LAUNCHING THE "PET"
"Pass the olives again, please!"
"Aren't the lobsters delicious?"
"Are you referring to us?" Ed bristled up, and looked rather aggressively
at Belle.
"If the net fits----" she murmured.
"Net being the sea-change from shoe," spoke Jack.
"Please pass the olives," came again from Bess, waiting patiently. "I've
only had----"
"A dozen!" interrupted Ed.
"I have not!"
"Children!" rebuked Cora.
They were all at the supper table--I prefer, since we are now at sea,
which makes so many equal--to call the late meal supper, in preference
to dinner. No fisherman ever eats a "dinner" except at noon, and it was
now well on to six o'clock. And they were making merry, were the motor
maids and boys.
Mrs. Chester had made bountiful provision for the party and they were
now enjoying it thoroughly. Over in the bungalow of the boys were ample
supplies for days to come, though such as would not keep had been laid
in sparingly.
"You girls certainly look nice enough to----"
"Eat, were you going to say?" asked Eline, who was particularly
"fetching," to quote Norton, whereupon Jack wanted to know what it was
she was expected to "fetch."
"Well, at least nibble at," remarked Walter. "Some of you don't look as
though you would stand more than a nibble," and he looked particularly at
Bess.
"Oh, but there is so much to do," sighed Cora, as she thought of the
arrangements for the night. "We really must hurry through supper and
straighten things out. Then we can rest to-morrow."
"It doesn't take you long to straighten out," said Ed, with a jovial
smile. "One minute you're rescuing fat boys from the salty ocean, and
the next you look as charming as--er--as----"
"As a mermaid," finished Walter.
"How do you do it?" Norton wanted to know. "This is the first long motor
trip I've taken, and I'm wearing the collar of your brother, with the
necktie of Ed. I can't seem to find a thing of my own."
"It is all done by system," said Cora.
"Hear! Hear!" cried Jack, English fashion. "Sis will kindly elucidate the
system."
"Finish your supper!" ordered Cora. "We want you boys to help carry around
some of our trunks. We're going to place them differently."
"More work," groaned Ed.
But the meal was finally over and the boys put the trunks in the rooms of
the various girls. Mrs. Chester had engaged the wife of one of the Cove
fishermen to come in to help with the house-work, so the two chaperones
could leave the dishes to her while they helped the girls settle their
apartments. The bungalow was of ample size, and they were sure to be
comfortable.
The boys did some "straightening-out," but it was more honored in the
breach than in the observance. When they wanted a thing they "pawed" over
their suit cases until they found it, letting the other articles settle
where they might.
They were all out on the porch, talking and laughing over the events of
the day, Cora being called upon to recount her experiences in making the
rescue.
"Cora," spoke Eline softly, when some of the motor boys and girls had
voted for a stroll down to the beach, "what was it you meant when you
said you recalled the name Margaret?"
"Oh, yes. I'm glad you spoke of that. Do you remember the name of the
woman I found in the garage the night of the fire?"
"Mrs.--Mrs.----" Eline paused.
"Mrs. Margaret Raymond," supplied Cora.
"Yes, that was it. What of her?"
"Well, the light keeper has a sister who is missing. Her name is Margaret,
too. She is the aunt of the girl in the red bathing suit."
"Does anything follow from that?"
"Suppose I told you that as soon as I saw Mr. Haley, the keeper of the
light, I was sure I had seen his face before?"
"Ah!" Eline was quick to grasp at a suggestion.
"Of course I have never seen him before," went on Cora. "But his sister
must bear some resemblance to him; don't you think, Eline?"
"I should say so--yes."
"Then take the name Margaret--the fact that his sister is named that--also
that the strange woman who ran away from the office, and whom I found
in our garage, was named the same--the fact that Mr. Haley's sister is
strangely missing, and under some sort of a cloud--which would also cover
Mrs. Raymond--and you see the coincidences; don't you?"
"Indeed I do!" declared Eline. "Oh, Cora, if it should turn out that they
are the same person!"
"It would be remarkable. But even if it were so we could not help him.
