Next morning Tony strengthened the temporary repairs which Jack had made, and, with the breeze still favorable, the Sea-Lark headed for Greenport while most of the good folk of Bristow were still in bed. The summer gale had vanished as quickly as it had come, and the sloop had an easy passage back.
CHAPTER XV
JACK LOSES COMMAND
Jack and his chum, on returning to Greenport, found themselves overwhelmed with congratulations. They were stopped on the street and plied with questions, and the reporter of the “Greenport Gazette” who had, two days before, firmly believed he was writing the boys’ obituary notices, wrung their hands warmly in the hope of extracting a good “story.” But neither the captain nor the mate of the Sea-Lark cared for publicity of this sort.
“You don’t want to print anything more about us in your paper,” said Jack. “Everybody knows we got back all right, and there’s nothing else to it.”
More than that he refused to say to the journalist, but to Cap’n Crumbie he opened his heart, and the watchman nodded understandingly as the boy recounted their adventures. The reporter, knowing there were more ways of killing a dog than by drowning it, awaited a favorable opportunity of tackling Cap’n Crumbie, and that worthy, without the slightest hesitation, told the reporter all he wanted to know. It was, therefore, with something of a shock that the boys found two columns of the local paper filled with a thrilling account of their narrow escape. Cap’n Crumbie, who at all times was inclined to make a little go a long way when he was telling a story, had polished up the high lights and introduced a few bright ideas of his own; and the reporter, who was none too particular about facts when it came to turning out exciting “copy,” had let himself go. The combined result was a truly harrowing yarn, which made Jack and his friend roar with laughter, but which also had the effect of swelling the number of ferry patrons.
Mr. Farnham, who was a business man to his finger-tips, stood on the hotel landing with his wife, watching the Sea-Lark discharging an unusually large load, and he laughed softly.
“Sweet are the uses of advertisement!” he misquoted with a glance at his wife.
“You mean their adversity has proved an advertisement,” replied Mrs. Farnham. “Yes, but I should be sorry if they had another advertisement of the same kind.”