“I’m going with you,” cried the nervous one, leaping up as soon as he heard the news in his room at the hotel.
“We may be out a long while, sir,” suggested the young skipper. “How about your broker?”
“I gave Coggswell final orders, two hours ago, to do the best he could and not to communicate with me until he has better news—or everything has gone to smash. Hurry, lad!”
By the time they reached the hotel entrance Moddridge was trembling so that Tom bundled him into a waiting cab. Two minutes later they were at the pier.
“Cast off, Hank,” Halstead called, at once. Then, as he reached the deck:
“Joe, be ready at the speed-ahead.”
In a jiffy the “Rocket” was moving out from the pier.
“Hank,” called the young skipper, at the wheel, “down with that masthead light.”
“Why, it’s against the law to sail at night without a masthead light,” gasped Butts. “And look at the weather out yonder.”