The Golden Eagle Mystery (10 page)

“Yes, I guess they could have,” Djuna admitted. “But then
their
boat must have made some noise. We’ve got to ask everybody, I guess. Maybe
somebody
saw them.”

Just then they heard someone shouting, and they all looked around. A woman was hurrying toward them, down the path from the village.

“That’s my wife!” exclaimed the old fisherman. “What’s the trouble now?”

As she came closer, the woman waved her arm frantically. “John! John!” she shouted. “There’s an empty motorboat driftin’ in toward the Point! It’s headin’ right for the rocks!”

The old man waited to hear no more, but started on a run for the beach. Aunt Patty hesitated only a second.

“Emmy, will you stay here and wait for your uncle?” she gasped. “Tell him I’m awful afraid that’s my boat. I’ve got to go and see!”

“Wait!” said Djuna excitedly. “Here they come, now!”

They all heard the roar of the motorboat in the distance, and, turning to look, they saw Captain Reckless’ boat come tearing toward them at full speed, with Billy waving to them. He was waving something that looked like a piece of black cloth. In a few minutes more the boat had reached the end of the wharf and Captain Reckless shut down the motor and the boat glided up to them.

“What’s all this about the
Patagonia
being gone?” shouted Captain Reckless as he came close. “We’ll find her somewhere, don’t worry!”

Aunt Patty choked back a sob. “Oh, that’s just what I’m afraid of!” she said wildly. “There’s a boat going ashore at the Point! Maybe it’s too late!”

Captain Reckless stopped smiling. “Might be some other boat,” he said. “But get in, all of you, and we’ll get there as quick as we can. Look sharp there, Billy!”

Billy held the boat against the wharf while Aunt Patty and Emmy found seats in the cockpit, and as soon as Djuna had jumped on board he cast off. Captain Reckless backed the boat around and headed for the harbor, gathering speed quickly.

“Look, Djuna,” said Billy, pointing at the bundle of black cloth he had been waving as the boat first came toward the wharf, “I brought our swimming trunks along. I thought we might get a chance for a swim somewhere.”

Djuna shook his head. “I don’t think we’ll have any time to go swimming until we find Aunt Patty’s boat,” he said. “Gee, I hope we do!”

As they passed the end of the pier and got out into the open water of the harbor, they began to feel the waves lift the boat up and down; and every once in a while a bigger wave would break against the bow and send a shower of spray flying past them. Aunt Patty and Emmy, sitting in the stern of the boat, were shielded from the spray; but Djuna and Billy, up in the bow, soon got well spattered.

“Gosh! we might as well get into our trunks right now!” exclaimed Billy.

They dived into the little cabin, quickly pulled off their shirts and shorts, and were back on deck in their swimming trunks in no time. The boat had just reached the mouth of the harbor and now they could see the wide blue Sound ahead, its surface dotted with white-capped waves which the wind was driving before it like a flock of white sheep on a blue pasture. In another minute they had passed the little hill on which stood the old stone lighthouse of Stony Harbor, and they could see the flat beach beyond the lighthouse, and the Point of the beach, surrounded by scattered rocks, half-buried in the sea.

A cry of despair burst from Aunt Patty’s lips. She half-rose, then sank back and buried her face in her hands.

“It’s the
Patagonia!”
she sobbed.

They all stood horrified at what they saw. The empty fishing boat, Aunt Patty’s sturdy old boat, had come to the end of her mysterious journey. She lay in plain sight, hardly a quarter of a mile away from them, lonely in her misery. She rolled a little, from side to side, as if struggling to get free. Once she lifted her head, then let it sink again, helplessly. A burst of white spray flew over her. And again she lifted her old head, slowly, bravely.

Billy’s father gave a hoarse growl. “The cowards!” he muttered fiercely. “They’ve set her adrift to die! She’s caught her stern on Knife Rock!”

But, just as he spoke, a higher wave rolled over the unseen rock. Its upward sweep, as it passed over the rock, lifted the heavy boat like a feather. It rolled onward. And the
Patagonia
, carried along with it, shook herself free from the rock and floated on!

“Look!” yelled Billy, exultantly. “She’s loose! She’s loose! Now you can get her, Dad!”

But Captain Reckless shook his head. “I can’t do it, son,” he said sadly. “She’ll be in among all those other rocks in a minute. They’re as thick as tiger’s teeth in there. If I get in too close, we’ll crack on ’em like an egg shell.”

