THE STORM
For a moment or two the girls did not know whether or not to accept as
truth the statement Will had made in such a dramatic manner. Then his
sister Grace burst out with:
"Oh, Will, is it really true? Is that the secret you were going to tell
me?"
"That's the secret, Sis! Isn't it a good one, and didn't I keep it
well?"
"You certainly did, but I didn't expect it would be that. I thought it
would be about--about--er----"
She paused in some confusion.
"She thought it would be about a _girl_!" broke in Mollie. "Why wasn't
it, Will?"
"It may be yet. There are lady smugglers, you know!"
"Oh, nonsense!"
"Will Ford!"
"Is it really true?"
"I think he's just teasing us!"
Thus cried the girls in turn, Betty appealing to Allen in an aside to
know whether Will really had been appointed to a government position.
"Oh, yes, its true enough," Allen said, smiling indulgently.
And finally, after a little gale of laughter had subsided, Will managed
to make the girls, his sister included, understand, and believe that he
really was telling the truth. Then they inspected his badge, looked at a
sort of identifying card he carried in an inner pocket, and were
satisfied.
"But what does it all mean?" asked Grace. "I didn't know you were going
in for that sort of thing, Will! How did it happen? And are there any
smugglers around here?"
"Hist! Not a word! Sush! Take care!" hissed her brother, stepping about
with elaborate precautions on tiptoes, glancing rapidly from side to
side, while he flashed a pretended dark lantern, and Allen imitated the
low, shivery music of a Chinese orchestra.
"They may be here any minute!" chanted Will in dramatic tones. "Quick!
We must hide those diamonds. And then, gal, at the peril of your life,
you must give me those papers!" and he hissed after the manner of some
stage villains.
"Oh, quit your fooling and tell us!" demanded Grace. "Then we'll go for
a ride in your boat, and you can stop at the Point and get me some
chocolates, Will."
"Oh, I can, eh? Awfully kind, I'm sure."
"Do tell us about it," begged Amy.
"Ah, at least _you_ are sincere!" exclaimed Will, with a look that made
gentle Amy blush.
"Go on," urged Roy. "Then we'll get out on the water again. This weather
is too good to miss."
"It was this way," explained Will. "I told dad I wanted a little longer
vacation before I started in for college, after my experiences in that
turpentine camp, and he agreed that I could have it. I don't know
whether I told you or not, but when I ran away from Uncle Isaac's down
South, I fell in with a Government Secret Service man. I guess he rather
suspected I was up to some game, but he was real decent about it, and
didn't give me away.
"I happened to do him a favor--helped him trail a certain man he was
looking for, and he was good enough to compliment me on my memory for
faces. He said it was the beginning of a successful detective's career.
"Well, I had no notion of being a detective, but it made me stop and
think. I _am_ pretty good at remembering faces and voices, you know,
even if I do say it myself."
"That's right!" chimed in Allen. "I wish I had that faculty. It is the
hardest thing for me to remember the faces and names of those I meet.
But go on, Will."
"Well, the upshot of it was that this government man said if I ever
wanted a lift he'd be glad to help me. He gave me his card, and, after
all my troubles were over, thanks to your efforts, girls," and he
included them all in his bow, "I decided to go in for Secret Service
work.
"It wasn't as easy as I had expected, but at last I got the promise of a
chance, and I began studying up, and taking the examinations. I passed
successfully, and received my commission."
"So that's what you were doing all those days you were away so much?"
asked Grace.
"That was it, Sis. And now I am a full fledged Secret Service agent,
though I haven't arrested anyone yet."
"And are you really going to?" asked Betty.
"That all depends," replied Will. "If I see any law violations I'll have
to."
"But are you looking for anyone in particular, up here?" asked Amy. "Any
smugglers, pirates, or--or anything like that?"
"Bless her heart! She shall see a pirate arrested the first chance I
have!" laughed Will.
"Oh, be serious, can't you?" asked Grace, with just the hint of a snap
in her voice.
