CHAPTER III
THE BUYER OF SOULS
WHEN the “Rocket” was tied up at her pier at East Hampton, at a little before four o’clock that afternoon, and while Tom and Jed were still busy at the hawsers, the owner and his guest slipped away.
“No orders for the rest of the day, or to-morrow,” remarked Halstead, as soon as he realized the fact. “Oh, well, the orders will probably come down later on. We’ve enough to keep us busy for a while, anyway.”
There is, in fact, always enough to be done aboard a good-sized motor cruiser when the crew have her in at her berth. There is the engine to be gone over, deck and steering tackle to be inspected and perhaps repaired, the searchlight and signal lanterns to be taken care of, and a hundred other routine duties. The steward has his hands full of “housekeeping” affairs.
“I don’t see that speed boat in anywhere,” commented Jed, looking over the harbor.
“She must put up at some other point of the Bay,” Tom replied. “Well, the game of her people was beaten to-day, so I don’t suppose we shall have to feel any more concern about the speed boat.”
Never did Tom Halstead make a more erroneous guess. That same speed boat, as subsequent events will show, was destined to become intensely involved in the affairs of all aboard the “Rocket.”
At five o’clock Jed began to busy himself, in the galley forward, with the preparation of such a meal as young appetites, sharpened by the sea air, demanded. An hour later that meal was ready, and eaten to the last morsel.
Darkness found Tom and Joe pacing the pier together, while Jed reclined lazily in one of the wicker deck chairs on the deck aft.
“I really wish Mr. Delavan had given us some hint of to-morrow’s orders,” muttered Halstead.