Part 35 (1/2)
”Well, there's one thing sure, Denny hasn't been attacked as yet,”
whispered Bess. ”And the boys haven't been here to warn him, or he'd show some signs of it.”
”I think you're right,” agreed Cora. ”What had we better do? Tell him ourselves?”
”That's what I say--let's warn him,” suggested Belle.
The girls started for the cabin door, but paused midway as they heard the approach of a motor boat near the fisherman's little dock.
”Wait,” suggested Cora. ”That may be the boys now.”
CHAPTER XXV
THE PLOTTERS ARRIVE
”What's the trouble?” asked one of the four men in the boat that had come to the rescue of Jack and his chums. ”Engine broken, or are you out of gasoline?”
”We've got gas, but there may be water in it,” replied Dray. ”I watched the fellow when he filled the tank, though, and he used the chamois all right.”
”You can't always go by that,” said another of the accommodating strangers. ”There's an awful sight of poor gasoline being palmed off nowadays. Have you got a long rope?”
”We sure have,” answered Jack. ”It's mighty good of you to stop and give us a tow.”
”That's all right,” laughed one of the men. ”We never can tell when we might want a helping hand ourselves. Pa.s.s us the rope.”
It was flung over. The two boats were now bobbing side by side, for they were well out in the bay, and the sea was quite choppy. The tide was running out, and help had come to the boys not any too soon.
The rope, pa.s.sing from the bow of the _Dixie_, where it was made fast to a ring bolt in the deck, was caught on to a cleat in the stern of the other boat.
”You'll look after the steering; will you?” asked one of the men.
”Surely,” answered Dray.
”Because there's nothing harder than towing a boat that yaws from side to side,” the man went on.
”We'll keep a straight course,” declared the owner of the speedy boat that had proved such a disappointment of late. ”We know something about gasoline craft.”
”Glad to hear it,” remarked one of the occupants of the rescuing boat, in a grumbling sort of voice. ”There's so many launched on the bay now, with a lot of chaps running them who don't know any more than to turn on the gasoline and switch on the spark.”
”And girls, too,” added another of the men. ”Though I must say there are some girls here who----”
”Easy there!” called one of the rescuers sharply.
He might have been speaking to his companion, who was attending to the fastening of the towing rope, but to Jack it seemed as though there was an injunction to be careful of what was said.
Somehow or other, though why he could not tell, Jack's suspicions were aroused. He tried to get a good look at the faces of the men, but the moon was hidden behind some clouds just then, and it was out of the question. The light was too baffling.
”Well, I guess we're ready,” announced the man who was making fast the towing rope. ”Now where do you fellows want to go? We can't promise to take you home, as we have some business of our own to attend to.”