"The Island Queen!" read off Captain Akers, focusing his glasses on the vessel's bow name board as she drew closer.
"She's as preddy a liddle ship as der 'Nettie Nelsen,' almost," pronounced Captain Nelsen.
"She is a fine schooner for a fact," agreed Nat. "I'd like to get on board her and penetrate the mystery of her desertion or disaster."
"M-m-m-m-m-maybe she's lul-lul-lul-leaking!"
The suggestion came, of course, from Ding-dong.
"If she is, it's not as much as your parts of speech are," laughed Joe. "She's quite high out of the water."
Much more speculation of this sort was indulged in as the two vessels drew closer together.
They met and passed before Captain Akers had made up his mind whether or not to risk boarding her. But as they drew close, and the squeaking and straining of the schooner's blocks and rigging could be distinctly heard, there came a sudden sound from the mysterious vessel that struck a chill to all their hearts.
It was a long-drawn-out scream, uttered in what seemed to be a human voice, and yet was unlike any they had ever heard.
Again and again the terrible cry rang out, while they regarded each other with blanched faces.