TWO MYSTERIES CLEARED UP
"Heave to! Lower your sails and we'll send you a boat!"
Thus came the command through a megaphone from an officer on the deck of
the steamer, which had come to a stop not far from the schooner. The
steamship had approached as close as she dared.
The boys, all thought of breakfast forgotten now, crowded to the rail,
eager for their rescue.
"Lower your sails!" came the command again, for the schooner was still
sweeping on.
"That's right--we've got to stop!" shouted Frank. "Come on, fellows,
let's let down the sails."
They knew just enough, from having sailed the _Puff_, to loosen the
proper ropes. Of course they loosened a good many wrong ones before they
got the right ones, but finally the two big sails came limply down.
The _Mary Ellen_ slowly lost headway, and rode gently on the surface of
the ocean.
"That's right!" came the voice through the megaphone. "Stand by to throw
us a rope. I'm sending you a boat."
The rail of the steamer was crowded with passengers who were much
interested in the novelty of a rescue at sea. The steamer seemed to be a
coast liner, probably engaged in the fruit trade, Frank thought.
In a few minutes a boat, containing several sailors, and someone in
command, swept around from the other side of the steamer. It came
straight for the schooner, the boys' hearts beating high with hope at
each stroke of the oars.
"We're all right now!" cried Bob. "Oh, I hope they have a wireless
telegraph on board, so I can send word to my mother!"
Loyal little chap! His first thought was of her whom he knew would be
worrying so!
"Oh, there's a wireless all right," said Frank, as he pointed to the
wires strung between the signal masts of the steamer.
"Oh, I'm so glad!" cried Bob, and there were tears of joy in his eyes.
"But if they take us on board the steamer, what will we do with the
schooner, and the motor boat?" asked Sammy.
"Oh, we won't have to worry about that!" cried Frank. "We've had
troubles enough. Now we're going to take it easy!"
The boat containing the sailors came nearer. The officer looked at the
three boys curiously. Frank had tossed a rope over the side. The
schooner's rail was so low that no accommodation ladder was needed.
"Ahoy there!" called the officer, as the sailors brought the boat
broadside to, and one of them held her there by clinging to the rope.
"What schooner is that?"
"The _Mary Ellen_," answered Frank.
"Where from, and where bound?" asked the officer.
"We don't know," replied Frank, with a smile.
"You don't know! Well, who's in command?"
"I guess we are," went on Frank. "We picked her up yesterday, and we've
been aboard ever since. She was abandoned."
The officer uttered a whistle of surprise.
"I'll come aboard," he said, a moment later. "Fend off, and stand by
until I signal you," he added, to the sailors. The officer, who proved
from the lettering on his cap, to be the chief mate, was soon on the
deck of the _Mary Ellen_, and then came a series of questions.
Frank and his chums told about all that had happened to them from the
time of being blown out to sea in the motor boat until they were seen by
the steamer.
"It was your flag, union down, that caught our attention," the mate
said. "You're a set of plucky youngsters, and I congratulate you. Now I
suppose you'd better come aboard the steamer, unless you want to take
this schooner to port yourselves and claim the salvage money," he said
with a smile.
"Indeed we do not!" exclaimed Bob. "We've had enough of her. I want to
send a wireless message to my mother--quick."
"You can do that all right," said the mate. "Now I'll just have a look
about, and see what the ship's papers say. They may solve the mystery.
Then we'll go aboard the steamer."
"But what about the _Mary Ellen_, and our motor boat?" asked Sammy.
"Oh, we'll look out for them," promised the mate. "I'll have the captain
send a crew aboard the schooner to work her back to port, and they'll
tow your motor boat, too. You needn't worry."
The mate went to the schooner-captain's cabin, and got what papers were
there. These showed the _Mary Ellen_ to be sailing from New York to
Savannah, Georgia, with a mixed cargo, but gave no cause for the
abandoning of the craft. However, that mystery was explained later.
Leaving one or two of the rowers in charge of the schooner, the mate
went back with the three boys in the small boat to the steamer. There
they were received by the captain most kindly, and in his cabin they
told their strange story.
"Well, I must say you lads are plucky!" exclaimed the commander. "And
you've done yourselves a good turn, too. That schooner has a valuable
cargo, and is worth considerable herself. Of course I shall have to lay
claim, in the name of the owners of my vessel, to most of the salvage,
for my crew will take her to port. But I will see that you boys get your
proper share."
Bob and his chums were most surprised by their good luck.
The passengers of the steamer heard the lads' story, and made much of
the boys, who were glad indeed to be safe on a vessel that could take
them to some place whence they could reach Lighthouse Cove again.
Bob's first thought was to telegraph his mother that they were safe, and
soon the wireless was cracking out a message that, when it was received,
made Mrs. Bouncer a most happy mother, for it told her that Bob and his
chums were all right.
