The Captain and Fred laughed and assured the boys that it couldn’t be more than six or seven o’clock. The sun was shining gloriously and being up so early made the boys think it was ages since the hurry-call for the chase.
“We’ll have breakfast at my father-in-law’s,” was the Captain’s welcome announcement, indicating a white house that showed above the trees on the point.
“Let’s take out our spark-plug as well as the one left in the other launch,” advised Fred, acting upon his suggestion.
Captain Jotham, Captain Ed’s father-in-law, was a jolly old man with a fringe of white whiskers framing his apple-red face, while his upper lip was carefully shaven.
“Well, well! hain’t seen ye since a month o’ Sundays!” was his hearty welcome to his son-in-law. “Come in—come in and set!”
Then the old Captain’s motherly wife appeared and soon after, the hungry mariners were “stokin’ up” on coffee and doughnuts, with two kinds of pie cut in generous triangles.
The boys exchanged looks of intense delight—the dream of their lives come true! They had heard about New Englanders eating pie and doughnuts for breakfast, but they had deemed it a legend for they had never had an opportunity to test the truth. Now, they found they were quite equal to the fact, although Mrs. Remington would have been horrified at her boys eating such a morning meal!
When the story of the get-away and pursuit of the thieves was finished, Captain Jotham planned with Captain Ed how to capture the marauders.
“Anyway, Ed, I’m the Constabule, you know!”
“Sure ’nough! And you’ll be doin’ your duty to nab them rascals,” assented Captain Ed.