Four Afloat: Being the Adventures of the Big Four on the Water

by Ralph Henry Barbour

  CHAPTER II--STARTS THE _VAGABOND_ ON ITS CRUISE

  They were very busy that afternoon. Armed with a list of necessarysupplies, they stormed one of the big grocery stores, and a smaller butvery interesting emporium where everything from a sail needle to ahalf-ton anchor was to be found.

  Bob listened to the order at the grocery with misgivings. "I don't forthe life of me see where we're going to stow all that truck, Nelson," hesaid.

  "Oh, there's more room on the _Vagabond_ than you think," was thecheerful response.

  "And he's not referring to Tommy, either," added Dan.

  "You fellows are having lots of fun with me, aren't you, this trip?"asked Tom, mildly aggrieved.

  "And the trip hasn't really begun yet," laughed Nelson. "Don't you care,Tommy, you're all right. Let's see, did we have pepper down? Yep. Well,I guess that's all, isn't it?"

  "How about oil?" asked Tom.

  "Oil? Do we need it? Look here, you don't think you're going to feed uson salad, do you?"

  "If it's seaweed salad, I pass," said Bob.

  "No," answered Tom, "but I thought you always carried oil in case of astorm; to pour on the water, you know."

  "Oh, we use gasoline for that," explained Nelson gravely. "Come on andlet's find the other joint."

  Their way lay through a number of extremely narrow and very crookedstreets--only Dan contemptuously called them alleys--and because of thecrowds it was usually necessary to proceed in single file. First therewas Nelson as guide; then came Bob; then trotted Barry; at the other endof his leash was Dan; and Tom jogged along in the rear.

  "Thunder!" exclaimed Bob at last. "The chap who laid out this town musthave been crazy! I'll bet you anything, fellows, this is the same lanewe were on five minutes ago. Look here, Nelson, are you plumb certainyou're not lost?"

  "Yes," answered the other.

  "Well, I'm not," growled Dan. "I'm lost as anything. I don't knowwhether I'm coming or going. I'd just like to----"

  But at that moment a dray horse tried to walk up his back, and Dan'sremarks were cut short. When he had reached the other side of the streetin safety he half turned his head and addressed himself to Tommy.

  "Did you see that blamed horse?" he asked indignantly. "He deliberatelytried to walk through me. Guess he mistook me for one of those shortcuts that Nelson is always talking about. I've a good mind to go backand have him arrested."

  As there was no reply, Dan turned and looked back. Then:

  "Whoa! Back up!" he shouted. "We've lost Tommy!"

  Consternation reigned.

  "When did you see him last?" asked Nelson anxiously.

  "About five minutes ago, I guess," said Dan. "It was when we were comingthrough that three-inch boulevard back there. Poor Tommy!" he saidsorrowfully. "We'll never see him again."

  "I guess we'd better go back and look for him," said Nelson.

  "Have you any idea you know how we came?" asked Dan incredulously.

  "If we don't find him, he'll make his way home, I guess," said Bob.

  "I'll bet I can tell you what's happened to him," said Dan.

  "What?"

  "He's got stuck fast in one of these narrow streets, of course. I onlyhope they won't have to tear down a building or two to get him loose."

  "Oh, they'll probably let him stay there until he is starved thin,"laughed Nelson.

  "That's so. And build a flight of steps over him. Bet you a dollar,though, that when they do pry him loose, they'll arrest him for stoppingthe traffic!"

  "Well, come on," said Nelson. "We'll see if we can find him."

  So they turned and retraced their steps, although Dan affirmedpositively that they had never come that way.

  "The sensible thing to have done," he grumbled, "was to have stayed justwhere we were and waited for the streets to come around to us. Then,when one went by with Tommy on the sidewalk, we could have just reachedout and plucked him off."

  But no one heard him save a newsboy, who thought he was asking for anafternoon paper.

  After five minutes on the "back trail," they concluded to give it up,agreeing that Tom had probably wandered into one of the side streets,and that he would undoubtedly find some one to direct him to Nelson'shouse. So they started again for the yacht-supply store, Dan pretendingto be terribly worried.

  "Who's going to break the news to his parents?" he asked lugubriously.But by the time they were in sight of their destination he had acquireda more cheerful frame of mind. "Of course," he confided to Nelson--thesidewalk here was wide enough to allow them to walk two abreast--"ofcourse, I'm sorry to lose Tommy, but it's well to look on the brightside of things. You see, Bob will have to be cook now, and you know he'sa heap better cook than Tommy ever was or ever would have been. Oh, yes,every cloud has a silver lining!" In the store he insisted on buying adory compass for his own use. "You see, Bob, I might get lost myself onthe way back," he explained. Bob, however, convinced him that what hewanted was a chart.

  Their purchases here were not many but bulky, and so they decided tocall a hack. When it came, they climbed into it and surroundedthemselves with bundles of rope, fenders, lubricating oil in galloncans, and assorted tools and hardware. It was getting toward fiveo'clock by this time, and they decided to go to the boat yard, put thethings on board, and leave the arranging of them until the morning. Theydismissed the carriage at the entrance to the wharf and took up theirburdens again. Dan, hurried along by the impatient Barry, was the firstto reach the edge of the wharf, and----

  "Well, I'll be blowed!" he cried.

  Bob and Nelson hurried to his side. There, lolling comfortably in thecockpit seat of the _Vagabond_ and eating caramels, was Tom!

  "You're a nice one!" said Nelson indignantly. "We thought you werelost!"

  "So I was," answered Tom calmly. "Quite lost. So I hired a hansom andcame here."

  "Well, you've got a great head, Tommy," said Dan admiringly. "Give youmy word, I'd never have thought to do that! I'd have just roamed aboutand roamed about until overcome by weariness and hunger. What youeating, you pig?"

