“Signal to our friends that they can apply full speed ahead, Joe, if they want to,” directed the young motor boat captain, briefly, as he reached the comparative safety of the bridge deck once more.
Over the noise of the gale the answering blast from the liner’s whistle came to them as a far-away sound. But now the big boat ahead started on at a ten-knot speed.
“Gracious, but this seems good, once more!” 226 glowed Tom Halstead, taking over the wheel as the towing hawser tautened and the “Restless” began to move forward under a headway that could be controlled and directed.
“We couldn’t have stood this racket much longer, without a tow,” chattered Joe. “I’ve had moments at the wheel, to-night, when, on account of our helplessness, I’ve felt sure we were going to ‘turn turtle.’”
“What ails your jaws, old fellow?” demanded Tom, looking curiously at his chum. “Say, you’re shaking to pieces, and I don’t wonder. Get below and get dry and warm. Get below all of you, except one to stand by me. Who can best remain on deck for a few minutes more?”
“I can,” proposed Jasper, starting forward with an odd mixture of sullenness and eagerness in his tone.
“I’ll trust you—now,” nodded Captain Halstead, after eyeing the man keenly. “The rest of you get below. We want a few dry folks aboard.”
On board there was clothing in abundance, enough to enable everyone to make at least a few changes. Now that the “Restless” could be held to a course, Hank Butts cautiously made a small fire in the galley stove, and then stood by to watch the fire. After a while he had 227 coffee going—this with a “cold bite” of food.
Hepton came up, bye-and-bye, to take the wheel. As he was wholly capable, Tom surrendered the helm to him, then dropped down below for some of that coffee.
“We’ve found out to-night what a wireless is good for,” declared Joe. “But for it, we wouldn’t have kept the ‘Restless’ afloat and right side up through the night.”