Part 32 (1/2)
”I am more glad to serve you than you can be to be served. Steady!”
”What's the matter?”
”The Florina has hauled her wind,” I replied, watching the chase.
”What does that mean?”
”She has turned her head more to the north.”
I hauled in the main sheet, and stood after the other yacht. It was sundown now, and we were within two or three miles of the Michigan sh.o.r.e. Half an hour later the Florina ran in at the mouth of a river.
When we reached the opening, we found she had anch.o.r.ed half a mile up the stream. I did not deem it prudent to follow her, and I dropped the Marian's anchor at once.
CHAPTER XXI.
IN WHICH PHIL ANSWERS SOME INQUIRIES ABOUT THE FAWN, AND OTHER MATTERS.
I hauled down the jib, and left the mainsail standing when I anch.o.r.ed the Marian at the mouth of the river, for I did not know what Mr.
Whippleton intended to do, and his movements were to govern mine.
Though the mouth of the river was rather narrow, it opened, like the creek where we had anch.o.r.ed at noon, into a broad lagoon. There were hundreds of just such small lakes near the large one, in some cases with a narrow outlet, and in others with none at all. Among the effects of Mr. Ben Waterford which I found in the cabin, were several large maps, and one of these was the most interesting study I could find as I watched the Florina.
I saw from this map that there was no large town near the lagoon, and no means of reaching a railroad. I concluded, therefore, that Mr.
Whippleton did not intend to abandon his yacht at this point. I was ready to make any movement as soon as he showed his purpose, and he could not take the Florina out of the lagoon without pa.s.sing very near the Marian. He had anch.o.r.ed at a considerable distance from the sh.o.r.e, but he had a tender.
”What are you going to do here, Philip?” asked Marian, after I had studied the map to my satisfaction.
”I am going to see what Mr. Whippleton does. He knows that I am on his track, I suppose.”
”If he has as much money as you say, he will be likely to run away.”
”Not to-night; he will not like the idea of tramping through the woods in the dark.”
”There! he's hauling in his small boat,” added Marian, pointing to the yacht.
”So he is,” I replied, pulling in the tender of the Marian.
”What will you do?”
”If he attempts to land, I shall follow him. I don't intend to lose sight of him. I haven't come so far to be balked now.”
”What shall I do?” asked my fair cousin, with an anxious look.
”You will be perfectly safe here.”
”What, alone?”
”I shall be sorry to leave you; but I must follow Mr. Whippleton, for your father's sake as well as my own.”