Kendall, clutching the cork-filled cushion, hesitated, but another glance at the towering black shadow almost against them decided him. Harry was already in the water. Gerald, poised on the combing, cried to him again, and so, holding the cushion to his breast, Kendall leaped. He felt the water close over him, heard its surge in his ears. Then, fighting for breath, choked by the water he had swallowed, he found himself afloat, buoyed up by the cushion. Instinctively he worked his legs as he had seen swimmers do, striving to win out of the path of the steamer. A voice called near at hand. “Gerald! Kendall!”
Kendall tried to answer, but seemingly had no voice, and only succeeded in choking and coughing. But Gerald, from somewhere in the fog, replied:
“Over here, Harry. Can you keep afloat? Where’s Kendall?”
This time Kendall managed to answer.
[65]
“I’m here. I’m all right. Did she hit us?”
“I don’t know. Find Kendall, Harry. He’s got a cushion that will keep you up, too. Call again, Kendall.”
Then from a distance away, muffled by the fog, came a hail:
“Launch ahoy! Are you all right?”
“We’re in the water,” called Gerald. “Can’t see our launch.”
“What?” asked the voice, evidently through a megaphone.
Gerald repeated.
“Hold on then! We’re dropping a boat!”
The voice was fainter. Gerald swam out of the mist and made toward Kendall, calling to Harry. Harry replied and in a moment joined the others. “Take hold of the cushion,” Gerald panted. “It’ll hold you both up.”
“Take hold yourself,” said Harry, struggling for breath. “I’m all right. If I—didn’t have these shoes on——”
“I think this will hold us all up,” said Kendall weakly. He eased away from the cushion.
“Careful,” said Gerald. “Keep one arm over it. That’s it. Lay hold of a corner, Harry, and rest a bit.”
“I will if you will,” said Harry stubbornly.
“All right.” Gerald took a grip on the cushion[66] and Harry followed suit, and although it sank a little it sustained them.
“They’re going to pick us up,” said Gerald. “All right, Kendall?”
“All right,” replied Kendall. But his teeth were chattering and he felt a little faint.
“If I could get this old sweater off,” Harry was muttering when a hail came across the water.
“Which way?” called a voice.
“Over here,” Gerald shouted loudly. Then they heard the creak of oars in locks, and after a moment of suspense, during which Gerald shouted again, a boat took shape in the grayness and came toward them. It was manned by two sailors and a young man in uniform who stood in the bow.
“All right, kids,” he said cheerfully. “We’ll get you in. Pull around a bit to starboard, men. Now then, one at a time, boys. Give me a hand.”
The young officer had made his way to the stern of the small boat while talking and now leaned over toward the group in the water as the rowers backed the boat nearer.
“You first, Kendall,” Gerald directed. Kendall stretched forth an arm and the young officer seized his wrist and in a moment he was squirming across the gunwale. Once inside he subsided between two seats and closed his eyes dizzily.[67] When he opened them again Gerald and Harry were out of the water and the officer was asking Gerald if he wanted to pick up the cushion.
“Never mind it, thanks,” answered Gerald. “I guess the launch is gone, anyway.”
“No, we passed it back there and I guess we can find it again all right. Give way, men.”
“Then you didn’t strike it?” asked Gerald in surprise.
“Just grazed it, I guess. The lookout saw you and we sheered off in time not to sink you. You fellows take my advice and keep off the water in weather like this.”
The steamer sent a blast of her whistle and the rowers altered their course a little.
“We were trying to get home when the fog closed in on us,” replied Gerald.
“I see. Well, what do you want us to do with you? Put you aboard your launch or take you with us? We can’t tow that boat of yours, of course, but she’ll be picked up sooner or later, I guess. We’re bound for New Haven.”
“There she is, sir,” announced one of the sailors as the launch appeared through the fog.
“Just put us aboard her, if you please,” said Gerald. “We’ll be all right, thank you. It was very kind of you to pick us up.”
