first claim on it anyhow. But which way was the motor boat going?”
“Along toward Seabright. Then it got hazy and we lost sight of it.”
“Did you notice whether there was a tall, dark man aboard?” asked Frank eagerly.
“Yes, there was such a chap,” broke in Bill Lowden. “And he seemed mighty anxious about the wrecked boat in tow. Why, do you know him?”