She was very odd about the revenue matter, also, and said very little when Tish got her badge.
“Well,” she said, “it may stop a bullet. But that’s all it will stop.”
As Tish said, such cynicism in the young was really bewildering.
IV
It was the middle of July when Tish finally started on her dangerous duty. Aggie had begged to be left at home, but Tish had arranged a duty for each of us.
“I shall steer the boat,” she said. “Aggie is to lower and lift up the anchor, and you, Lizzie, are to take charge of the fishing tackle and the bait.”
We were, as I have said, to pretend to be fishing, and thus avert the suspicion of the bootleggers.
Lily May and Christopher saw us off, and Lily May’s farewell was characteristic of her.
“Pick out a good-looking rum runner for me,” Lily May called. “I know father would love to have one in the family.”
We had gone about three miles, I think, when I heard a peculiar noise, like the rumbling of steam, but no one else noticed it. A little later, however, Aggie called out that there was a fountain playing not far ahead. Tish at once announced that it was a whale spouting, and changed our course so as to avoid it.