A MISSING MOTOR BOAT
Swinging into the broad expanse of Sheepscot Bay, the _Deerfoot_ moved
smoothly up the river which bears the same name. Captain Landon held her
to the moderate speed of fifteen miles or so an hour. There was no call
for haste and he was wise not to strain the engine unnecessarily. To
increase the rate would be imitating the man who drives his automobile
at the highest clip, when he has to concentrate his attention upon the
machine, with no appreciation of the beauties of the country through
which he is plunging, and continually threatened by fatal accidents.
Alvin held the wheel, while Chester and Mike, seated behind him, kept
intelligent trace of their progress by means of the fine map of the
United States Geological Survey. The first point identified was Lower
Mark Island on the right and close to Southport, then came Cat Ledges,
Jold, Cedarbrush, the Hendrick Light, on the same side, while across
loomed the pretty station known as Five Islands, one of the regular
stopping places of the steamers going north or south. Omitting the
smaller places, the next point which interested our friends was the Isle
of Springs, one of the best known summer resorts in Sheepscot River. The
landing was crowded with passengers, waiting for the steamer _Gardiner_
from Augusta, the capital of the State, and on its way to rush through
the strait north of Southport to its destination, Ocean Point beyond
Squirrel Island.
The peculiarity about this plucky little steamer is that no craft that
ever plowed through those waters is so dependable. Again and again she
has made the long trip and not been out a single minute at any of the
numerous landings. She has been called the "Pony of the Kennebec," and
nothing less than an explosion of her boiler or a collision with another
craft would make her tardy anywhere.
"There are many persons along the river and on the islands who set
their watches and clocks by the _Gardiner_," said Alvin, speaking over
his shoulder.
He glanced at his watch.
"I don't know when she is due at the Isle of Springs, but as I figure it
she ought to be in sight now."
"And, begorrah! there she comes!" exclaimed Mike, pointing to the left
toward Goose Rock Passage, leading from Knubble Bay to Sheepscot. The
foaming billows tumbled away from the prow, as the boat drove
resistlessly forward, and the whistle sounded for the landing. Many a
time when rounding Capitol Island to the northwest of Squirrel, with a
storm raging, the spray and water have been flung clean over the pilot
house and slid over the upper deck and streamed away off the stern.
Chester Haynes saluted with the whistle, but the captain of the
_Gardiner_ gave no heed. His eye was upon the landing toward which he
was steaming. When the freight had been tumbled ashore and the waiting
cargo taken aboard, the gang planks were drawn in, lines cast off, and
though a dozen passengers might be pointing toward the pier, shouting
and waving hats or umbrellas, all would be left.
The resinous pine trees formerly including firs, larches and true cedars
so thick that no spaces showed between, grew all the way down the rocky
hills to the water's edge. The river, without a ripple except such as
was made by passing craft, was as crystalline as a mountain spring. Here
and there a rude drawing was scratched in the face of the cliffs, the
work of the Indians who lived in that part of Maine before the Pilgrims
landed at Plymouth. It was one continuous dream which never loses its
charm for those who make the trip, no matter how often.
The sky remained overcast, though no rain fell, when the _Deerfoot_
drove through the Eddy, where the current narrows and is very swift and
deep. A bridge connects the mainland with Davis Island. The launch sat
so low that there was no call to the bridge tender to open the draw. As
it shot under, the peaks of the flagstaffs showed a foot below the
planking.
They were now approaching the pretty town of Wiscasset, from which came
the faint thrill of a locomotive whistle, as notice that at that point a
traveler could change from boats to cars. The launch was sweeping round
a bend in the river when Mike pointed to the right with the question:
"Phwat's that?"
"It is the famous blockhouse, built in 1807 for the protection of
Wiscasset, four miles away, but it was never used because the town was
never in danger."
The interesting structure, which you may have seen when gliding past in
a boat, is octagonal in form, with one window on each face of the lower
story, except on the one containing a narrow door approached by a single
step of wood. As was the fashion in building blockhouses, the second
story overhangs the first and on each face of this upper story is a
square window with a long loop-hole placed horizontally on either side.
The flat roof is surmounted by a slender cupola, also octagonal, with a
window occupying nearly all the space of each face. The whole building
is covered with shingles and for a long time after its erection it was
surrounded by an elaborate system of earthworks.
The _Deerfoot_ slackened its speed as it came opposite. Mike Murphy
showed special interest in the old faded building.
"It suggists the palace of me grandfather, the Duke De Sassy," said he.
"If ye have no great objiction, Captain, I should be glad of a closer
look at it."
