Part 15 (2/2)
”No.”
”Well, Cobtown is made up of three or four little villages of rickety old houses. Some are occupied by fishermen, and some ain't. There's three or four coves down that way fis.h.i.+ng craft anchor in. It's a lonely, wild bit of country, and some rough characters 'mong them fishermen.”
”Did you take your fare to any particular house or shanty down at Cobtown?”
”Nope; she got out on the road, in sight o' Cobtown, an' walked along, toting her old grip.”
”What kind of a 'grip' was it?”
”An old brownish suit case.”
”That's the one,” nodded Eph.
As the driver busied himself over his team, the submarine boys drew aside to talk over their new information.
”I reckon we're going to be too late,” grumbled Captain Jack.
”What makes you think so?” Hal inquired.
”Fis.h.i.+ng villages, smacks and fishermen,” answered Jack, gloomily.
”Fishermen are a daring, reckless lot of fellows. They'd take a craft anywhere, in any kind of weather, for money enough. Fellows, I'm afraid Millard has hired a smack and started up or down the coast.”
”Then we've got a craft that can chase any smack on the Atlantic coast,” declared. Eph, stoutly.
”Of course; if we knew which craft to overhaul, and had the authority to do it.”
”Authority? Then what's the matter with the people at the Fort?”
demanded Eph.
”Their authority runs only on the land. Besides, by the time we got through the red tape, and got started, any smart smack, in a good wind, would be forty miles the other side of the horizon.”
”Are you going to take this long drive, then?” asked Hal Hastings, rather dubiously.
”Yes,” declared Jack Benson, promptly. ”Hal, old fellow, any trail is best where it's freshest.”
”I reckon you can git in, now, gents, if ye want,” called the driver.
Seated in the cab the submarine boys set out to meet whatever might be before them in Cobtown. Had they possessed the gift of prophecy--
However, none of us possess that!
CHAPTER IX
JACK PLAYS WITH A VOLCANO
After something more than an hour's drive the Jehu pulled his horses up, got down from the box and opened one of the doors.
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