Part 18 (1/2)
”Cap'n Toby Ready,
”_Inventor and Patentee of the Universal Herb Medicine, Guaranteed to Cure All Ills, Both of Man and Quadruped._”
CHAPTER XX.
THE ”CURLEW” IN TROUBLE.
”Looks as if we might have a blow, Jack.”
The _Curlew_ was lazily moving along, with all sail set, carrying the boys back to Pine Island from their adventurous visit to Musky Bay. But, although every bit of canvas was stretched on her spars, she hardly moved. Her form was reflected in the smooth water with almost mirror-like accuracy.
”A blow? Pshaw,” scoffed Noddy, ”there isn't a breath of wind. I wish we could get a blow and cool off.”
”Well, your wish is likely to come true before very long,” said Jack, who was at the tiller.
”How's that?”
”See that cloud bank over yonder, that ragged one?”
”Yes, what's that got to do with it?”
”Well, that's as full of wind as an auto tire,” said Jack. ”I've been watching it for some time. It'll be a nasty storm when it hits us.”
”Hadn't we better run in for shelter somewhere?” asked Billy.
”There's so little wind now that I doubt if we could get insh.o.r.e before the squall hits us,” replied Jack. ”I'll try to, though.”
He headed for the distant sh.o.r.e, where the outlines of some sort of a wooden structure could be seen.
”If it gets very bad we can take refuge there,” he said.
”That's so. I've no great fancy for getting wet,” said Billy.
”Nor have I. We've had enough experiences of late to last us a long time,” laughed Jack.
”And I was left out of every one of them,” grumbled Noddy.
”For which you ought to be duly thankful,” said Billy.
”Yes, I didn't enjoy that stone house much, or the soot,” declared Jack.
”That cave didn't make much of a hit with me, either,” said Billy. ”My, those green eyes gave me a scare. I thought it was a bear or a mountain lion, sure; but they say there aren't any such animals in this part of the country.”
”Abner said it must have been a lynx,” said Jack.
”That being the case, you should have cuffed it,” chuckled Noddy.
For the time being he escaped punishment for perpetrating this alleged pun, for the wind began to freshen and the _Curlew_ slid through the water like a thing of life. The sh.o.r.e drew rapidly nearer.