  "Caramels. I stopped to buy them at a store, and when I came out, youfellows were gone and some one had turned the streets around."

  "And there we were searching for you for hours, worried half crazy,"said Dan. "Stand up there and catch these bundles, you loafer!"

  They went home in the elevated and finished Tom's caramels on the way.After dinner they got their baggage ready to send to the launch in themorning, studied the charts for the twentieth time, and listened tofinal directions and cautions from Mr. Tilford.

  Nelson's father was a tall and rather severe-looking man of about fifty,and at first the three visitors had been very much in awe of him. Butthey had speedily discovered that his severity was, to use Dan'sexpression, "only shin deep," and that in reality he was a very jollysort in a quiet way. And as they entertained an immense respect for him,they listened very attentively to what he had to say that evening in thelibrary.

  "Now there's just one way in which you boys are going to be able to keepout of trouble," said Mr. Tilford, "and that's by using sound commonsense. The _Vagabond_ isn't an ocean liner, and you mustn't think youcan take deep-sea voyages in her. I want you to be in port every eveningbefore dark. I don't care how early you set out in the morning, but Iwant you to find your mooring or your anchorage by supper-time. If youtake my advice, you'll have at least one square meal every day on shore.You can't do much cooking on the launch, even if you know how, and tokeep well and happy you've got to be well fed on good food.

  "I naturally feel a bit anxious about this trip, boys. You've allreceived permission from your parents to take it, but it's my boat and Idon't want anything to happen to you while you're on it. You're all ofyou getting old enough to look after yourselves pretty well, but I don'tknow whether you can all do it. My first idea," he went on, turning toBob, "was to send a man along with you. But Nelson didn't like that, andI realized that it would just about cut your fun in half. So I let himback me do
wn on that proposition. Now it's up to you to prove that Ihaven't made a mistake. Nelson knows that engine about as well as I do,and I don't think there'll be any trouble to speak of there. Don't besparing of oil, Nelson; half the gas-engine troubles originate with thelubrication. Oil's cheap and repairs are dear; remember that. And don'tbe afraid to throw your anchor out. It's better to ride out a blow in astanch boat like the _Vagabond_ than to try to make some port that youdon't know anything about.

  "I want to get word from you at least every other day, too; oftener, ifyou can make it. Just a line will do, so that your mother and I won'tworry. Watch your barometer and the weather flags, and when in doubt hugthe harbor. Now, how are you off for money?"

  Whereupon the session resolved into a meeting of the Committee on Waysand Means.

  The next morning the luggage was dispatched to the wharf, and, after ahurried breakfast had been eaten and they had bade good-by to Nelson'smother, the four followed. The provisions were there before them, andfor an hour they were busy stowing things away. It was wonderful what alot of supplies and clothing and personal belongings it was possible topile away in that little cabin. The cushions, mattresses, and awningwere brought aboard, and the cockpit was supplied with two of the wickerchairs belonging there. The side lights and riding light were filled,trimmed, and put in place, the searchlight tank recharged, and the icebox filled. Everybody was intensely busy and excited, and Barry was allover the boat and under everyone's feet. Mr. Tilford hurried over fromhis office at ten o'clock, looked things over anxiously and hurried offagain to attend a meeting at eleven, shaking hands all around andwishing them good luck. Then the launch was hauled around to the head ofthe wharf to have her gasoline and water tanks filled.

  By that time Nelson had invaded the flag locker, and the _Vagabond_ wasin holiday trim fore and aft. From the bow fluttered the pennant of theBoston Yacht Club and, beneath it, the owner's burgee, an invertedanchor in white, forming the letter T, on a divided field of red andblue. Over the stern hung the yachting ensign. Their personal effectswere disposed of in the stateroom; underclothing and such apparel in thechiffonier, toilet articles in the lavatory, sweaters and oilskins onthe hooks, and shoes in the berth lockers. Tom, to whom had fallen thedistribution of the provisions, had completed his task, and the ice boxand shelves above were full. Doubtless they had taken aboard a greatdeal more than they would stand in need of, but that is an error thatmost inexperienced mariners commit. Save for such things as eggs andbutter and bread, their provisions were mostly canned or preserved. Ateleven Nelson busied himself with the engine, filling his oil cans andcups, cleaning and polishing. The batteries were brand new and so wasthe wiring, and when he tried the spark he smiled his satisfaction.

  "Fat and purple," he muttered.

  "Who is?" asked Tom resentfully as he slammed down the lid of the icebox.

  "The spark, Tommy, my boy," was the reply. "I was not referring to you;you're not purple, are you?"

  "No, nor fat, either. Say, what's this? I thought it was something toeat at first."

  "That," answered Nelson, "is something you'll become better acquaintedwith to-morrow, Tommy. That is a nice quart can of metal polish."

  "Huh! I'd like to know what I've got to do with it!"

  "Oh, the cook always shines the bright-work."

  "Now, look here----"

  "Careful," warned Nelson, "or we'll put you in irons for mutiny."

  "Guess the iron wouldn't be any worse than the brass," said Tom with agrin.

  At half-past eleven all was in readiness. One of the yard hands threwoff the mooring rope and Bob took the wheel. Dan and Tom stood at theengine-room door and watched Nelson as he turned on the gasoline, lookedto his vaporizer valve, and closed his battery switch.

  "All clear?" he shouted.

  "All clear!" answered Bob.

  Nelson opened the valve at the vaporizer and turned over the fly wheel.The engine hummed, and from without came the steady _chug-chug,chug-chug_ of the exhaust. Then, with Nelson at the lever and moving athalf speed, the launch pointed her nose toward the outer harbor. Thecruise of the _Vagabond_ had begun.