The officer laughed. He was a fine-looking chap[68] of twenty-one or two, bronzed and blue-eyed. “Well, we couldn’t do much less, I guess. Glad things didn’t turn out any worse, boys. Live around here, do you?”
“Wissining,” answered Harry. “We go to school there; Yardley Hall, you know.”
“What’s your boat, please?” asked Gerald.
“Conomoit, Captain Livingstone; Newport News.”
“And what line, sir?”
“Blue Cross Line. Say, you’re a bit particular, ain’t you, about who pulls you out of the water? Or are you going to sue for damages? Anything else you’d like to know?” And the officer’s blue eyes twinkled.
“I’d like to know your name, please,” replied Gerald, smiling.
“Oh, my name? My name’s Hallet, Second Officer.”
“Thank you,” answered Gerald. “We’re very much obliged to you.”
“You’re welcome. Say, that’s a fine looking little launch there. Glad we didn’t rip her up, boys. Over with you, please.”
The Dart, apparently unscathed, although later Gerald found a long smear of black paint along the side where the steamer had grazed, was rocking quietly enough in the little oily waves as the[69] sailors paddled the rowboat alongside. Gerald had thrown the clutch out before he jumped overboard, but the engine was still running. One by one the boys climbed across to the wet, fog-drenched cockpit.
“Good luck,” called their rescuer. “Keep your whistle going. Give way, men.”
The small boat disappeared into the fog, the crew of The Dart waving good-by. Then, “Harry, you and Kendall go down there and get your wet clothes off,” said Gerald. “You’ll find towels in the bottom of the right-hand locker. Rub yourself dry and put some blankets around you. I’ll stay here and keep the horn going until you get fixed up.”
“What’s the matter with you doing it?” asked Harry. “You’re as wet as I am.”
“You do as I say,” replied Gerald shortly. “I’m boss on this ship. Hurry up now!”
Kendall’s teeth chattered so as he pulled and tugged at his wet garments that Harry became alarmed and went to his assistance. But when they had rubbed their bodies into a glow with the coarse bath towels they felt rather better for their bath than worse. They took Gerald’s place on deck and he disappeared to follow the same course of treatment. The discarded clothing was wrung out and hung about to dry if it would,[70] and the three mariners, attired in gray blankets, presented a ludicrous appearance.
“I hope no one will see us,” laughed Harry as Gerald joined them in the cockpit. “We might be taken for the Flying Dutchman.”
“You look more like an Indian,” said Kendall. “What shall we do when we get ashore? We can’t go up to school in these blankets!”
“We’ll get ashore first,” replied Gerald, “and decide that afterwards. Have you heard the Conomoit’s whistle lately?”
“Yes, a min—there it is now.”
Gerald stared into the fog, striving to locate exactly the direction of the steamer. “Which way did that come from?” he asked puzzledly.
“Over there,” said Harry, pointing to port.
“Over there,” said Kendall, pointing over the bow.
Then the three looked at each other in dawning dismay. “I thought it was more back there,” said Gerald doubtfully. “Let’s wait until we hear it again.” But when it came again it was further away and might have proceeded from almost any point at their right.
“That’s funny,” said Harry. “The last time it seemed more over there.”
“The launch has swung around, probably,” said Gerald. “Well, we’ll have to make a try,[71] anyway. There’s no use staying here and drifting around the Sound.” He started the launch slowly ahead and turned her nose toward where, in his belief, the Connecticut shore lay some mile and a half away. Harry went back to the fog-horn and Kendall resumed his position as lookout in the bow. Now and then a whistle sounded at a distance in one direction or another, and once they heard the slow, steady beat of a propeller through the enveloping mist, but no craft came very near them, and The Dart, proceeding slowly and cautiously, with Harry winding lugubrious wails of warning from the patent fog-horn every half minute or so and Kendall straining his eyes into the gray wall ahead, slid through the water. In spite of the fact that it seemed quite probable that they might have to spend the night wandering around the Sound, the three boys were in high spirits, due, doubtless, to the reaction which usually follows a moment of peril, and chattered like magpies. It was unanimously agreed that it would be quite unnecessary to mention their misadventure to anyone.
