ARRESTED IN ROCKLAND.
There were some indignant lads on board the _White Wings_.
"A regular case of piracy!" declared Diamond. "If we had not been too
much for that gang, they would have seized the boat."
"Sure," nodded Hodge, whose eyes were gleaming, while his breast, across
which his arms were folded, rose and fell with excitement.
"We handled them too easy," grunted Browning. "It would have served them
right if we had split the skull of every man who tried to come over our
rail."
"Der pig poom come britty near sblitting der skull uf one," grinned
Hans. "You pet dot chap half a swelt head on me."
Frank had returned to the wheel. He did not say much, but his cheeks
were flushed with excitement and his lips were pressed together.
"Remember what the truckman told you, Merry?" questioned Diamond.
"What was that?"
"Why, about this boat being hoodooed."
"Yes."
"It begins to look as if he was right."
"Oh, I don't know."
"Well, if this hasn't been a hoodoo cruise from Boston, I don't know a
thing!"
"It has been rather eventful," admitted Frank, his face relaxing
somewhat.
"Uf you vos lookin' oxcitement for, we haf found him," put in Hans.
"Those chaps are keeping watch of us now," said Frank. "I suppose they
think of trying the trick again."
"Don't believe they will," said Hodge. "We'll be in the harbor pretty
soon, and they won't dare make another attempt like that."
As they ran in the mist lifted and vanished, and they saw the city
stretched before them. To the north was the breakwater that protects the
harbor, and away in the distance loomed some mountains.
"What are those hills there?" asked Diamond.
"Those are the famous Camden mountains," answered Frank. "The town lies
at the foot of those mountains, and Thomas Wentworth Higginson says the
scenery in the vicinity of Camden is the most varied and beautiful to be
found anywhere in the world."
"Are we going to stop at Camden?"
"Well, that is on the program. We'll run up there to-morrow."
They anchored near the other yachts and vessels, purposely running into
the very midst of them.
"As long as one of us stays on board, those chaps will not attempt to
seize the yacht by force while we remain here," said Merriwell.
"Don't be too sure of that," warned Hodge. "They are desperate
characters, and there is no telling what they will try."
They watched the launch run into a wharf and saw the party leave her.
Not one of the baffled boarders remained in the vicinity, but all
quickly disappeared.
"I believe they are afraid of the consequences now," said Merry. "They
are getting out of the way in a hurry."
It was not long before the others were of the same opinion. However,
Frank was not certain but this movement on the part of the enemy was a
ruse to lull their suspicions.
"Three of us will remain on the yacht," he said. "Jack and I are going
ashore."
"How?" asked Diamond. "We have no boat, and we are anchored off here in
the bay."
"I am going to buy a boat here. I think we can get one of the boats from
some of these vessels to set us ashore."
The nearest vessel was hailed, and it did not take long to get a sailor
with a boat to come over to the yacht and take Frank and Jack off. He
rowed them to the steamboat wharf, and would not take a cent for doing
so.
"All right, mates," he said, in a hearty way. "I'll want a turn
sometime, perhaps." Then, after telling them that, if they did not get a
boat, they could whistle him up and he would bring them off to their
yacht, he rowed away.
There were a number of truck teams about the wharf, loading with the
freight left there that morning by the steamer. Frank inquired of one of
the truckmen where to find a man who would sell them a first-class
rowboat, and the truckman directed him to a man who had boats to let and
to sell.
This man the boys sought without delay, but he was not at his shop. They
were told that he had gone uptown, and so they walked up Sea Street into
the heart of the city.
As they came out on Main Street, Diamond halted with an exclamation of
astonishment.
"Great Scott!" burst from his lips. "Is this real?"
"Is what real?" asked Frank.
"Do I really see a trolley car running along the street here, or am I
dreaming?"
"Oh, come along!" laughed Frank. "They have trolley cars down in this
country, and I don't think it looks quite as wild and uncivilized as you
expected."
They entered the Thorndike Hotel together, and, just as they passed
through the door, Frank suddenly clutched his friend's arm, giving a
gasp of astonishment himself.
Jack saw Merry was staring toward the flight of stairs. He looked up,
and there on the stairs, descending toward them, were two girls, Inza
Burrage and Paula Benjamin!
Merriwell recovered his composure immediately and stepped forward to
meet the girls at the foot of the stairs, accompanied by Diamond. The
boys lifted their hats, and Frank said:
"Another unexpected pleasure! We didn't dream of this. Supposed you were
in Bar Harbor."
The girls shook hands with them, and both seemed to show confusion.
"It is a pleasure," declared Inza. "We are stopping here in Rockland a
few days."
Frank longed to ask questions, but he knew it would be an act of
rudeness, and he refrained. However, Paula seemed to think that Inza's
explanation was not sufficient, and she added:
"Yes, we decided to stop off here a day, and we are so interested with
the city and the surrounding country that we will remain a little
longer."
"That will be pleasant," said Frank. "We've just got in, and are rather
salty now, but we mean to brace up and get some of the brine out of us.
Perhaps we may have the pleasure of seeing you often while we remain
here."
"I hope we may," put in Jack, quickly, looking earnestly at Paula, who
let her eyes droop before his gaze.
"I am sure it will be agreeable to us," smiled Inza. "Tell us something
about your voyage. Did you have a nice time?"
"Nice isn't any name for it," laughed Frank.
"That's right," nodded Jack; "it isn't."
"We have encountered excitements galore."
"Such as fogs and storms and steamboats and pirates."
"Mercy! Pirates!"
"Well, they attempted to board us and seize the yacht."
"What did you do?"
"We gave them a jolly good welcome."
A uniformed policeman entered the hotel and stepped up to the boys.
"Which one of you is Frank Merriwell?" he asked.
"I am, sir," said Frank.
"Then," said the officer, "I shall have to take you."
"Take me?" cried Frank. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that you are under arrest."