"Beg your pardon, Amy," apologized Will. "You see it's this way. I'm in
the Boston district, and that takes in a good part of the New England
coast. I haven't really been assigned to any particular locality yet.
I'm supposed to keep my eyes open wherever I am, though."
"Around here?" Mollie wanted to know.
"Yes, here as well as anywhere else. But I'm on a leave of absence now.
I'm spending a few days cruising with the boys. I'll soon have to go
back to Boston."
"Well, then busy yourself and buy me those chocolates!" demanded Grace.
"You don't need to act in your official capacity for that."
"Do you really think there may be pirates or smugglers around here?"
asked Amy, who seemed strangely interested in the matter.
"Well, there might be. You never can tell," said Will, with a look
around the horizon as though to discover some mysterious and suspicious
vessel in the offing.
After Will's explanations he had to answer a hail of questions from the
girls. The boys already knew all he could tell them. Then his sister and
her chums wished him all kinds of good luck.
"And I hope we see you arrest your first smuggler!" exclaimed Mollie,
with a quick gesture of her expressive hands and shoulders.
"Oh, I don't!" cried Amy, with a nervous look behind her.
"Well, if we're going to take the girls for a ride let's do it,"
suggested Allen.
"How does the boat run?" asked Betty, as she turned her attention to it.
"Fine and dandy!" he exclaimed with enthusiasm.
A little later the merry party of young people were out on the wide,
blue waters of the bay.
Several gladsome days followed. The boys were welcomed at Edgemere, and,
as the cottage was a large one, Mrs. Nelson insisted on Will and his
chums remaining there, though they said they wanted to camp out, or
sleep aboard the _Pocohontas_. But the quarters there were rather
cramped.
One day, when the boys were coming back in the boat with the girls, the
engine suddenly stopped while they were still a short distance from the
dock.
"Hello! What's up? Trouble?" asked Roy.
"Yes, it's that magneto again," decided Allen. "I think I'd better tie
her up and get a new one. It will be giving us trouble all summer if I
don't."
And then, as the craft was ingloriously paddled up to the dock, the boys
held a mysterious conversation regarding ground-wires, brushes, platinum
points, spark plugs and batteries.
"Oh, will the boat have to go to the repair shop?" asked Betty.
"Will you be sorry?" returned Allen, meaningly.
"You know I shall. I do so enjoy--the water," she answered with a little
blush and a bright glance.
"You sha'n't miss anything," he declared. "I'll charter a sailboat while
the _Pocohontas_ is laid up."
And this he did, arranging with Old Tin-Back for the hire of a catboat
that would hold all the party. Thus the glorious summer days were used
to best advantage, the young people cruising about the bay, fishing and
bathing as suited their fancy.
"Not going out to-day; are ye?" asked Old Tin-Back, as he came down to
the dock one morning, and found the boys and girls about to start off.
"We certainly are!" declared Will. "I think something will happen
to-day. I have a feeling in my bones that I may land a smuggler or
two."
"Oh, Will!" expostulated his sister. "Don't joke. That may be serious."
"I only hope it _is_ serious," he declared.
"What's the matter with going out to-day?" asked Allen.
"Wa'al, it looks like a squall," replied the old lobsterman. "If ye do
go don't go out too far."
"Oh, I don't want to go!" objected Grace.
The others laughed Grace out of her fears, and they started off in the
sailboat, the motor craft having been left at the repair dock some
distance up the coast.
As they swung and dipped over the blue waters of the bay, the signs of
the storm increased, and the girls, becoming more and more nervous,
insisted on the boys keeping close to shore.
And finally, when they were some distance from Ocean View, but
fortunately near a little sheltering cove, the storm broke with sudden
fury.
"Down with that sail!" yelled Allen, as the gust struck the boat,
heeling her over so that one rail dipped well under water.
"Oh, we're going to capsize!" screamed Grace.
"Keep still!" ordered her brother.
With frightened eyes the girls clung to one another, huddled together in
the little cockpit cabin, while a big wave coming from the stern seemed
to threaten to swamp them.