"That's it!" said Pickering. "That's where those life-preservers went to. One of 'em makes a better buoy-mark than any spar would."
"Captain," put in Pete, "that one isn't hitched to anything; it's running right along on the tide. It's loose."
"Fact!" exclaimed Kroom. "You've pretty good eyes, Pete. I saw 'em. They didn't pull up anything, but they tried to. It only broke loose, whatever it was."
"No, you don't!" said Pickering, sharply. "It's hitched on the bottom again. They saw us coming, and they let go. That's all."
"Get out your lines, boys," shouted Kroom. "We'll try for blue-fish, up and down here," and then he added, to the men in the other boat: "I won't go home empty-handed. Why don't you fellers throw a hook?"
"No use, Captain," came back. "We may get some weakfish in the inlet, but you'll only throw away time."
"We've got all the time there is," said Captain Kroom; but Sam and Pete were making haste, and when the Elephant tacked again their lines were out.
"Shouldn't wonder if they were kind o' mad," remarked Pickering. "But there was more'n one life-preserver on deck. They can hunt for the others."
"That's what they'll do," said Kroom; "but this one's follerin' us. Whatever is hitched to it'll anchor it in shoal water. Things have to go over the bar and into the bay at high tide. They know that, and they think they can wait."
The wide spread of water between the surf and the beach was now comparatively smooth, with long low waves playing lazily across it.