Seizing one, he hurried back to the bow. Bee took the other and joined him. The propeller lashed and the boys pushed, but the launch, her nose deep in a bank of clay, refused to budge. Gradually her stern, under the force of the wind, swung around until it struck against the opposite bank with a jar.
“Stop your engine, Hal!” cried Jack. “It’s no good. Get the lantern out, Bee. We’ll have to foot it.”
They scrambled up the bank from the bow, slipping on the mud and slime, and with the wind howling about them and trying to blow them into the water struggled on over the marsh, tripping on tufts of grass, fighting for every inch. Once Bee lost his footing and would have gone headlong into the river had not Hal seized him. Then there was an exclamation from Jack. The lantern light fell on a tiny wharf jutting into the stream. Turning, Jack led them away from the river. “It’s Bill Glass’s!” he cried. “We’ll stop here a minute.”
The cabin suddenly loomed before them and they staggered into its shelter. Jack raised his hand and hammered at the door. There was no response from within and he pushed against the crazy old portal. It swung readily on its leather hinges, scraping across the floor.
“Hello! Bill Glass!” cried Jack.
“Hi! Who be ye?” came a muffled voice from the cabin.
“Jack Herrick. There’s a schooner on The Tombstones. We’re trying to get word to the life savers.”
“Come in, mates.” They obeyed, the lantern light throwing fantastic shadows over the strange room. On the edge of the bunk sat Bill Glass, already struggling with his trousers. “Sit ye down an’ rest, mates,” he said. “So there be a schooner ashore, eh? Aye, there’ll be plenty o’ them in trouble this night. Could ye see her, mates?”
“Faintly,” answered Jack, fighting for breath. “We heard her gun and then saw the rockets. She’s hard on The Tombstones, I think. We thought if we could get to the switch tower down the track we could telephone from there.”
“Aye, so ye could, so ye could. What time might it be?” Bill peered at the nearest clock. “Nigh one bell, is it? Then there be time to get to the railroad afore the night freight comes by. Where be my jacket?”