by Edith Lavell
CHAPTER XIII
_The Broken Motor-Boat_
The two girls continued to stand perfectly still on the sand, gazing atthe retreating autogiro, which apparently was flying out farther overthe ocean, and circling about in a strange manner.
"Why don't they fly towards the coast--towards Georgia?" demanded Dot,in bewilderment.
Linda took her spyglasses out of her pocket, and squinted through themat the plane.
"I see a boat!" she exclaimed. "It must be that yacht the gang hadarrangements with--to pick up the stuff they steal.... Yes, and that'sanother island.... Look, Dot--see if I'm right."
The other girl took the glasses, and confirmed Linda's statement.
"Yes, it is.... And the Ladybug's landing on it.... Two people gettingout--must be Susie and the Doc--and boarding the boat.... Linda!They're leaving the plane on the island!"
It was true indeed; taking turns at the glasses, the girls watched theyacht push off into the ocean.
"And here we are--and there's the Ladybug!" remarked Linda, grimly."Just out of reach! The question is--how to get to her."
"Swim," suggested Dot.
"Maybe you could, Dot. But I'd be afraid of sharks."
"No, I don't think I'll try it either. Besides, the currents probablyawfully strong."
"Oh, if Jackson and Hal would only rescue us now!" lamented Linda. "Iwouldn't treat them a bit coolly."
The truth of that situation flashed upon Dot.
"Was it Jackson Carter who rescued you before, Linda?" she asked.
Linda blushed. "Yes--it was," she admitted.
"Then why did you treat him so cruelly? I should think you would havebeen everlastingly grateful."
"I was. Till his mother snubbed me--and he even doubted that I was anice girl, just because I was traveling about alone. Then, when youintroduced me, he wanted to be friends. Naturally I was hurt."
"I don't blame you! But Mrs. Carter is terribly old-fashioned."
While they were talking they had been slowly advancing towards thebeach. Suddenly Linda spied a pile of articles near the spot where theautogiro had taken off.
"Look, Dot!" she cried. "There's our stuff on the shore! The basket!My over-night bag--and I guess that other box is my tool kit, that Ialways keep in the plane! Come on!"
Breathlessly they dashed down to the shore and found that theirbelongings had indeed been tossed out of the autogiro.
"This proves that Susie's our friend!" cried Linda, hopefully. "Shemust have done this."
"Fine friend--to steal the plane!" returned Dot. "She didn't have to gowith that man!"
"Maybe not.... I'm afraid I can't understand her," mourned Linda. "Halfgood, and half bad----"
"Don't worry about Susie," urged her companion. "We have enough tothink about for ourselves.... Still, it is nice that we eat tonight.Aren't we lucky to have that food?"
Dot's forced cheerfulness brought their wretched plight back to Linda.How selfish she had been, to drag this other girl into this wretchedbusiness, when she came South to enjoy a holiday!
"Oh, Dot!" she wailed, "I can't tell you how sorry I am--about bringingyou in on this! I had no right to let you come. Your mother will neverforgive me. It was different with Lou. When she set out on those wildadventures with me, her parents knew what to expect."
"Cheer up, we're not dead yet," was the reassuring reply. "Thingsaren't so black. Our enemy is safely out of the country, I take it, andCaptain Magee is sure to look us up soon, when he doesn't hear from us.Besides, a friendly boat may come along at any minute."
"Dot, you're one girl in a thousand!" cried Linda, giving her chum ahug. "You're just an old peach, not to be complaining. And for my ownsake, I'm so thankful you're with me! Just imagine how I'd feel allalone!"
"Well, let's enjoy ourselves while the food lasts. Let's carry itinshore farther, and find a camping place. You have matches in yourpocket?"
"Always!" replied Linda, thinking of her experience in Canada, when shehad lost her matches with her plane. "I keep my pockets as full as aman's now, so if I am separated from my plane, I'm not helpless."
"Wise girl! You're learning, Linda. In a year or two you can doexploring, like Byrd--if there are any places left to explore."
"I guess Aunt Emily will make me sit home with folded hands afterthis," remarked Linda, soberly. "If we aren't rescued soon, it will bebound to get into the newspapers."
She stooped over and opened her tool-box, in which she carried allsorts of things besides actual tools. A flash-light, a knife, wire andstring, even nails and nuts. And down in the corner she found severalcans of food, which she thought the bandits had taken out when theyemptied the plane of its gas that first day in the swamp.
"This is going to be a big help," she said. "We might even build aboat----"
"Out of underbrush?" asked Dot, sarcastically. "Why, there isn't adecent tree on the whole island."
"I'm afraid you're right," sighed Linda. "Well, come on--let's getfarther in, and take this money out of our clothing. Money can be anuisance sometimes," she added, jokingly.
They picked up their possessions, Linda taking the tool-box, and Dotthe bag and basket of food, and hunted the shadiest spot they couldfind for their camp. Then they set about diligently unloading themoney, and stuffing it into the over-night bag, which they firstemptied of its contents.
"Let's see what we have to keep us alive," suggested Dot, peering intothe basket. "Three quarters of a chicken, ten oranges, almost a wholecake, four bananas, and eight rolls, besides that stuff you found. Andone thermos bottle full of water--and another half full."
"It's the lack of water that's going to make it hardest," observedLinda. "If only the ocean weren't salty."
"Well, maybe we shan't even need all this! If we rig up some kind ofsignal of distress----"
"What shall we use? Clothing?"
