Читать книгу The Clue at Skeleton Rocks - Percy Keese Fitzhugh - Страница 8

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Hal, lay in his bunk for some time afterward, watching and waiting with a sort of sleepy fascination for the regular flashes of light sweeping across the porthole. Too, he thought of the Rocks and of the man Barrowe, grieved no doubt by the tragic death of his companion, yet faithfully tending the great light up in the lonely tower.

Drowsily, his mind wandered to his rescue of the man, Danny Sears. It had been a tense period and he felt glad that he had been able to hold on until the life-boat came and picked them up. Happily, the incident had done no harm to him—rather it had had a surprisingly tonic effect, for the swim had been vigorous and the water icy cold.

He was wide awake again and felt as if he could get up and wait for the dawn. Coupled with this thought was a desire to go into Danny Sears’ cabin and talk to him, and try and find out if possible the whole truth about the man’s queer expedition to the wrecked Sister Ann. Eight bells pealed out forlornly, however, and he decided that it was an unseemly hour to catechise anyone, least of all a man who had almost drowned not three hours before.

Two hours later, he had reason to regret this decision and he determined in the future not to postpone acting upon any hunch no matter how impracticable it seemed at the time.

He had slept until six o’clock, dressed quietly so as not to disturb his softly snoring relative and emerged upon the deck. There he met Captain Dell who was sauntering thoughtfully away from the pilot house.

“Morning, Captain,” Hal smiled.

Captain Dell smiled perfunctorily and nodded his gray head vehemently.

“Wish ter heaven we hadn’t picked up that there Danny Sears las’ night,” he mumbled. “Wish ter goodness yore uncle an’ you hadn’t laid eyes on the rascal when he was a-snoopin’ ’round the Sister Ann. Better ef he’d uv gone ter Davey Jones’ locker.”

“Why, Captain Dell!” Hal cried dismayed. “What’s the matter?”

“Matter enough, Mr. Hal,” the captain answered. “First thing I go on watch this mornin’ the mate reports ter me a dory’s gone—one of our best boats too.”

“Gone? Gone where, Captain?” Hal was plainly puzzled.

“I wish I knew, so I do.”

“Where on earth could it have disappeared? How?”

“Oh, there wa’n’t no ghost took it an’ it didn’t shake loose by any ghost’s hand nuther. Ef we knew whar this plaguy Danny Sears went to we’d know whar the dory is.”

“You mean Danny Sears isn’t on this boat—you mean he’s gone?”

“Jest what I mean, young man,” the captain replied, wagging his gray head. “I went inta his cabin fust thing ter see how he wuz. Wa’al, thar wasn’t a sign uv him an’ his wet clothes what he’d insisted on keepin’ in the cabin with him ter dry wuz gone too, so it looks mighty like he intended sneakin’ away from the fust.”

“It sure does look that way,” Hal agreed, rubbing the palm of his hand back and forth across his shining hair.

“I don’t care about Danny Sears—plague take him,” the captain mumbled. “I’d jest like ter git my hands on thet dory again, that’s all.” He strode away on his short sea-legs, grumbling.

Hal got back to the cabin in a few long strides. He burst open the door and startled his uncle into wakefulness.

“Well, Unk,” he shouted gaily, “you’ve got something to work on at the Sister Ann, do you know that?”

“No, I don’t!” Denis Keen answered with mock severity. His half-frown gave place to a faint smile. “What have I got to work on?”

“Danny Sears,” Hal replied with a significant wink. “And boy, what work!”