“It sure is,” Herb admitted; for he had been noticing the increased roughness of the water for a little while back.
“What must we do, Jack?” asked George, with set teeth, and that look of determination in his eyes that stood for so much.
“Hold out as long as we can,” came the reply in a steady voice. “Then, when the danger of our being dashed against the rocks grows too great, we’ll just have to up-anchor, and start our engines to moving. It will be safer for us out yonder than so near the shore.”
Another half hour went by. Then the little boats were pitching and tossing violently, as the full force of the onrushing waves caught them.
“Can’t stand it much longer, Jack!” called out George, who was having the most serious time of all.
“Then we might as well make the move now as later!” called Jack. “So get going, both of you. And remember to stand by as close as you can, so that we may help in case an upset happens to any boat.”
Of course George knew his chum had the cranky Wireless in mind when he said this; but the peril was not alone confined to the one boat.
Accordingly the engines were started, the anchors gotten aboard after a tremendous amount of hard work; and the little motor boat fleet put to sea, with the intention of trying to ride the storm out as best they might.
If the engines only continued faithful all might yet be well.