More sailors were sent aboard the schooner to work her to the nearest
port, towing the motor boat. Then the steamer started off again, with
the boys as passengers. The captain promised to land them at a port
where they could get a train back to Lighthouse Cove, and this he did,
later in the day, sending them ashore in a launch.
That night Bob and his chums were home again.
By turns the boys told their story.
"Oh, but we were so worried!" exclaimed Mrs. Bouncer. "Of course it
wasn't your fault, though. Silas kept telling us that his boat would
ride out the storm, but your father has hired a large motor boat and is
off searching for you."
But the good news soon reached Mr. Bouncer, for it was telegraphed all
along the coast, and he heard it when he put in at a port to get
gasolene. Then he hurried back to Barnacle Cottage.
"But what made the schooner abandoned?" asked Bob's father, when he had
heard the story. The boys did not know, but a day or so later that
mystery was cleared.
It seemed that, just before the storm that sent Bob and his chums to
sea, the schooner had put in at a small port for a supply of fresh
water, hers having leaked away because of faulty casks. All the crew was
given shore leave, and the captain, too, went off to attend to some
business. A watchman alone was left in charge, while the _Mary Ellen_
was docked.
Then came a small hurricane. A neighboring vessel broke her mooring rope
and crowded down on the schooner. The latter parted her cable and swung
out into the channel. Then the wind caught her and sent her to sea, much
as the boys had been blown. In the confusion that followed no one
thought of trying to save the _Mary Ellen_ and away she went without a
soul aboard, for the watchman had fallen overboard while trying to lower
the sails. He was not, however, drowned.
So, after all, there was not much of a mystery about the schooner. She
was claimed by her captain and crew, and her' owners gladly paid the
salvage money, of which our young heroes received their proper share.
Their parents put it in the bank for them.
A few days later Silas Warner got back his motor boat, which had been
only slightly damaged.
"Well, that's over," said Sammy, a few days after their return from
their unexpected voyage to sea. "Now if we could only find the pirate
gold, we'd be all right."
"Oh, you're foolish!" exclaimed Frank. "There never was any pirate
gold."
"Well, what was Professor Watson digging for?" demanded Sammy.
"I don't know," said Frank, "But it wasn't gold."
"There he is now, digging again," said Bob, quickly, "and he's on our
beach, too. I guess now we've got a right to ask him what he's after."
Rather bashfully the boys approached the old man. He paid no attention
to them, but went on digging. Suddenly he was observed to throw aside
his shovel, make a grab for something in the sand, and then he cried
out:
"I have it! I have it! At last I have found it!"
Eagerly the boys rushed forward. The man did not seem to notice them,
but was closely looking at something in his hand.
"Have you found the pirate gold?" asked Bob, boldly.
The man looked at the boys. He did not seem annoyed now.
"Gold! No, I wasn't looking for gold," he said. "But I have found a very
rare kind of seashell for which I have been searching all Summer. At
last my scientific collection is complete. My search is ended!"
The boys did not know what to think.
"Weren't you looking for gold?" asked Sammy, much amazed.
"Gold! No, I care nothing for gold. I am a college professor and from my
studies I decided that a certain rare seashell was to be found on this
coast. I came here, and dug in many places for it. I even dug at night,
for the creature that lives in this shell is said to prefer to feed at
night. But I never had any luck until now."
"Then you know nothing about pirates," said Sammy, sadly.
The professor looked curiously at them.
"Ah, I have seen you boys before," he said, musingly.
"Yes, we followed you once," said Frank.
"I remember now. And I drove you away. I did not mean to be impolite,
but this shell is a very delicate one, and you were walking over the
land where I thought I might find one. I feared you would crush it.
That is why I asked you to leave. But it is all right now. See, I have
the treasure," and he showed the boys a curious pink and blue shell in
his hand. To them it did not amount to much, but probably to the
scientist it was very valuable.
The boys asked the professor about the night they had met him when the
lighthouse beacon was out. He explained that he had just received word
from an old fisherman, one of several he had told of his quest, with a
command to kept it secret, that some sort of shells, very like the one
the scientist wanted, might be found in a certain place. There the
professor went, taking a light with him, and it was thus the boys met
him.
"And so ends that mystery," murmured Bob.
"Well, I'm glad it's over," said Frank. "Maybe now you can think of
something else besides pirate gold, Sammy, and we can have some fun."
"Yes, it's all over," said Sammy. "I wonder what will happen next?"
And what did occur I will relate to you in the next volume of this
series, to be called "Fairview Boys on a Ranch; Or, Riding with the
Cowboys."
But the days at Lighthouse Cove were not yet over. There still remained
some glorious Summer weather and the boys enjoyed it to the utmost. They
went swimming, crabbing and boating, but they never again went so near
the inlet that they were in danger of being carried out to sea. And they
neither looked for nor found the pirate gold although they did find some
very pretty seashells.
And now we will take leave of the Fairview boys.
THE END.