CHAPTER XIII
THE MYSTERIOUS YACHT
But, beautiful as the yacht undoubtedly was, the sight of it and the sound of the slipping anchor chains brought a look of perplexity and even of distress to Eleanor’s eyes.
“That’s very curious,” she said, thoughtfully. “There are no cottages or bungalows near here. Those people can’t be coming here just for a visit, or they would take another anchorage. And it’s a strange thing for them to choose this cove if they are just cruising along the coast.”
“There weren’t any yachts here last year when we were camping,” said Margery. “But it is a lovely spot, and it’s public land along here, isn’t it?”
“No, not exactly. It won’t be used for a long time, I expect, but it has an owner. An old gentleman in Bay City owns all the shore front along here for half a mile, and he has been holding on to it with the idea that it would get more valuable as time went on. Probably it will, too.”
“Well, he lets people come here to camp, doesn’t he?”
“Oh, yes. He’s glad to have people here, I think, because he thinks that if they see how lovely it is, they will want to buy the land. I suppose perhaps these people on the yacht have permission from him to come here, just as we have. But I do wish they had waited until we had gone, or else that they had come and gone before we got here at all.”
“Perhaps they will just stay for the night,” said Margery. “I should think that a small boat like that would be very likely to put in overnight, and do its sailing in the daytime. Probably the people on board of her aren’t in a hurry, and like to take things easily.”
“Well, we won’t find out anything about her to-night, I imagine,” said Eleanor. “In the morning we’ll probably learn what their plans are, and then it will be time to make any changes that are necessary in our own arrangements.”
“Do you mean you wouldn’t stay here if they did, Miss Eleanor?”