“He did, sir. We meant to carry out his orders. But a lot happened.”
“We’ll discuss that later, Dan. The important thing is that you’re both safe. By the way, meet Mr. Fisher.”
Dan and Brad grasped the launch owner’s horny hand, expressing gratitude for the rescue. From him they learned that their drifting boat had been sighted by Midge from the Cave. The Cub had summoned Mr. Hatfield, who had sought the help of Mr. Fisher in finding them.
“You and Brad scared us out of a year’s growth,” Chips said accusingly. “Seeing that empty boat made us think you might have drowned.”
“Me drown?” Dan snorted.
“You may be a crack swimmer, but accidents do occur,” Mr. Hatfield interposed. “Suppose you tell us what happened that caused you to sail so far from the clubhouse.”
Together Dan and Brad explained how their attention had been drawn to the raft and motorboat.
“The storm struck us unexpectedly,” Brad added. “We barely had time to get the sail down.”
“I’m glad you managed that,” Mr. Hatfield approved. “The wind didn’t last long but it was strong when it came. If it had hit you with the sail up, the dinghy probably would have capsized.”
“We made Skeleton Island,” Dan took up the account. “After beaching the boat, we dashed back into the bushes to get out of the rain. When we returned to the beach, our boat was gone.”