Djuna and Billy, Emmy and Aunt Patty, could not take their eyes away from the helpless
Patagonia
. With no one to steer her, the doomed boat turned as the mocking waves pushed her, this way and that, and she turned helplessly from one direction to another as if she were pleading for help. But no matter which way she turned, foot by foot she drifted closer to the rocks that waited for her. Djuna felt sick with pity for her. Blindly the old
Patagonia
floated on, swaying from side to side in the waves, like a wild deer that is crazed by terror and weak from wounds, feebly staggering to her death.

They were only a hundred feet away from her now.

She was drifting sidewise. Djuna could see the anchor lying on the forward decking, the anchor rope coiled neatly beside it. Beyond her, terrifyingly close, the waves broke over the waiting rocks.

Djuna could bear it no longer. “Billy, I’m going to try to drop that anchor,” he burst out. “Maybe that will stop her!”

And before Billy had time to answer, he plunged into the water.

Aunt Patty shrieked.

Djuna came up a dozen feet from the boat and shook the water out of his eyes. Turning his head, he laughed and waved his hand.

Captain Reckless’ face was grim. “Billy, get that long coil of light line out of the cabin locker,” he commanded sharply. “Quick! Aunt Patty, come here and take the wheel!”

As Billy dived into the cabin to get the rope, Captain Reckless turned the boat so that it faced the incoming waves, and slowed down the motor so that the boat stayed just where it was.

“Keep her just where she is,” he commanded, as Aunt Patty took charge of the wheel. “We mustn’t get any closer to those rocks!”

Then he took the coil of rope from Billy and hurried back to the stern of his motorboat, where a round life preserver was kept. Quickly he fastened one end of the light rope to the life preserver and fastened the other end to the mooring post at the stern.

“That boy’s a swimmer,” he muttered admiringly, as he jumped up again.

“You bet!” gasped Billy. “He can swim like a fish! Just look at him!”

Djuna was already halfway to the
Patagonia
. He was swimming strongly, and the waves were helping him on. Each wave lifted him and carried him closer to the drifting boat. But at the same time, each wave drove the helpless
Patagonia
closer and closer to the rocks. It was a race—a race in which the prize would be the life of the brave old boat. Djuna swam as he had never swum before.

Holding the coil in his left hand and the life preserver in his right, Billy’s father swung his right arm with a mighty heave and threw the life preserver far out over the water. The rope uncoiled behind it as it flew through the air. The life preserver struck with a splash a few feet behind Djuna. But the waves began to carry it slowly after him, and the rope continued to uncoil as it moved, floating on the water.

“Look!” squealed Emmy, almost falling overboard in her excitement. “He’s almost there! Swim, Djuna!”

Djuna was right beside the
Patagonia
now. Looking up, he saw her dripping sides swinging away from him. The deck was two feet higher than his head. It was out of reach. He kicked out desperately, found his fingers touching the slippery sides, and began to tread water, waiting for his chance. The next wave lifted him. He clutched at the coaming, gripped it, and came up as the boat rose on the wave. Swinging himself up with all that was left of his strength, he tumbled into the boat.

Panting, he picked himself up and ran toward the bow. If he could only anchor the
Patagonia
, she might still be saved!

But it was too late. Just as he reached the anchor, the wave that had lifted the
Patagonia
onward to the rocks dropped away from beneath her, and she struck on the rocks with a sickening thump that threw him to his knees.

Djuna struggled up, sick at heart because his effort failed. It was hopeless, now, to think that the
Patagonia
could be saved. He could hear her sides cracking as the next wave lifted her again and dropped her once more upon the pitiless rocks. Clinging to the wheelhouse rail, he worked his way back along the slippery deck toward the other end of the boat. As he jumped down into the cockpit, he suddenly saw something that made him stare in surprise. The oil lantern which hung from a hook in the ceiling of the tiny wheelhouse was burning! The wick glowed redly through the thick glass chimney, blackened with smoke.

Djuna hastily stepped into the wheelhouse, took the lantern from its hook, and blew it out. There was no time to wonder who had lit it or why it had been left burning there. His only thought was that if it was not put out, the
Patagonia
might catch on fire. Putting it back on its hook, he delayed no longer. Again he heard the
Patagonia
crunch against the rocks underneath her. Water was already bubbling up through the cracks of the cockpit floor. There was no time to lose!

