ad the advantage of security; there was no chance to
roll out of bed in rough weather. The engine compartment lay between
cabin and cockpit and held a six-cylinder engine. Steering was done from
the cockpit, under shelter of an awning, but the engine control was
below. The _Follow Me_ was four years old and had seen much service, but
she had been newly painted, varnished and overhauled and looked like a
thoroughly comfortable and seaworthy boat. She was copper painted below
the water-line and black above, with a gilt line and her name in gilt on
bows and stern. Compared to the _Adventurer_ she was a modest enough
craft, but her six mariners asked nothing better and secretly believed
that in rough weather she would put the bigger boat to shame. Captain
Corwin levied on the slender supply of ginger-ale and sarsaparilla
contained in the tiny ice-chest and after that they again set forth,
this time for the nearest landing.

They "did" the town exhaustively and at six-thirty descended on the
hotel thirteen strong and demanded to be placed together at one table.
It is doubtful if the hotel management made much money on the thirteen
dinners served to the boys, for everyone of them ate as though he hadn't
seen food for days. Somewhere around eight or half-past they dragged
themselves back to the boats and paddled out to the _Adventurer_, where,
since the evening was decidedly chilly, they thronged the after cabin
and flowed out into the cockpit. Perry started up his talking machine
and played his dozen records over a number of times, and everyone talked
at once--except some who sang--and, in the words of the country
newspapers, "a pleasant time was had by all." And at ten the _Follow
Me's_ crew got back into their dingey and went off into the darkness of
a starlight night, rather noisy still in a sleepy way, and, presumably,
reached their destination. At least, no more was heard of them that
night. On the _Adventurer_ berths were pulled out or let down and a
quarter of an hour after the departure of the visitors not a sound was
to be heard save the lapping of the water against the hull and the
peaceful breathing of seven healthily tired boys.

CHAPTER V

SUNDAY ASHORE

Before the sun had much more than climbed to a position where it could
peer over the low yellow ridge of Fire Island and see what the Adventure
Club was up to, the two cruisers were chug-chugging out of the harbour
with all flags flying. First went th