“Why, since midnight anyway. You are the first boat that has come anywhere near us.”
“And it’s just by luck that we saw you. What will you do, come aboard?”
“No,” answered Mr. Button, “if you’ll give us a line we would rather have you tow us. Are you going anywhere near Mackinac Island?”
“Yes,” answered the captain. “We’re bound straight for there. I don’t know that we shall stop, but we’ll fix it so that you can get ashore if you want to.”
“That will do splendidly,” called Mr. Button.
In a brief time the two boats were near enough to enable a sailor to cast a rope to the Gadabout. After one or two attempts this was successfully seized and then made fast. As the lake boat swung around to resume its course, the Gadabout, one hundred feet or more astern, followed.
“I hate to go back and leave the other fellows out here,” said George when they began to move swiftly over the waters.
“You don’t need to worry about them,” said Mr. Button. “If we could see them anywhere that would be one thing, but they have disappeared from sight. They have a good skiff and I think I heard you say that they both were Go Ahead Boys. If they are, they will get out of their trouble all right.”
“I’m sure I hope so,” said George dubiously.
The conversation, however, ceased, and for a time all three were silent. The clear waters of Lake Huron bubbled and seethed as they were cut by the bow of the swift little motor-boat.