“She must be a whopper,” enthused Ted.
“She is. She is one of the biggest carriers on the lakes, five hundred and ninety-four feet over all and sixty-foot beam. She—”
His words were interrupted, however, by the movement, in the bow, of the three men who had boarded the launch at the float.
So quickly that the boys could not see whence they had taken them, each man laid a rifle across his knees, ready for instant use, while they watched intently another launch that was bearing directly toward them.
Dazzlingly the sunlight glistened on the rifle barrels. Apparently the occupants of the other launch understood the cause of the scintillant flashes, for the boat suddenly veered, made a dangerously short turn, and dashed away up the lake. But the guards in Mr. Atwood’s launch did not lay aside their weapons.
As they approached the Admiral, several men came to the rail.
“Boat ahoy! What do you want?” challenged one of them.
“Owner,” answered a guard on the launch, and as the speedy craft ran alongside, a rope-ladder was quickly lowered from the deck, towering thirty feet above.
“I think you can climb aboard all right?” asked Mr. Atwood, as one of his men caught the end of the ladder.
“Surely,” exclaimed Phil and Ted.