Part 22 (1/2)
”It isn't that It's a--well, it's a governh with a calloused hand ”I should 'a'
known! All right, Rick I'll do it Then ress around Whiteside, pointing out the houseboat to Cap'n Mike as he passed North Cove, and landed off Pirate's Field
Scotty aiting
After greeting the old sea froet started?”
”As soon as Cap'n Mike is fixed up”
Cap'n Mike was pretty self-sufficient and required little attention A cup of hot coffee, a jug of fresh water, a little bait and a rowboat, and he was on his way Fortunately, the Spindrift boat landing was not in sight of North Cove Cap'n Mike sculled slowly along the shore He would e the houseboaters
Rick checked on the girls They were engaged in ed in front of thefrolasses and looked at the houseboat, then handed the that went on
Barby had her plastic set in place Rick checked, and found that she had forgotten to turn it on He grinned at her eain e get set on the irls echoed the wish
Cap'n Mike was fishi+ng, allowing the rowboat to drift slowly in the direction of the cove Rick watched awhile, and was satisfied If anyone could put it over, Cap'n Mike could
”Now,” he asked Scotty, ”hoe get to Whiteside without attracting attention?”
Scotty scratched his head ”I don't know Unless you want to walk We could cross the tidal flats and hike to town”
Rick vetoed that ”Too far and too slow The barber would have tiot there”
”How about asking Jerry to coot it! He could coht behind the island He knows the way” Rick went into the library and called the _Morning Record_ nuet to Whiteside by the back ithout volunteering why Duke hesitated, then agreed to send Jerry
Rick set a story out of this somehow,” he said ”He's so curious he could burst a seaht away”
Just before nine o'clock the boys and Jerry arrived at the newspaper office Jerry was about to burst with curiosity, but he wasn't going to let it get the better of hile question all the way from the wood road back of Whiteside into town
Duke Barroas apparently taking the sarunted, then continued working on the following day's editorial
”So the editor
”Isn't this pretty early for you and Jerry to be at work? I thought apaper didn't open for business until afternoon”
”We never sleep,” Duke said, without interrupting his work ”What do you think this is, _The New York Times_?”
”Never occurred to h the quality of the paper is about the same”
The editor looked at Jerry ”When he talks like that, he wants so What is it?”
”Search me I don't knohat these tant, and I don't knohen they got deaf Notice they're both wearing hearing aids?”
Duke hadn't The boys grinned at his look of astonishment