“Toby would probably tell us to keep off the water,” said Harry. “And I guess your father would have something to say, too, Gerald.”
Gerald smiled. “He probably would. It’s all[72] over and I’ve learned my lesson, which is keep on dry land when there’s a fog in sight. Kendall, were you scared?”
Kendall hesitated a moment. Then, “Yes,” he answered quite honestly. “I was. I wasn’t scared when I was in the water so much, but I certainly hated to take that jump!”
“I don’t blame you,” said Harry. “It’s no fun when you can’t swim. That’s something you’ll have to learn, Burtis.”
“I’m going to. I don’t believe it’ll be hard. I swam a little to-day.”
Harry laughed. “Of course you could with a cork cushion under your chin. You’ll find it different when there’s nothing to hold you up.”
“Don’t discourage him,” said Gerald, smiling. “We’ll take him down to the river some day, Harry, and put him through his stunts. See anything, Kendall?”
“Nothing,” replied the lookout at the bow. “There’s a sound somewhere, though.” They all listened. Then Harry gave a shout.
“It’s a train, Gerald. We must be getting near shore.”
“Yes. And I think I hear a bell. Do you?”
The others agreed that they did. “It’s a fog-bell on some ship,” said Gerald. “Let’s make for it and maybe they can tell us where we are.”[73] He turned the bow of The Dart a little more to starboard and they ran slowly on, the ding-dong of the unseen bell growing momentarily louder.
Presently, “Why were you so anxious to find out the name of that steamer?” asked Harry.
“I thought that perhaps it was one of Dad’s boats,” replied Gerald.
“Oh! And was it?”
“Yes, a Blue Cross boat. I’m going to send that chap something. He was awfully decent to us.”
“Why not, seeing that he ran us down?” laughed Harry.
“I guess it was quite as much our fault as theirs. Yell if you see anything, Kendall.”
“Not a thing yet, Gerald. That bell’s getting pretty near, though.”
“That’s what I think,” responded Gerald, peering ahead. “I wonder where the dickens we are. It would be a joke on us if we found ourselves down near New London somewhere. Perhaps that bell’s on some lighthouse, fellows. Guess not, though; it doesn’t sound like it. Well, we’ll soon find out. Hello——”
“What?” asked Harry, working another groan from the horn.
“I thought I saw something ahead there, but it’s gone now. Did you see anything, Kendall?”
[74]
“N-no, I don’t think so. Sometimes the fog sort of thickens and you think you see things like shadows.”
And then the bell, which had not sounded for a minute, clanged again and Gerald snatched at a lever, for it seemed almost at their bow. And as The Dart slid through the water silently, with diminishing speed, something took shape in the fog ahead of them.
“Land!” exclaimed Harry.
“It’s a boat!” called Kendall. “Straight ahead of us, Gerald. You’d better stop.”
Gerald reversed the propeller, The Dart churned the water at her stern and quivered as she began to back. By this time they could see the amidship section of a white vessel. Gerald raised his voice as the bell clanged its two notes once more.
“Ahoy there!”
“Ahoy!” answered a voice startlingly near.
“We’ve lost our bearings. How far is the shore?”
“About three hundred feet.”
“Oh! Well, where are we?”
“Pretty nigh off the mouth of the Wissining River. Where do you want to get to?”
“Wissining River! Then—then what boat’s that?”
[75]
“Steam yacht Princess, New York, at anchor.”
“Why, that——” began Harry excitedly.
“S-sh!” cautioned Gerald. Then, “Thank you,” he called to the invisible informant. “We’re all right then.”
