“Well, there were two or three small thing-mabobs I couldn’t find places for. I still think she’s just as well without them.”
“All that time we were drifting along the breakwater. We haven’t any anchor yet, you see, and there was no place to tie up to. Then the squall came up while we were trying to get her to start and the first thing we knew we were going out to sea at about a mile a minute.”
“She went faster than she did at any other time all day,” said Bee. “It just showed what fixing the engine did for her.”
“Yes, you ‘fixed’ it all right,” said Hal, sarcastically. “If it hadn’t been for Jack we’d be half-way to Africa by now.”
“I’ve always wanted to see Africa,” replied his chum, calmly. “It must be a very interesting place.”
“Maybe,” laughed Hal, “but I don’t care to go there in an eighteen-foot motor boat. Of course we couldn’t do much when the blow came. We tried to keep her bow into the waves, after we’d found we couldn’t row her, but that was pretty hard work. And after awhile, when we got around Popple Head, we gave that up and put all our strength into shouting. I don’t mind telling you that we were getting sort of scared when you came, Jack.”
“You had a right to be,” said Jack, dryly. “If I hadn’t heard you you’d have had a pretty wet night of it. That wind would have taken you across toward the Isle of Shoals, I guess, if you’d floated long enough. Did you have anything to bail with?”
“Only my cap,” said Bee. “And it wasn’t satisfactory. I told Hal I thought his would have been better.”
“Dear, dear,” murmured Aunt Mercy. “You boys certainly had a narrow escape from death. I hope you won’t ever try anything so silly again.”