"Of course we were excited, and everybody hurried down to see what
this crazy performance meant. There was not a creature on the
boat, alive or dead.
"Everything was shipshape. The little craft had evidently been
used for fishing. There were rough men's clothes on board, rubber
boots and oilskins, fresh water and provisions, blankets in
the cabin, fishing-lines and bait in the cockpit, gasolene in the
tanks--a nice little outfit, all complete, and no one to run it.
"Where had she come from? There were no names on bow or stern, no
papers in the cabin. Who had started her on this crazy voyage? How
did she get away from them? Had they perhaps abandoned her and
cast her adrift for some mysterious reason? Undoubtedly there were
men--apparently three--on board when she set out. What had happened
to them? A drunken quarrel? Or possibly one of the men had fallen
overboard; the others had jumped in to save him; the engine had
started up and the boat left them all in the lurch. Perhaps one
or all of them may have had some reason for wanting to 'disappear
without a trace,' so they hit upon the plan of going ashore at
some lonely place and turning the boat loose to wreck herself.
Pages:
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218