CHAPTER IV

OFF TO THE COAST

“Perhaps a search light on some vessel,” put in Ned. “He looks like a seafaring man.”

“I think you boys had better go, now,” said Dr. Bounce. “We will have to operate on the patient, but I am afraid it will be a long time before he recovers his senses. If he does and wants to see you, I will let you know. I would like to get at the bottom of this. Strange, he should think you boys could rescue Jess. Stranger still, who is Jess?”

But, for a while at least, there was no prospect of solving the strange meaning of the old man. His condition grew worse, and there was little hope for him.

That night the boys heard that though the operation was performed it was not entirely successful. A piece of bone was pressing on the man’s brain, and it was found impossible to remove it until his condition improved. Consequently he remained in a stupor, and could not talk. He murmured, in his delirium, Dr. Bounce said, something about Jess and the light, and there he stopped.

Three days after the wreck Mrs. Hopkins got a letter from the real estate agent informing her he had been able to secure a large cottage, close to the beach. It was on a small cove, and there was a boathouse near by.

“Fine!” cried Jerry when he heard of it. “Now to get the _Dartaway_ ready. Whoop! But life is worth living, I tell you!” and he began to dance a jig with such vigor that the dishes on the sideboard rattled.

“Jerry, you’ll smash some of my fine cut glass!” exclaimed Mrs. Hopkins in alarm, yet she could not help being glad that she was able to provide a summer’s outing for her son and his chums.

“I’m going over to tell Ned and Bob,” Jerry said, rushing from the house. As he hurried down the steps he collided with a youth who was just then passing the house.

“Oh, I beg your pardon,” said Jerry, his breath almost taken away by the sudden impact.

“You did that on purpose! You saw me coming and tried to knock me down!” exclaimed the youth, and Jerry saw it was Noddy Nixon, the old enemy of himself and his chums.

“Why, Noddy,” remarked Jerry, much surprised at the sudden encounter and the identity of the youth. “Where did you come from? Haven’t seen you since--”

Jerry was about to say he had not met Noddy since the time of the chase after the thieves in the motor boat, and the escape of Bill Berry and Noddy, as told in the fifth volume of this series, “The Motor Boys Afloat.” But he thought better of it, and stopped in time.

“Don’t you make any references to me,” said Noddy, as he rubbed his shin, which Jerry had accidentally kicked. “If you spread any scandals about me I’ll have you sued. I’ve a good notion to have you arrested for assault and battery!”

“Look here, Noddy Nixon!” exclaimed Jerry. “I apologized for colliding with you. That’s all I’m going to do. You can put that in your pipe and smoke it,” and without a look at the bully Jerry turned and walked off.

“You’ll pay for this, Jerry Hopkins,” called Noddy. “I’ll get even with you.”

Jerry had heard Noddy threaten like that before, and, generally the bully had found means to make it very uncomfortable for the chums. But Jerry did not fear him, and he felt he could hold up his own end fairly well. As for his friends, he did not worry on their account.

“I wonder where he’s been all this while,” Jerry mused, as he continued on toward Bob’s house. “He has a queer way of disappearing and coming back at the most unexpected times.”

“What’s the matter, going into your second childhood, Jerry?” some one asked, and Jerry looked up suddenly, to see Bob standing in front of him.

“Hello, Chunky,” he called. “What’s that?”

“You were talking to yourself like an old man,” explained Bob. “I was getting worried about you.”

“Oh, I just had a little run-in with Noddy Nixon,” Jerry explained, smiling as he recalled how well his words described what had taken place.

“So he’s back, eh? Well, look out for trouble.”

“Guess it can’t amount to much. We will be away from here in another week.”

“Did your mother get the cottage?”

“Sure. Come on, let’s tell Ned.”

The three boys were soon at Bob’s house discussing their plans in detail. Their interest in them made them forget Noddy and the trouble he threatened. But, had they seen a letter which the bully posted a short time after, addressed to Bill Berry, and accepting a certain invitation, they might have felt a little worried.

“We’ve got to hustle to get things in shape,” said Bob, when the date of departure had been settled. “The first thing is to arrange to have the boat shipped. Let’s go over to the freight office and see the agent. I--”

Bob was interrupted at that instant by the entrance of the cook, with a tray of sandwiches and a pitcher of milk.

“Oh,” she said. “I didn’t know there were three of you here,” and she looked at Bob, who grinned sheepishly.

“Chunky!” exclaimed Ned. “Did you order all this for yourself,” and he gazed reproachfully at his chum.

“Well you see I told her to get it ready a while ago,” explained Bob. “I didn’t know then you two were coming over. I went out to post a letter and I met Jerry and we saw you. Then I forgot all about this until--but she’ll get some more, won’t you Mary?”

“Sure, Master Bob, if you want it.”

“I move that Bob be compelled to sit there and see Jerry and I eat all this up,” spoke Ned, beginning with a sandwich in each hand.

Poor Chunky looked so woe-begone at this inroad on his rations that his two chums laughed.

“Oh, pitch in!” said Jerry. “I know how you feel, Bob. It must be all of two hours since you had anything to eat.”

Over their lunch the boys laid out their work, dividing it among themselves so as to get it all done in time. Bob was to attend to the shipping arrangements, Ned to refitting the boat, and Jerry said he would sort over the portable camping outfit the boys always took with them.

The _Dartaway_ was a fine, stanch craft, of four cylinders, as speedy as one could wish. It had many new appliances, such as three speeds forward and one reverse, and was well fitted up. There was a small galley where a meal could be cooked, and a folding table to serve it on. The stove burned gasolene.

There was a portable awning which had side curtains, so the whole boat could be enclosed in stormy weather. There were also collapsible bunks, so, if necessary they could remain on board several days without going ashore. There were food lockers and a good sized storage tank for gasolene.

In anticipation that they might make rather lengthy trips the boys got a larger searchlight for their craft than the one they had first used, and also a larger saluting cannon. A more reliable compass was added to the equipment, and the size of the whistle was increased, to give better precaution in case of fogs.

An anchor, as large as could be carried, was installed, and, with several other minor, but necessary improvements, the boys felt they had a motor craft second to none for its size.

It was no easy task to box the boat and ship it to Harmon Beach. But the boys worked like Trojans, and accomplished much that less enthusiastic persons would have shrunk from undertaking. Finally they saw the _Dartaway_ loaded on a flat car at the freight office.

“Now to get ourselves off,” said Jerry.

But this was an easier task. Three days later found Mrs. Hopkins at her summer cottage. It would not be quite correct to say that the boys were there also, for they had no sooner alighted from the train than they hurried to the freight office to see if their boat had arrived.

“There she is!” cried Jerry, pointing to a bulky object on the station platform. “Now for a spin on salt water.”

But there was a wait of several hours before the boys’ desires were realized. Only their boundless enthusiasm and their tireless energy made it possible, but, by evening the boat had been hauled to the small dock near Mrs. Hopkins’s cottage, and launched.

The boys did not stop to fully equip her. They saw that the engine was working well, and, just at dusk, three happy, if very tired lads, sat in the _Dartaway_ and sent the craft in a wide circle around the little cove on which the colony of Harmon Beach was situated.

“Put out toward Old Briny!” called Ned to Jerry, who was steering, and Jerry, nothing loath, did so.

As the speedy craft surged ahead, throwing up a salty spray, the boys heard a hail behind them.

“Here! Come back!” some one called.