New England -- Juvenile fiction; Sailing -- Juvenile fiction; Sea stories
Perry groaned. He had rowed in a half-circle then. Unless Cas had
directed him wrong. Presently the true explanation came to him. The tide
had turned between the time the _Follow Me's_ crowd had gone ashore and
the time that Perry had reached that boat, and Cas had not allowed for
the fact that the cruiser had swung around! "Well," he said wearily, "I
guess I've got to row across again."
"Too bad," sympathised one of the men. "It's most a mile. Guess, though,
you'll be able to see your way pretty soon. This fog's burning off
fast."
Out of sight of the men Perry again laid his oars down and reached
behind him for the can of milk. It was rather warm, but it tasted good
for all of that. Then, putting the wooden stopper back in place, he once
more took up his task. Perhaps he might have been rowing around that
harbour yet had not the fog suddenly disappeared as if by magic. Wisps
of it remained here and there, but even as he watched them, they curled
up and were burned into nothingness like feathers in a fire. He found
himself near the head of a two-mile-long harbour. The calm blue water
was rippling under the brushing of a light southerly breeze and here and
there lay boats anchored or moored. While the fog had hidden the harbour
he had supposed that not more than half a dozen craft were within sight,
but now, between mouth and causeway, fully two dozen sailboats and
launches dotted the surface. Over his shoulder was a little hamlet that
was doubtless Vineyard Haven. Facing him was a larger community, and he
decided that that would be Oak Bluffs. Half a mile down the harbour lay
the _Adventurer_ and, nearer at hand, the _Follow Me_. But what was of
more present interest to Perry was a group of figures on the opposite
beach. They appeared to be seated and there was that in their attitude
which, even at this distance, told of dejection. So, reflected Perry,
might have looked a group of marooned sailors. He sighed and bent again
to his inadequate oars. He was under no misapprehension as to the sort
of welcome awaiting him, but, like an early Christian martyr on the way
to the arena, he proceeded with high courage if scant enthusiasm.
With the sun pouring down upon him, with his hands blistered, with his
breath just about exhausted and his arms aching, he at last drew to the
shore amidst a dense and unflattering silence. Five irate youths stepped
into the tender and crowded the seats. Harry Corwin took his place
beside Perry and relieved him of the port oar. Perry would have yielded
the other very gladly, but none offered to accept it and he hadn't the
courage to make the suggestion. The dingey floated off the sand again,
headed for the _Follow Me,_ and then the storm broke. It didn't descend
all at once, however. At first there were muffled growls of thunder from
Harry Corwin. Then came claps from Wink Wheeler. After that the elements
raged about Perry's defenceless head, even "Brownie" supplying some fine
lightning effects!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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