A SEARCH STARTED
Meanwhile in Vine Haven Seminary a nearly frantic housekeeper had, as
Virginia had prophesied, reported to the sheriff that six girls had
started out on a hike at one o’clock of the day before and had not
returned. It was then eight in the morning. Mrs. Dorsey’s hope had been
that the girls had wandered so far from the school, that they had
decided to remain in some sheltered place and return by daylight in the
early morning.
Not knowing how she could reach Mrs. Martin, the poor woman had put in a
call for Drexel Academy and when Dean Craig replied, she had told the
circumstances in such a breathless, excited manner that it was hard for
him to understand just what had happened, but he did gather that Mrs.
Dorsey wished as many boys as he could spare to come at once to Vine
Haven to help the sheriff search for someone who was lost.
Benjy Wilson happened to pass the Dean’s office at that moment, and,
hearing his name called, he went in.
“Oh, Dean Craig,” he implored, “I beg of you, permit me to go. Two of
the girls, who were to remain at the school during their spring
vacation, are neighbors of mine in Arizona and I couldn’t do a thing
here not knowing what trouble they may be in.”
“I quite agree with you, Benjamin,” the serious young officer replied.
“Take two boys with you, any two that you believe would aid you the
most, and ride at once to Vine Haven. You may take my car, I shall not
need it.”
Scarcely more than an hour elapsed before the three boys dressed in
their hiking togs appeared on the wide veranda of the Vine Haven
Seminary.
A red-eyed, though pale housekeeper, admitted them. “I haven’t slept a
wink, nor eaten either, and I never shall, I’m thinkin’, unless we can
find those girls,” she said, when she had finished telling them all she
knew about the girls’ departure on the day before.
Benjy was most courteous. “Mrs. Dorsey, do not be so worried. I feel
confident that they are safe somewhere. Virginia Davis is an unusually
capable girl, as you know, and so are Margaret Selover and Barbara
Wente. I am sure they can take care of themselves in any ordinary
circumstances. Now if you will tell us in which direction they first
went when they left the school, we will start out at once in search of
them.”
Mrs. Dorsey felt comforted by the lad’s optimism and told all she knew,
which was very little.
“That Betsy Clossen, she as is always thinking up mischief, told me they
were an Adventure Club, and that they were starting out to hunt for an
adventure. I said ’twas all right as long as they were home before dark.
I stood and watched them a spell and they headed for the dairy farm over
in the valley, but, by and by, they dropped out of sight below the top
of the hill and I went on with my work.”
Benjy rose as did his two companions.
“We will start in that direction, Mrs. Dorsey. Perhaps at the dairy farm
there may be someone who saw them pass.”
“No,” was the doleful response. “The sheriff rode in a bit ago, just
before you came it was, and he said he and his men had been there and
everywhere in this neighborhood, for that matter, that is, everywhere
’ceptin’ over the Wall o’ Rocks Promintory. The sheriff said there was
no use looking there as school girls wouldn’t even think of trying to
climb over it. Well, I sure wish you luck. I’ll keep watching out for
you to come back. I’ll have plenty to eat waiting for you.”
Benjy was indeed sorry for the good woman who was so crushed by the
disappearance of the girls. As soon as the three lads were beyond the
confines of the school grounds, Benjy paused. “That Wall of Rocks
Promintory is about two miles from here,” he told his companions. “Some
of us from Drexel went there last year on a cross country hike. I
remember how very steep it was. I have little hope of finding the girls
there, and choose it merely because the sheriff mentioned that his men
had searched everywhere else.”
Jack Dennison and Dick Beardsley, who were the particular friends of
Benjy’s at the military academy agreed that the promintory would not
invite the ordinary schoolgirl to scale its jagged and almost
perpendicular side. When the top was reached, they stood looking down at
the beach that was gleaming in the sunlight. Jack was the first to
notice the small hut close to the base of the cliff. Smoke was rising
from the chimney and Benjy cried: “Down the trail, boys, and let’s find
out what we can from whoever may be there.”
The occupant of the old hut was an ancient fisherman who sat in the
shade mending nets. He looked up when he saw the three boys approaching,
and, taking his clay pipe from his mouth, he inquired: “Wall, lads, be
ye comin’ fer fish? If so, help yerselves. Had a big haul last week.”
Then, noting their anxious expressions, he added: “What’s up? Anything
wrong?”
Benjy told of the disappearance of the six girls who had started in that
general direction on a hike. Then eagerly, “You didn’t see them anywhere
around here on the beach yesterday, did you?”
The old man shook his head. “They might o’ been, now, for all that,” he
said. “It’s me as wasn’t here. I’ve been gone down the coast fishing the
week past.”
He nodded as he spoke toward the dilapidated dock, and the boys,
glancing in that direction, saw an old boat there with patched sail so
soiled that it was hard to believe that it might once have been white.
“Ye can take The Nancy and cruise along the shore, if ye think ’twill
help ye any. I won’t be wantin’ to go fishin’ again for many a day I’m
thinkin’.”
“Thank you,” Benjy said. “We will pay you well if we decide to accept
your offer.” Then the three lads walked slowly toward the old dock. “If
only we had some clue,” Dick was saying, when Jack leaped forward,
beckoning excitedly. “Here’s a red feather,” he cried. “Don’t you think
it might have blown off a girl’s hat?”
He picked it up as he spoke. “Oh, I don’t think so,” Benjy began, “and
yet, maybe it might.”
“There’s a brisk breeze blowing beyond the shelter of the wall of
rocks,” Dick announced. “I vote that we do take the old fisherman’s boat
and scud up and down the coast. The girls may have been stranded
somewhere by the tide. I’ve read stories like that, and they were
founded on fact.”
“So have I,” Benjy agreed. “It might be a good bet.”
And so it chanced that the three lads set sail in the old boat Nancy
just as the girls, whom they were searching, were sitting down to
partake of a fish dinner on an island which could be seen, but dimly
from the mainland.