ON SECRET SERVICE.
There was no question about it. Astonishing as it appeared, the bluff,
sunburned man in the motor boat which was winding its way toward the
_Curlew_, in serpentine fashion, among the tortuous channels, was
Captain Simms, the commander of the revenue cutter on which Jack Ready
had served as "ice-patrol" operator. The greetings between his late
commander and himself were, as might be imagined, cordial, but, owing to
the circumstances under which they were exchanged, somewhat hurried.
"So you've been in a smash-up," cried the captain, as he reduced speed
on nearing the stern of the _Curlew_, which was still afloat. "Nobody
hurt, I hope?"
"Except the boat," smiled Jack with grim humor.
"So I see. A nasty hole," was the captain's comment. "Lucky that I
happen to be camping ashore or you might have stayed out here for some
time. Rivermen hereabouts aren't over-obliging, unless they see big
money in it for their services."
"We'd have been content to pay a good salvage to get off here," Jack
assured him.
"Well, that other craft certainly sheered off in short order after she
hit you," was Captain Simms' comment, as he shut off power and came in
under the _Curlew's_ stern, which projected, as has been said, over
fairly deep water, only the bow being in the mud.
"Then you can tell who was to blame?" asked Billy eagerly.
"I certainly can and will, if I am called upon to do so."
"Thank you," said Jack. "I mean to make them settle for the damage, even
if I have to go to court to do it."
"That's right. It was a bad bit of business. She followed you right up.
I'd be willing to swear to that in any tribunal in the land. I hope you
bring them to justice. Who were the rascals?"
"A millionaire named Judson, who owns an island near here, and his son,
who is a fearful snob."
The boys saw a look of surprise flit across the naval officer's face.
But it was gone in an instant.
"Surely not Hiram Judson?" he demanded.
"The same man," replied Jack. "Why, do you know him, sir?"
"I--er--that is, I think we had better change the subject," said Captain
Simms with odd hesitation. Jack saw that there was something behind the
sea officer's hesitancy, but of course he did not ask any more
questions.
"I can give you a tow to the shore where there is a man who makes a
business of repairing boats," volunteered Captain Simms. "But will your
craft keep afloat that long?"
"I think so," said Jack. "We can all sit on one side and so raise the
leak above water. But can you pull us off?"
"We shall soon see that," was the rejoinder. "It looks as if it would be
an easy task. Throw me a line and I'll make it fast to my stern bitts."
This was soon done, and then the little launch set to work with might
and main to tug off the injured yacht.
"Hurray, she's moving!" cried Billy presently.
This was followed by a joyous shout from all the boys.
"She's off!"
They moved down the channel with the boys hanging over one side in order
to keep the _Curlew_ heeled over at an angle that would assure safety
from the leak. They landed at a rickety old dock with a big gasoline
tank perched at one end of it. Attached to it was a crudely painted
sign:
"Charles Hansen, Boats Built and Repaired.
All work Promptly Exicutid."
Hansen himself came toddling down the wharf. He was an old man with a
rheumatic walk and a stubbly, unshaven chin stained with tobacco juice.
A goodly sized "chaw" bulged in his withered cheek.
"Can you repair our boat quickly?" asked Jack, pointing to the hole.
Old Hansen shot a jet of tobacco juice in the direction of the injury.
"Bustitupconsiderable," he remarked.
"What's that?" demanded Billy. "Doesn't he talk English?" and he turned
an inquiring glance at Captain Simms, who laughed.
"That's just his way of talking when he's got a mouthful of what he
calls 'eatin' tobacco.' He said, 'he is of the opinion that your boat is
bust up considerable.'"
"Well, we don't need an expert to tell us that," laughed Jack.
"Doyouwantmetofixit?" inquired the eccentric old man, still running his
words together in the same odd way.
"Yes," replied Jack, "can we have her by to-morrow?"
"Haveterseehowbadlyshesbusted," muttered the old man.
"He'll have to see how badly she's busted," translated Jack. "Suppose
you take a look at her," he added to the boatman.
"Maybeagoodidee," agreed old Hansen, and he scrambled down into the
boat.
"I'llfixherbyto-morrow," he said at last.
The charges, it appeared, would not be more than ten or twelve dollars,
which the boys thought reasonable.
"Especially as they won't come out of our pockets," commented Billy.
"Not if I can help it," promised Jack decisively.
"And now," said Captain Simms, "as I happen to have some business at the
Pine Island Hotel, I'll run you down there in the _Skipjack_, as I call
my boat."
"That's awfully good of you," said Jack gratefully. "I began to think
that we would have to stay ashore here all night."
Before many minutes had passed they were off, leaving old Hansen, with
working jaws, examining the hole in the _Curlew's_ side. The _Skipjack_
proved speedy and they made the run back to the hotel in good time,
arriving there before sundown. Captain Toby had met Captain Simms after
the latter had found the treasure party at the spot where they had
unearthed the rich trove. But he proved equally reticent as to the
object of his presence at Alexandria as he had been with the boys. He
was doing some "special work" for the government, was all that Captain
Toby could ascertain.
"There's considerable mystery to all this," said Captain Toby to the
boys after Captain Simms had left them to write some letters which, he
said, he wished to send ashore by the hotel motor boat that evening.
"It's some sort of secret work for Uncle Sam, I guess," hazarded Jack,
"but what it is I've no idea. Anyhow it's none of our business."
The boys little guessed, when Jack made that remark, how very much their
business Captain Simms' secret mission was to become in the near future.