Since the day was at their disposal, the youthful captain was quite
willing to halt and inspect the historic structure. He turned the bow
toward the bank, and stopped in deep water a few feet from land. Mike
cleared the intervening distance in an easy jump, taking the end of the
bow line which he made fast to a convenient tree. Chester at the same
time had cast out the anchor from the stern and made fast the cable to a
cleat on the after or stern deck. The launch was thus held immovable and
safe from injury. In the meanwhile, Alvin had employed himself in
shutting down the motor, turning off the gasoline and air tank valves
and making ready to leave the launch in its usual good order.
Mike said:
"I have a brilliant suggistion to make to ye, as me uncle said when he
arranged to foight six men, by taking on one each day instead of
engaging them all at once. The same is that we indoolge in our noon
repast on shore."
The plans of the lads when they left home was to have dinner at the
hotel in Wiscasset, but they had been so delayed by their leisurely
ascent of the river that the meridian was past. A supply of sandwiches,
ginger ale and sarsaparilla was laid in so as to be prepared for
contingencies, and it need not be said that all had keen appetites.
Chester remarked that it was only a brief run to the little town ahead.
Moreover, it was more convenient to eat on the launch, where they could
spread the food on one of the seats or the cover of the cockpit. But
every boy would rather chew a venison or bear steak, though tough as
leather, in preference to a tender, juicy bit of beef, and eating in
the woods is tenfold more enticing than in a house or on a boat.
Besides, they had been sitting so long that the change would be a
relief. Accordingly, Chester and Mike gathered up the big paper bags
which held the lunch, and the bottles of soft stuff, and leaped lightly
ashore.
The little party walked the short distance to the primitive blockhouse,
and passing a little way beyond sat down on the pine burrs and grass and
tackled the food. The clear air, the odorous breath of the forest, and
the soft ripple of the stream flowing past, gave the repast a charm
beyond that which the Waldorf-Astoria can impart to its guests.
"It makes me sigh," said Mike when the last morsel of food had
disappeared and he drew the napkin across his lips, "to think that only
a few waaks are lift to us of this bliss of life."
"Yes," replied Captain Alvin; "the days fly fast; soon I shall have to
go back to school and study so hard there will be mighty little time
left for play."
"The same here," added Chester in a lugubrious voice. "I don't suppose
there would be half as much fun in this sport if we took it straight
along."
"I'm willing to try the same for tin or twinty years; it's mesilf that
doesn't belave I'd grow weary in less time than thot. Couldn't ye
persuade your dad, you j'ining company wid him, Chister, to give the
thing a thrial for that long?"
Alvin shook his head.
"Suppose our parents should be so foolish, do you think your father and
mother would allow you to squander your time like that?"
Mike removed his cap and scratched his head.
"I'm afeard there'd be objiction from that side of the house. Ye see
that twinty years from now dad, if he's alive, which God grant, will be
an old man; thrue I'd be in me prime, and if he was too overbearing wid
me, I could lay him over me knee and spank him, but I'd sorter hate to
do that, bekase of the kindness he had shown me in days gone by.
Besides," added Mike, with a big wink, "me mither would be sure to take
dad's part, and I'm convinced that twinty years from now she'll be
bigger and stronger than to-day. With the two united in battle array
agin me, I'd hev no ch'ice but to take to the woods. Yes; we'll have to
give up the idea which sthruck me so favorable at first. What do ye
intind to do with the _Deerfoot_, Captain, when the summer is gone?"
"Draw her out on land and cover her with canvas for the winter, so as to
keep her in condition for a bigger outing next year."
"That maans, I 'spose, ye'll carry her in the house and put her to bed
and kiver her up the same as a sick baby?"
"Hardly that, but she will need and will receive the best of
care--hark!"
The three were silent for a minute. Faintly but distinctly all caught
the distant whirr from the exhaust of a speed launch. They quickly noted
that the sound grew less audible--proof that the launch was speeding
away from them.
At first it seemed to be in the direction of Wiscasset, but when they
were barely able to hear the noise, they agreed that it was from down
the river. Inasmuch as they had not met any boat on their way to this
point, they were puzzled to understand how the craft could have passed
them without being seen. The only explanation was that it had come
nearly to the blockhouse from below, and then owing to some cause had
turned about and gone back.
"That's queer," remarked Alvin, as a sudden suspicion flashed over him.
He sprang to his feet and ran round the building, the others at his
heels, for the same dread was with them. In a moment Alvin halted with
the exclamation:
"Some one has run off with our launch!"
Such was the fact.