Boy Aviators' Flight for a Fortune Read online

  CHAPTER VIII.--THE DERELICT DESTROYER.

  Assuredly it was a surprising sight that greeted the eyes of Harry andBen Stubbs as the latter pulled the skiff around the point. Not half amile away lay a dull, gray-colored craft like a gunboat, with the Starsand Stripes floating from her stern. From her bow a puff of smoke wasdrifting away, showing that she had been the craft that had fired theshot which had aroused them.

  But what could she be doing? Above all, why had the shot been fired?Harry's eyes furnished the answer as he saw that part of the rail of theschooner was missing, a jagged break showing where it had been tornaway.

  "Great guns!" shouted Ben, "they've bin firin' at your old hulk."

  As he spoke there was a flash from the side of the lead-colored craft,and a projectile shrieked by above the pair in the boat, causing them toduck involuntarily.

  "Cracky!" shouted Harry, "I've got it. That craft is a derelictdestroyer. One of Uncle Sam's craft whose duty it is to put obstructionsto navigation out of the way."

  "You're right, boy, and they are bent on sending that there _Betsy Jane_to the bottom."

  "We must stop them," ejaculated Harry excitedly; "that schooner iswanted by Mr. Perkins to use in his experiments. That's why he had therunway built. We must signal them somehow."

  "No need to, lad. See, here comes a boat."

  Sure enough, as he spoke a cutter was lowered from the warlike-lookingvessel's side, and before long, impelled by muscular arms, it was flyingover the water toward the hulk.

  "Pull round and meet them," suggested Harry.

  But Ben was already doing that very thing. So fast did the governmentcutter approach that just as the skiff was rounding the stern of theill-used _Betsy Jane_, the former craft, with a dapper young officer inthe stern, was drawing alongside the hulk.

  The astonishment of the officer was great when Harry explained matters.

  "It's lucky that I decided to make an examination into the effect of theshots already fired before I finished her up," he laughed. "I am incommand of the United States derelict destroyer _Seneca_, yonder. We'vejust despatched an old hulk some miles out at sea, and when, on ourreturn down the coast, we saw your old hull, we thought it was a goodchance to try out a new kind of gun we have to despatch these menaces tonavigation."

  "I'm glad we heard your first shot in time to explain matters," saidHarry; "this craft belongs to Dr. Perkins, the aeronautical inventor,who wishes to use it in some experiments. As I told you, I unfortunatelydrifted to sea in it when some rascals cut the rope."

  The officer sympathized to the full with Harry and offered to give him aspark plug for his motor boat from a supply carried for a similar crafton board the _Seneca_.

  "But," he continued, "I've got a better plan than that. I'm bound downthe coast. I know Dr. Perkins slightly and should be glad to do him aservice. Why not accept a tow from me? I'll get you to Brig Island bynightfall anyway, and that's much quicker than you could tow this hulkwith the motor boat, even if you _could_ get her off the sand."

  Harry gladly agreed to this arrangement. A line was made fast to the_Betsy Jane_ and affixed to the towing bitts of the derelict destroyer.The tide by this time had turned, and after a short struggle the _BetsyJane_ once more floated in deep water.

  "I don't know if this is exactly regular," remarked the young officer incommand, when the hulk lay bobbing astern of the trim and triggovernment craft, "but I guess it's all in the line of duty. So come onboard."

  Harry and Ben were in the skiff alongside the _Betsy Jane_ when thisoffer was made.

  Without hesitation Harry stepped upon the companionway. He turned toBen, and was about to bid that veteran adventurer good-by, with apromise to visit Barren Island in the near future, when, to hisastonishment, Ben calmly hitched his skiff alongside the motor boat andstepped up after him.

  "I reckon I've had about enough of that island," he said; "I'm a-goin'to ship with you on this cruise if it's agreeable."

  "Agreeable?" laughed Harry. "Why, Ben, you are as welcome as the flowersin May. But haven't you left a lot of stuff behind on the island?"

  "Nothing that 'ull hurt. The only other suit I own you've got on, andfunny enough you look in it, too," and Ben chuckled; "as for the hut andwhat grub's left, and so forth, any one's welcome to 'em that takes afancy to 'em. I've got a bit left in the bank yet, and I guess I canafford a new outfit anyway, so heave ahead, Mister Skipper, as soon asyou're ready."

  The officer, who had watched this scene in some astonishment, broke intoa laugh.

  "I see you are an individual of impulse," he said, "but if you want togo along it will spare my sending a man on board the schooner to helpour young friend."

  "Waal, then, it's an arrangement that's agreeable to all parties,"rejoined Ben, lighting his pipe; "so that's all settled."

  A short time later the _Seneca_ moved ahead, at first slowly, and thenfaster, while the wandering _Betsy Jane_ followed docilely after herthrough the now calm sea. True to Lieut. MacAllister's promise, theywere off Brig Island by sunset. As deep water extended close inshore,the derelict destroyer was enabled to tow the hulk almost up to theboys' "front door," so to speak, and from the beach a little group setup a loud cheer as the _Betsy Jane's_ spare anchor rattled down and sheswung at rest.

  The presence of the little party to witness the arrival is due to thefact that Lieut. MacAllister, who knew from Harry that there was awireless on the island, had kept his operator busy sending "bulletins"to Dr. Perkins all the way down the coast; and so, when first the_Seneca's_ smoke streaked the horizon, all was ready to give thereturned wanderer a big reception.

  The _Betsy Jane_, having been safely anchored, the _Seneca_, with threetoots of her siren, departed on her way, while Harry and Ben lost notime in tumbling into the skiff and rowing ashore. To describe what tookplace then would take up a lot of space without giving any clearerpicture of the reunion that each of you can imagine for himself.

  Readers of the former volumes of this series know how highly the BoyAviators regarded Ben Stubbs, and after a short conversation with himDr. Perkins came to share their good opinion of the rugged oldadventurer. It would be impossible to tell with accuracy how many timesthat night Harry's story was told, and how many times Frank and theothers repeated the tale of their anxious hours while he was missing.The first wireless flash from the _Seneca_, Frank described as "the bestthing that ever happened." This opinion the others heartily echoed.

  "Well," said Dr. Perkins, as at last they made ready to "turn in," "allis well that ends well, and to-morrow I have an announcement of someinterest to make to you lads. From my inspection of the work done so faron the '_Sea Eagle_,' as I have decided to christen her, I think thatwithin a few days we can take her on her trial trip."

  "Anchors and aeroplanes!" shouted Pudge, in high glee, "I book passageright now!"

  "And I--and I--and I," came from the others, while Ben Stubbs inquiredplaintively if there would be room for him.