Very cautiously The Dart circled away and made a detour of the yacht’s bow. “I didn’t want him to see us,” said Gerald with a chuckle. “He might have recognized the launch and told Dad some time. That was Purdy, the steward. Keep your eyes peeled, Kendall, and watch for the pier.”
A few minutes later The Dart was snuggled up to the float, the lines were made fast and the three boys were stumbling up the gangplank with their blankets flapping around them and their wet clothing in their arms. The fog seemed less heavy on shore, but it was still so thick that they almost reached the house before they saw it. Gerald led the way around to a side entrance, from which, treading softly and giggling as they went, they climbed to Gerald’s room without being seen. One after another they took possession of the bath-tub and then scrambled for the dry clothing that Gerald provided. The garments didn’t fit very well, but they answered the purpose. When a maid arrived in response to Gerald’s ring she was sworn to silence and given the wet clothing.
[76]
“Put them where they’ll dry in a hurry,” said Gerald. “Has Father returned yet?”
“No, sir. He telephoned he wouldn’t be home until to-morrow morning.”
Gerald gave a sigh of relief as the maid closed the door. “Of course I’m sorry he’s not going to be here for supper,” he explained, “but it might have been difficult to explain the costumes you fellows are wearing. Harry, that coat looks as though you expected to grow a whole lot in the next half hour!”
“Well, it may be a bit large,” allowed Harry, “but it’s some coat, just the same. It’s a heap dressier than anything I own. What are we going to do while those things dry, Gerald?”
“Anything you like. We’ll go down and have a fire in the library and take it easy. You fellows will stay for supper, you know, and by the time I’ve killed this appetite of mine your clothes will be ready, I guess. Come on down.”
For an hour or more they sat in front of the fire and talked of a hundred things, their voices growing drowsier and drowsier as time passed. Then, just when Harry had begun to snore melodiously in his big armchair, supper was announced. In spite of all the dinner they had eaten their afternoon adventures had created fine new appetites, and all three did full justice to the[77] supper. By eight o’clock the clothes were pronounced ready to wear again, and Harry and Kendall changed back to their own garments. Half an hour later the three trudged back to school by way of the village, Gerald having decided, since his father was not to be at home that evening, to return with the others. They parted from Harry at Whitson, after he had been again sworn to secrecy, and, rather tired and very sleepy, crawled the two flights of stairs to Number 28 Clarke. As Kendall lighted the light Gerald caught sight of a card on the table and picked it up.
“What the dickens is this?” he said. “‘Charles Phillip Cotton!’ Now who is he and why does he leave a visiting card?”
“He’s that chap who rooms with Wellington,” answered Kendall. “The fellow they chased into my room that night. Don’t you remember?”
“Oh, that duffer? Well, what does he want here?”
“I—I told him I’d be glad to have him look me up. He—he doesn’t know many fellows, and——”
“Oh, I see.” Gerald crumpled up the card and tossed it into the waste basket. “All right, but he must be a silly chump to leave a calling card[78] here. What does he think this is? Fifth Avenue?”
“If you’d rather he didn’t call——” began Kendall.
“Not a bit of it. Maybe he’s better than he looks. You ask any fellows you want, Kendall. Personally, I don’t think I’d ever get very fond of Mr. Cotton, but if you like him it’s all right.”
“I don’t think I do—very much. Only he seemed kind of out of it, and I thought if he came in here some time he might meet some of the fellows. He’s out for the team, you know.”
“Not the football team?” asked Gerald, pausing in the middle of a yawn. Kendall nodded. Gerald grinned and completed his yawn. Then, “Well, he’s got plenty of cheek, hasn’t he? Fancy Mr. Cotton playing football! If I wasn’t so sleepy, Kendall, I’d laugh!”
“And if I wasn’t so sleepy,” murmured Kendall, “I’d have a go at my German.”
“Oh, hush,” said Gerald, crawling into bed with a long sigh of delight. “Don’t mention study to a man—who’s just been—rescued—watery grave——”
Then he slept.