and after
that there was silence again. But the silence lasted only a moment, for
before anyone could hazard a conjecture as to the _Follow Me's_ erratic
behaviour, Phil's voice arose warningly.

"Listen, Steve!" he cried. "Isn't that surf I hear?"

CHAPTER VII

STEVE TAKES HER IN

Steve's hand flew to the clutch as the rest joined Phil at the side of
the boat, and, in the grey silence that ensued, strained their ears.

"You're right," said Neil, after an instant. "There's surf there, or I'm
a Dutchman. And it isn't far away."

Steve, who had handed the wheel to Joe, nodded. "It's surf, all right,"
he agreed, "but it hasn't any business there. What are you going to do
when you can't depend on the chart? Well, the only thing for us to try
is another direction." He swung the wheel well to port and slid the
clutch in gently and, with the engine throttled down, the _Adventurer_
nosed forward once more. "Phil, beat it out to the bow and keep your
ears open, will you? Watch that deck, though; it's slippery." An anxious
silence held for several minutes. Then Phil's voice came from the
fog-hidden bow:

"Surf dead ahead, Steve!" he called.

"Can you see anything?" shouted Steve as he again disengaged.

"No, but I can hear the waves breaking."

They all could now that the propeller had stopped churning. Steve gazed
dazedly from fog to compass and from compass to chart, and finally shook
his head helplessly.

"It's too much for me, fellows," he said. "I'm going back as straight as
I know how, or--" He stopped. "Hang it, there can't be land on _all_
sides!" He pulled the bow still further to port and again started. "Keep
your ears open, Phil," he called. "I'll run her as slow as she'll go. If
you hear the surf plainer, shout."

The _Adventurer_ went on again. After a moment Han, leaning outboard
over the deck rail, said: "It's not so loud, Steve. I think we're going
away from it slowly."

"Or else running parallel," suggested Perry. "Anyhow, it isn't any
nearer."

Another minute or two passed, with all hands listening intently. Then
Phil sounded another warning. "Hold up, Steve! I may be crazy, but I'll
swear there's surf dead ahead again!"

Steve motioned to Joe and, yielding the wheel after throwing out the
clutch again, swung around a stanchion and crept cautiously along the
roof of the main cabin and galley until he reached Phil's side. Then,
dropping to his knees and steadying himself by the flag-p