The first intelligence Mr. Farnham received that anything was wrong was when he picked up the paper that evening and his eyes alighted on the picture of the sloop.
“By Jove! Rodney, the Sea-Lark’s been blown out to sea!” he said.
Rodney, who, not having seen anything of the sloop all day, had imagined it had stopped running on account of the storm, threw down the book he was reading and hastened to his father’s side. Together they read the printed account of the affair. A few minutes later they were speeding toward the town, in an automobile. Cap’n Crumbie, Tony, and Mr. Holden were standing disconsolately at the end of the wharf as the car approached.
“Any news of the boys yet?” Mr. Farnham asked.
The watchman shook his head.
“Has the tug been off searching for them?”
“I went off in her myself,” said Tony.
Mr. Farnham looked from Tony to Mr. Holden, and read in their faces the suspense they were enduring.
“Let’s go off in the tug again, Dad,” Rodney urged.