Part 1 (2/2)

”Yes, it was certainly worth all the hards.h.i.+ps we went through,” agreed Noddy.

”I guess we are in for a long spell of quiet now, though,” remarked Jack, after a pause, during which each boy thought of their recent adventures.

”Not so sure of that,” replied Noddy. ”You're the sort of fellow, judging from what you've told us, who is always tumbling up against something exciting.”

”Yes, I feel it in my bones that we are not destined to lead an absolutely uneventful time----” began Billy Raynor. ”I--hold hard there, Noddy; watch yourself. Here comes another yacht bearing down on us!”

Jack and Billy leaped to their feet, steadying themselves by clutching a stay. Billy was right. Another yacht, a good deal larger than their own, was heading straight for them.

”Hi! put your helm over! We've got the right of way!” shouted Jack, cupping his hands.

”Look out where you're going!” cried Billy.

But whoever was steering the other yacht made no motion to carry out the suggestions. Instead, under a press of canvas, she kept directly on her course.

”She'll run us down,” cried Noddy. ”What'll I do, Jack?”

”Throw her over to port lively now,” sang out Jack Ready. ”Hurry up or we'll have a bad smash-up!”

He leaped toward the stern to Noddy's a.s.sistance, while Billy Raynor, the young engineer, did the same.

In former volumes of this series the previous adventures of the lads have been described. In the first book, devoted to their doings and to describing the fascinating workings of sea-wireless aboard ocean-going craft, which was called ”The Ocean Wireless Boys on the Atlantic,” we learned how Jack became a prime favorite with the irascible Jacob Jukes, head of the great Transatlantic and Pacific s.h.i.+pping combine. Jack's daring rescue of Millionaire Jukes' little girl resulted in the lad's obtaining the position of wireless man on board a fine s.h.i.+p, after he had looked for such a job for months in vain. But because Jack would not become the well-paid companion of Mr. Jukes' son Tom, a rather sickly youth, the millionaire became angry with the young wireless man.

However, Jack was able, subsequently, to rescue Mr. Jukes from a drifting boat after the magnate's yacht had burned in mid-ocean and, following that, to reunite the almost frantic millionaire with his missing son.

Other exciting incidents were described, and Jack gained rapidly in his chosen profession, as did his chum, Billy Raynor, who was third a.s.sistant engineer of the big vessel. The next volume, which was called ”The Ocean Wireless Boys and the Lost Liner,” told of the loss of the splendid s.h.i.+p ”Tropic Queen,” on a volcanic island after she had become disabled and had drifted helplessly for days. By wireless Jack managed to secure aid from U. S. vessels, and it came in the nick of time, for the island was destroyed by an eruption just after the last of the rescued pa.s.sengers had been taken off. Wireless, too, secured, as described in that book, the capture of a criminal much wanted by the government.

The third volume related more of Jack's doings and was called ”The Ocean Wireless Boys of the Ice-berg Patrol.” This book told how Jack, while serving aboard one of the revenue cutters that send out wireless warnings of ice-bergs to transatlantic liners, fell into the hands of a band of seal poachers. Things looked black for the lad for a time, but he found two good friends among the rough crew in the persons of Noddy Nipper and Pompey, an eccentric old colored cook, full of superst.i.tions about ghosts. The _Polly Ann_, as the schooner was called, was wrecked and Jack and his two friends cast away on a lonesome spot of land called Skull Island. They were rescued from this place by Jack's eccentric, wooden-legged Uncle, Captain Toby Ready, who, when at home, lived on a stranded wooden schooner where he made patent medicines out of herbs for sailors. Captain Toby had got wind of an ancient treasure hidden by a forgotten race on an Arctic island. After the strange reunion they all sailed north. But an unscrupulous financier (also on a hunt for the treasure) found a way to steal their schooner and left them dest.i.tute.

For a time it appeared that they would leave their bones in the bleak northland. But the skillful resource and pluck of Jack and Noddy won the day. We now find them enjoying a holiday, with Captain Toby as host, at a fas.h.i.+onable hotel among the beautiful Thousand Islands. Having made this necessary digression, let us again turn our attention to the situation which had suddenly confronted the happy three, and which appeared to be fraught with imminent danger.

Like their own craft, the other boat carried a single mast and was sloop-rigged. But the boat was larger in every respect than the _Curlew_. She carried a great spread of snowy canvas and heeled over under its press till the white water raced along her gunwale.

As she drew nearer the boys saw that there were two occupants on board her. One was a tall, well-dressed lad in yachting clothes, whose face, rather handsome otherwise, was marred by a supercilious sneer, as if he considered himself a great deal better than anyone else. The other was a somewhat elderly man whose hair appeared to be tinged with gray. His features were coa.r.s.e, but he resembled the lad with him enough to make it certain he was his father.

”Sheer off there,” roared Jack at the top of his lungs, to the occupants of the other boat; ”do you want to run us down?”

”Get out of the way then,” cried the boy.

”Yes, sheer off yourselves, whipper-snappers!” came from the man.

”We've got the right of way!” cried Jack.

”Go chase yourselves,” yelled Noddy, reverting in this moment of excitement, as was his habit at such times, to his almost forgotten slang.

”Keep her on her course, Donald; never mind those young jack-a-napes,”

said the man in the other sloop, addressing the boy, who was steering.

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