CHAPTER IX
The Expedition Lands
At a little before three on Tuesday afternoon a regular flotilla of boats might have been seen to swing around Toller’s Rock. I doubt if it was seen, for the Rock and the shore beyond all the way to the farther side of Nobody’s Island was apparently empty of life, if one excepts the gulls and the land birds. Perhaps the word procession would be better than flotilla, for first came the Crystal Spring, wobbling along under her big gray mainsail, then the Corsair, floating gracefully at the end of a towline, and finally the Faith, dipping and rolling a little in the manner of young and playful dories. The Faith was Jack’s boat, a small, pea-green lapstreak dory that had spent most of its life in Herrick’s Cove and was now palpably excited by its tremendous adventure. The sloop was brought around into the wind near the mouth of Clam River and as close to the shore as Jack dared take her on a falling tide and the anchor was dropped. Then Hal and Bee tumbled into the launch and, with the dory still in tow, ran up the river to the old pier. Here they made fast the Corsair and rowed back in the dory to the Crystal Spring. Then began the unloading of the supplies. Bee remained in the dory and Jack and Hal passed the things down to him to stow away. As fast as the dory was loaded Jack jumped in and took the oars and rowed to the shore. There, with bare legs, the boys removed the cargo from boat to beach. Four trips were necessary before everything had been landed. Bee declared proudly that he had forgotten nothing, and the others, viewing the sands, enthusiastically agreed.
“I guess you’ve got everything but a sewing machine and an automobile there,” said Hal.
The anchor was pulled up and the sloop half-drifted and half-sailed into the mouth of the river. The anchor went down again and the big sail was lowered and furled, Hal and Bee lending willing if inexperienced assistance. There was just room for the Crystal Spring to swing around with the tide in the new anchorage and in case of a blow she was fairly well protected. Even if she did settle her stern on the sand, Jack explained, it wouldn’t matter, since she would float clear again the next tide. Then the three boys tumbled once more into the dory and rowed to the old pier where the Corsair was snuggled. The launch, too, bore her share of the supplies, being laden with six long inch-and-a-half planks, five pounds of spikes and a hatchet. Working with a will, the boys soon had a three-foot platform laid on the old spiles. Hal declared that he didn’t see any use in having a wharf when the things were already landed, but Bee reminded him that there was the treasure to think about.
“It will be a heap easier to bring that chest of gold down here and lower it into the boat than it would be to get it into the dory and out again. You have to think of all those things, Hal. There’s nothing like looking ahead and being prepared.”
Hal laughed. “When you find that treasure, Bee,” he replied, “I’ll swim out to the sloop with it.”
Then they went around to where their goods littered the beach and considered the question of a location for the tent. The tent, a good-sized A of waterproof duck, had been loaned by Hal’s father. In fact, Bee had been very fortunate in not having had to purchase much of anything besides provisions. A pick, a shovel, a crowbar and a hatchet had also been loaned by Mr. Folsom; Mrs. Folsom had supplied blankets, pillows and cooking utensils; Jack had brought fishing lines, hooks and sinkers and Hal had added whatever of his possessions, including a shot-gun and a revolver, that Bee had seen fit to requisition. Even the planks had been obtained gratis, being some that had been left when repairs had been made to the Folsom wharves. Provisions Bee had had to pay for, but as he had obtained a liberal discount through Hal’s father, his capital had not been much depleted.
It was finally decided that the tent should be pitched on the southwest side of the hill at the edge of the grove. Jack pointed out that they would be shielded from the sun during the warmest part of the day and sheltered from rain storms as well by the crest of the hill and the trees. “There may not be any rain storms,” he said, “but if there are they’re likely to come from seaward. We’d better ditch around the upper side of the tent, too.”
It wasn’t easy to get the tent up on the place they had selected for it seemed that wherever they tried to drive a peg they struck ledge. But they finally succeeded and drew aside to admire their handiwork.
“That’s a corking tent,” said Bee. “And I’m glad it’s rain-proof, aren’t you?”