“Well, to speak frankly, I’m surprised to see a boy. Where in the world did you come from?”
“We—that is some fellows and myself—have a house-boat over there,” explained Bob, waving his hand. “See those lights over there? That’s it. Heard you shout, but couldn’t come over because the engine’s out of order.”
“In search of adventures,” laughed the young man, who seemed to have recovered from his scare.
“Yes, and this is number one,” grinned Bob. “Be careful when you climb aboard—this dory’s a cranky little boat—mighty easy to upset.”
“And we must look out for the swells from that steamer. Guess it’s one of the Albany boats.”
Bob skilfully paddled close to the sinking boat and glanced at the steamer not a hundred yards away. Her windows were aglow with lights and the water close by quivered and shook like molten gold. A powerful search-light cut its way against the blackness, and Bob uttered an exclamation as its rays suddenly swept across the rugged face of the Palisades, bringing out their forms with strange sharpness against the clouded sky.
As yet, the young man had made no move to clamber aboard, and Bob rightly guessed that he was waiting until the swells due from the steamer should have subsided.
For the moment, the weird pictures brought into view by the search-light held him in a spell. Alternating lights and shadows played fantastically over the rocks. Then it vanished. Deep gloom again enfolded the cliffs, and the search-light, slowly sweeping across the dark river, picked out the familiar form of the “Gray Gull.”
“Look!” gasped Bob, in delight.
There, bathed in the electric beams, the strange-looking house-boat could be seen, floating out on the tide. As if those on the steamer wished to study such an unusual sight, the light was played upon it for several moments. Then the night suddenly covered it again.