“Probably didn’t recognize it as of value, Stan,” John suggested. “Dago wouldn’t be likely to think of it, unless he’s brighter than I think he is! ‘From sea to shining sea,’” laughed John, “I’ll never forget how scared Dago was and still is of the boys who helped get Dapper Dan Hogan! Such is the result of publicity and luck!”
“Stow the gab, sailor,” Stan said, grinning, “and put down that doughnut you just reached for. We’ve got work to do.”
He hurried to the deck and began taking the strops off the furled mainsail, and the lanky youth ran to the jibs to do the same. In a few minutes the mainsail was being raised till the throat of it was taut. Then the peak went up tightly, and the jibs were raised. The Water Witch was filled off in the fitful noonday breeze puffing into the cove, as the anchor broke ground and was hauled aboard. Dipping with a courtesy, and rippling along, the black sloop crossed the cove, and as she did so John lay in the bow, peering over as casually as possible, as if idling on the deck. To anyone watching from the hills he would have appeared to be killing time, but in reality he was trying to see below the surface of the cove!
Shaking his head negatively after a few minutes, John sat up while the center of the cove was left behind and the Water Witch came into sight of the channel entrance. Outside a brisk sea was running, for the breeze, which dropped only fitful cat’s-paws down into the cove, was blowing steadily in the open. Whitecaps shattered and broke along the tips of the rollers, and the Water Witch, with sheets eased, ran out through the channel rapidly.
“A swell day for sailing, Stan!” John called back. “Let’s head for Europe!”
“We’ve got plenty to do at home, John,” Stan replied. “Come on aft, and let’s figure things out, if we can.”
Grinning happily as the sloop ran lee rail deep through the marching waves, John came aft to the cockpit, reached into his pants’ pocket for a doughnut, and sat back to talk and eat.
“I’ve got it—(crunch-crunch)—all figured out, Skipper!” John said.
“Let’s have it, old boy.”
“Well—(crunch-crunch)—let’s sail to another cove farther down the island,” John said triumphantly, “getting in there—(crunch-crunch)—after dark, and then come back to our cove overland!”