We could give him no clue as to his sister's whereabouts now."
"Well, we must find out what his sister's last name is. He has invited
us over there, and I think I can speak to him on the subject. It is worth
trying, anyhow. Suppose we go and join the others."
"Shall you tell them?" asked Eline.
"Not yet."
They found the rest of the party down on the shore of the cove. The moon
was up and the picture presented was an attractive one. Two points,
jutting out into the ocean, came near enough together to make a sort
of strait that led into the bay.
Opening out of the big bay was a smaller cove--called Sandy--from the fine
extent of bathing beach it afforded. It was just back of this beach that
several cottages had been put up, also the two bungalows occupied by our
friends.
The point on which the lighthouse was built was somewhat in the shape
of a shoe, and on the farthermost extremity were black rocks, extending,
as I have said, out in a dangerous reef from which the flashing light
warned vessels. The point was built up with fishermen's cottages, or
modest houses, and around the bay was located the village of Sandy Point,
a small settlement, but one that was gradually growing as the summer
colonists found out its beauty.
"I hope the _Petrel_ is here, all right," remarked Jack, when they had
talked of many other matters.
"We'll have to see the first thing in the morning," declared Ed.
"Yes, I am anxious to get her afloat," spoke Cora. "The water is lovely
around here."
"Well, you ought to know," came from Walter, "you were out on it to-day."
"We'll have some fun bathing," said Norton. "You say that lighthouse girl
has won swimming prizes, Cora?"
"Yes."
"Maybe we can get up some races," came from Bess. "Do you swim, Eline?"
"Some. That's what everyone says, I believe."
They talked and strolled, and strolled and talked, until the lateness of
the hour sent them to their bungalows.
There was some little excitement about getting settled for the night, for
it developed that one of the trunks containing some garments of the girls
had not arrived. But they "doubled up," and were fairly comfortable. As
for the boys, the sounds of merriment came from their quarters even at
a late hour.
"I'm glad I don't have to chaperone them," remarked Aunt Susan.
Morning came, as it generally does. Jack and his chums got their own
breakfast--in a more or less haphazard fashion--and then set off to the
railroad depot to see about the motor boat.
It was safe in the freight office, and was eagerly inspected by the boys.
For, while Cora and her motor girl chums really owned the dainty little
craft, the young men felt that they had almost a proprietary interest in
it.
"How are we going to get it over to the Cove?" asked Ed.
"On a truck, of course," replied Jack. "Then we'll knock off the
cradle----"
"Rocked in the cradle of the deep!" burst out Walter.
"Where's your permit to sing?" demanded Jack. "Stop it. Your swan song
will come in handy when we launch the _Pet_."
"Well, I guess this part of the work is strictly up to us," remarked
Norton, as he surveyed the boat. "And the sooner we get her into the
water the sooner we can have a ride."
"Right--oh!" exclaimed Jack. "I'll ask the freight agent about a truck."
That official told the boys where they could hire one, a certain man at
the Cove making a specialty of moving boats.
A little later the boys were perched on a big wagon, containing the boat,
and moving toward a boat-repair dock whence most of the launchings were
made.
The girls had word of the little ceremony that was to occur, and they
gathered at the place while the boys, with the help of one or two men,
arranged to slide the un-cradled boat into the water.
All went well until toward the end. Then the boat seemed to stick on the
rollers.
"Shove her hard!" cried Jack. "You fellows aren't putting half enough beef
into your shoves."
"All together now, boys!" cried Walter. "Here she goes!"
Just how it happened no one knew, but the _Pet_ suddenly shot down the
ways, sliding over the rollers. Jack, who had hold of her amidships, kept
his grip, and, as if not wanting to part company from the youth, or as
if objecting to taking the plunge alone, the motor boat shot into deep
water, carrying Jack with her. He clung to the gunwhale and shouted--not
in alarm, for he could swim, but in startled surprise.
"Hold her, Jack, hold her!" shouted Walter. "Or she'll smash into that
other boat," for the _Pet_, under the momentum of the slide, was going
stern foremost straight toward an anchored sloop.