"We might take hundred dollar bills," laughed Dot. "They're the mostworthless things we have now."
"True. Only think how glad the people will be to get them back. Mrs.Carter, for instance.... I have it!" exclaimed Linda, brightly. "Ourpajamas! Lucky we put them into the bag! We won't need them in theday-time, and no boat could see a signal at night anyway."
"Good idea!" approved her chum. "Now let's leave all this stuff here,and explore the island. We might find something--and anyhow, it willgive us something to do."
Arm in arm they returned to the beach, where the sand was harder, andbegan to circle the island. They had gone half way around--to theopposite shore--when they both spied the old motor boat at the samemoment. So great was their joy that they jumped up and down, huggingeach other wildly.
"Of course that's what the man came in!" cried Linda. "We might haveknown he and Susie couldn't swim the ocean!"
They started to race to the boat, and arrived together. Dot immediatelyset about examining it for leaks, while Linda gave her attention tothe engine.
"It's broken," she said. "But I'm sure I can fix it. You know how Ilove to take motors apart. Just give me a day----"
"Darling, you can have a week if you want!" agreed Dot, wild withhappiness and relief. "We can make our food last."
"A day or maybe two ought to be enough. Then we can get to that otherisland and retrieve the Ladybug, before anybody even misses us!"
"It seems to be pretty sound," said Dot. "No leaks, or anything. Andthere are even a couple of oars in the bottom, if the engine won't go."
"Oars wouldn't take us far, with such a heavy boat. But I'm sure I canfix the motor, and there's a can of gasoline here, besides what's inthe tank.... But I don't believe I better start now--I'd just get itapart, and the daylight would be gone. I'll get up early tomorrow...."
"Suits me," agreed the other. "Now let's go back to our camp and fixsome supper."
Both girls felt exceedingly cheerful as they collected sticks andlighted a fire. From one of Linda's cans they took out tea, but therest they left unopened. The beans and jam and biscuits would keepuntil after th
e picnic food was gone.
"I have a bright idea," remarked Dot, as she ate a leg of chicken. "Whycouldn't we make chicken soup, out of the bones and sea-water? Youhave to put salt in it anyway, don't you?"
"Yes, but I'm afraid it would be too salty. It would make us so thirstywe'd want to drink all our water at once.... Still, we might try. Wewouldn't be wasting anything."
"Too bad we haven't sore throats," said Dot, still in a mood for joking.
"Sore throats!" repeated Linda, in amazement. "What's the connectionbetween chicken soup and sore throats?"
"Nothing--I was only trying to think up ways to use salt water. Wealways have to gargle with salt water, at home, when we have sorethroats. Doesn't your Aunt Emily make you do that?"
Her companion laughed. "No, we always use Listerine. But it's an idea.Think up some more, Dot--we'll get some uses for it yet!"
They drank very sparingly of the water in the thermos bottle--one cupapiece--and decided to limit themselves to that at each meal. Sometimesthey would substitute oranges--how thankful they were that they hadbrought so many!
Their light-hardheartedness diminished as the sun went down anddarkness settled over the island. The loneliness of the night, thesolemn roar of the ocean, the isolation of the island, appalled them.Not a human being except themselves--not a human sound!
But they had each other, and this comfort was so overwhelming to Linda,that it shut out all her other troubles. She could not help exultingevery few minutes over the joy of having a companion, and Dot wasthankful that she was there, so long as Linda had to meet with such afate. Yes, surely, they would make the best of things.
They slept well that night, for the sand, covered with leaves the girlshad plucked, made a soft bed. A breeze from the ocean was so coolingthat Linda had to pull their slickers over them as a covering. Thestars shone in a friendly sky; hand in hand, as Linda and Lou had sooften slept, the two girls dropped off into unconsciousness.
Their first thought upon awakening, after remembering where they were,was the autogiro. Their second was the motor-boat. They could not eatany breakfast until they had made sure that both of these were stillsafe.
"That island doesn't look very far away, does it?" Dot remarked, afterthey had satisfied themselves upon these two questions.
"No, it doesn't," agreed Linda, taking out her spyglasses. "Only, youcan't tell by appearances--they're so deceiving on the ocean."
They went back to their camp and breakfasted on oranges and rolls,finishing off with chocolate cake.
"Because we might as well enjoy it while it is fresh," Dot saidlaughingly. Neither girl ever had to worry about indigestion.
All day long Linda worked on the engine, with her companion at herside, watching her in admiration. All that day and the next. Onthe evening of the twenty-ninth of June she announced that she wasfinished. The engine was condescending to run!
"Tomorrow we get the Ladybug!" Linda announced, exultantly. "And getback to Jacksonville in time to keep our engagements for July first!"
They were very happy as they sat beside their camp fire that night,eating their supper of baked beans and crackers and oranges. Happy andlight-hearted, never thinking to glance at the sky, and to guess themeaning of the dark clouds that were gathering. Had they only doneso, they might have gone to the autogiro that night in their repairedmotor-boat--and saved their relatives and friends all the anguish andanxiety that they were to experience during the coming days.
But neither Linda nor Dot gave the weather a thought; they went tosleep that night in the joyful expectation of returning to Jacksonvillethe following day.
At dawn the storm came, pouring down upon them in torrents, arousingthe ocean to terrifying waves, shutting out the sight of the islandwhere the autogiro was waiting--imprisoning the girls once more intheir desolate loneliness. And now practically all of their food wasgone!