As he scrambled across the cockpit, he heard Captain Reckless shouting at him and saw him pointing at the
Patagonia’s
stern. “Under the stern!” shouted Captain Reckless. “Look under the stern!”

Djuna threw himself flat on the deck, and, hanging on carefully, peered over the gunwale. Right under his nose floated the life preserver, bobbing in the waves! He had been too excited to think of it!

He wasted no time, now. Slipping over the rail, he clung there until he had pulled the life preserver close enough, and then slid into it, until it rested under his armpits. He waved a hand. Captain Reckless began to pull in the rope, hand over hand.

It was a long pull, and a slow one. Instead of swimming with the waves helping him, as before, Djuna was now being pulled against them. The long rope was stretched tight as a bowstring. But, little by little, Captain Reckless’ strong arms dragged him closer, and at last they reached down and hoisted him back to safety.

“Get his sweater for him, Billy,” said the captain. “He’s half frozen!”

“I’m all ri-ri-right,” gasped Djuna. But his teeth were chattering. “I’m awful so-so-sorry! I thought maybe I could stop her from going on the rocks. But I c-c-couldn’t!”

He bit his lip and hurried into the cabin. He couldn’t talk about it any more.

Aunt Patty was still standing grimly at the wheel, her eyes fixed on the tossing waves ahead, intent on keeping the motorboat steady. Djuna was almost afraid to look at her. He felt ashamed of himself, ashamed to think he had failed.

But when he had got into his dry clothes and came out again, Captain Reckless was steering the motorboat, and Aunt Patty held out her hand to Djuna. She looked as though she were about to hug him, but she didn’t. Instead, she shook hands with him, as if he were a man. Tears were in her eyes.

“You did your best, Djuna,” she said. “I’ll never forget that!”

“Oh, gee!” said Djuna, gulping. “Can’t we do
anything
, Aunt Patty?”

“There isn’t a thing we can do, now,” said Captain Reckless, gruffly. “Nothing to do but wait for the wind to die down. Might just as well head for home. It won’t be any too pleasant, just staying here and watching her take that beating. Shall we go, Aunt Patty? I’d better be getting things ready, so we can get busy as soon as there’s a chance to get to her.”

“Yes, let’s go,” answered Aunt Patty, in a hopeless voice. “I can’t bear to watch it. If she has to go, I don’t want to see it. I just don’t want to.”

Captain Reckless swung the boat’s bow around, and headed homeward.

Djuna and Billy and Emmy stood staring back at the helpless body of the
Patagonia
, a tortured prisoner, as they drew away from her. A wave ran hissing over her, and she trembled.

“They’ve murdered her!” cried Djuna hotly. “That’s just what it is—a murder!”

D
JUNA WAS
burning with indignation, and he hardly said anything at all for the rest of the way back. Silently, he made up his mind that he would do his best to find out who it was that had treated Aunt Patty so cruelly.

Captain Reckless brought them up the harbor and slowed his boat down as he came near Mr. Phineas Truelove’s wharf and store.

“I’ll drop you off here, if you like, Aunt Patty,” he said. “This is the nearest to your house. Then I’II take Billy and Emmy on home, and begin to get things ready to work on the
Patagonia
. It’s high tide, now—nine o’clock. Low tide will be about three o’clock this afternoon. Then we can get out to her and see how badly she’s damaged. Yes, I guess we can wade out to her by two o’clock. Just you go on home and take it as easy as you can, Aunt Patty.”

“Well, children, I promised to take you out lobstering,” said Aunt Patty to Billy and Emmy, “but it hasn’t turned out very well, has it?” She tried to smile bravely, but her voice trembled. “Never mind, we’ll go some other time.”

“Oh, gee, Aunt Patty, we’re awfully sorry,” said Billy. “Don’t you worry—I’ll bet my father can fix your boat up all right!”

“I’ll do my best, Billy,” said Captain Reckless.

Emmy just gave Aunt Patty a hug.

As Aunt Patty and Djuna climbed out on the wharf, Mr. Phinny Truelove came hurrying out of his store to meet them.

“What’s all the excitement, folks?” he asked. “I see you all goin’ off a hour ago, in an awful rush. Ain’t been any trouble, has there?”

“The
Patagonia’s
gone aground on the rocks, over at the Point,” said Captain Reckless sadly.