"Isn't that a light?" asked Belle, loud enough for Cora to hear.
"Yes. Ben see, there is a light. Do you suppose that is on Jim's
boat?" asked Cora.
"Never," replied Ben, "he's too stingy to light up on a moonlight
night when the water's clear. Of course the law says he must, but
who's goin' to back up the law?"
"Which way are you going?" she questioned further.
"See that track of foam over yonder? That's Jim's course. We'll
just pick his trail," said Ben. "Now there! Watch him turn! He's
headin' for Far Island!"
At this Ben throttled down, and, a few minutes later he turned off
the gas and cut out the switch.
"We'll just drift a little to give him a chance to settle," he said.
"We don't want to get too close--it might spoil the game."
Belle and Bess were both too nervous to talk. It seemed like some
pirate story, that they should be following a strange fisherman to a
wild island in the night, in hopes of finding the boys--possibly
captured boys!
Cora listened eagerly. She, too, was losing courage--it was so
slight a hope that this man would lead them to where the boys might
be.
"There! See that!" exclaimed Ben. "He's talking to some one on
land."
"Yes, I heard Jack's voice," exclaimed Cora. "Oh, I am so glad they
are safe!"
"But how do we know?" asked Belle, her voice trembling.
"Jack's voice told me," replied Cora, "for if they were in distress
he would not have shouted like that!"
"But he was mad," said Ben, and in this the old fisherman made no
mistake, for the voices of the boys, in angry protest, could be
heard, as they argued with some one, who succeeded in keeping his
part of the conversation silent from the anxious listeners.
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