The Patrol Leader warmed at the implied compliment. He knew the Scoutmaster’s views. As far as prudence dictated, Mr. Grant left the seamanship entirely to his youthful crew. It was the best way to enable them to gain confidence in themselves. He was merely a sort of referee, ready to assist by advice and deed should the Sea Scouts commit any serious error. Not that they often did. He had great confidence in the skill and resourcefulness of his crew.
“Stand by to go about!” ordered Brandon. “We’ll run under her lee and see if anything is wrong with her.”
Full and bye, the Kestrel passed a full hundred yards to lee’ard of the schooner, and then the mystery was in part solved. The vessel had been in collision. Most of her counter had been carried away, the damage extending almost, if not quite, to the water line. She was well down by the stern—possibly not far short of foundering. There was no sign of a boat. Apparently the crew had abandoned her and had either made for the shore or else had been picked up by the craft that had run the schooner down. Owing to the severe damage to the stern, her name and port of registry were not to be seen, but by the yellow letters on her bow the derelict proclaimed herself to be the Euterpe.
“That name seems familiar,” thought Mr. Grant. “Where have I heard that? I remember. Old Richard Marner told me his son was on her—Huterp, he pronounced the name.”
“Lee-o!” ordered Brandon. “Head sheets to wind’ard! Gather in your mainsheet roundly!”
The Kestrel went about slowly yet unhesitatingly and hove-to on the starboard tack within fifty yards of the Euterpe’s starboard quarter.
“I’ll send the dinghy off to her, sir,” said the Patrol Leader. “There might be someone on board.”
“Do so,” agreed Mr. Grant. “I’ll take charge of the dinghy. We must be very careful how we go alongside. She won’t last very much longer, I fancy.”
The boat was hauled up alongside the Kestrel. Into her jumped the Scoutmaster and Craddock and Heavitree.
A few strokes brought the dinghy to the abandoned schooner. She was so low aft that it was quite an easy matter to board her by the main chains. The Scoutmaster did so, bidding the two lads hang on, but to be ready to push off should the vessel show a tendency to hasten her departure to Davy Jones’ locker.