“Let’s hope we’re the ones,” laughed Grant. “Come on, who’s coming down to the wharf to meet our guests?”
“We all are, I guess,” exclaimed John, and a moment later the four boys were standing on the tiny dock waiting for the approaching catboat to come into their little harbor.
“They’re good sailors all right,” whispered Fred as he watched the boys in the boat maneuver their craft. “We’ll have to be awfully good to beat them.”
“All the more credit if we do,” said Grant.
“Ahoy, there!” he shouted a moment later. “You’d better anchor a little way out from the dock here. We’ll come out in the canoes after you.”
“All right,” came the reply. “Did you get our challenge?”
“We certainly did,” said Grant.
“Good. I hope you’ll accept it.”
“Of course we will.”
The boat swung around and one of the crew threw the anchor overboard. The sail was quickly lowered and everything was done in a quiet business-like way that instilled a great amount of respect into the hearts of the boys who, from the dock, were watching the proceedings.