CHAPTER II
Sea Scouts to the Rescue
At the hail, Mr. Graham and the rest of the Sea Scouts swarmed up the ladder into the chartroom.
Patrol Leader Desmond had read the signal correctly, in spite of the fact that the light was fading and that the flags, owing to the direction of the wind, were nearly end on and blowing out almost as stiff as a board.
Taking the telescope, the Scoutmaster verified his Patrol Leader's statement. There was the white and blue chequered flag surmounting a white pennant with a red ball in it, signifying: "In distress; need immediate assistance ".
"How long has this been flying?" inquired Mr. Graham.
"Not long, sir. Less than a couple of minutes," replied Desmond. "She's been at anchor there for the last hour. I was wondering what she was doing in the open."
"Waiting for enough water to get in," hazarded the Scoutmaster. "It's not far from high tide now. Come along, Desmond and Findlay, we'll see what's wrong. No, not you others; three of us will be enough for this job. Got your first-aid outfit, Jock? I wouldn't mind betting that's what will be wanted."
With mixed feelings, Bedford, Hayes, and the Tenderfoot watched their Scoutmaster and their two chums push off in the dinghy. They were disappointed that they were compelled to remain on board as passive spectators, but they knew that in a choppy sea the dinghy stood a better chance of reaching the craft in distress than if she were deeply laden with six fairly hefty individuals. So, with a cheer of encouragement, they bade their chums good luck and remained watching the slow progress of the dinghy until she was lost to sight in the rapidly gathering darkness.
Jock Findlay, a big-limbed, deep-chested lad of sixteen, pulled bow; Mr. Graham was at the stroke oar; Desmond steered. Already the Patrol Leader had made good use of his eyes during his comparatively short experience of Wootton Creek. By the aid of the chart he had studied the somewhat intricate entrance, verifying his facts by observing through the telescope the actual position of the "booms" or mark-posts. Thus he knew that the black-and-white chequered posts were on the port side of the approach channel and that those painted all black were to starboard.