Fairview Boys at Lighthouse Cove/Chapter 15
CHAPTER XV
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 ofif 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.