“What a shame, Breck, when all of us wanted to be nice to you, but were afraid to be because we couldn’t bear to have you think we were the patronizing sort.”
“It wasn’t really bad,” Breck hastened to assure seeing the distressed look she gave him. “You see, when you girls began to get so keen about sailing the ship, it left me very little work to do on deck, so I had lots of time to put in on my writing.”
“Is it hard living in such close quarters in the galley with that funny little Dutch steward?”
“It is rather interesting. He has been everywhere and has splendid tales to tell. Do you remember at Plymouth when you said that you would like to arrange the orchestration of his snores? That is the only real objection I have to him. He is the best-hearted little fellow in the world, so I suppose we ought to be ready to forgive him his only vice.”
“He is a marvelous cook, don’t you think? But look here, Breck, you are just rowing anywhere, we’ll never get to the island unless we stop talking,” said Jane coming to the realization that for about half an hour they had been aimlessly drifting along, Breck occasionally dipping the copper tipped oars in the water from habit.
As they drew nearer the island they saw that a huge crane hung out over the water and that there was the remains of quite a large dock. Several dories and a small catboat were moored in the little harbor. A great many lobster pots were slung up on the rocks that shelved above the beach.
“It can’t be entirely deserted or I don’t suppose they would have left these perfectly good boats. And where there are lobsters there must be some lobsterers,” said Jane, a little disappointed that it wasn’t really a deserted island.
“Let’s carry it a little farther and hope that if the presence of the lobster pots can prove that there are lobsterers, then the presence of the lobsterers might prove some lobsters,” said Breck, remembering that Mabel had asked him to try and see if he couldn’t find some for her.
The water near shore was so clear that they could see the pebbles gleaming at least ten feet below the surface.