A little before one o'clock the two boats slipped
into North Sea Harbour and dropped anchors. While the _Follow Me_
doctored her engine the _Adventurer_ sat down to a delayed dinner. Ossie
gloomily predicted that everything would be spoiled, but if it was, no
one save Ossie apparently knew it. There was broiled bluefish and boiled
potatoes and spinach and sliced cucumbers that day, followed by a
marvellous concoction which the steward called a prune pudding. Perry
said he didn't care what it was called so long as it came, and, please
he'd like some more! No cook can withstand such a compliment as that,
and Ossie cast off his gloom. They all declared that that dinner was
just about the best they had ever eaten, and they meant it, and Ossie
swelled visibly with pride and almost declined Han's half-hearted offer
to help wash dishes!
When the rest went back to the deck and saw the fellows on the _Follow
Me_ eating sandwiches and other items of a cold repast on deck they felt
rather apologetic, and Joe and Steve slung the tender over and paddled
across to lend what assistance they might. But they found Tom Corwin,
very dirty and hot and somewhat peevish, reassembling the engine with
the help of "Brownie," and learned that the trouble had been discovered
and that the boat would go just as soon as they could get her together
again, which, from present indications, would be some time the day after
tomorrow! Harry Corwin told Steve he had better go ahead, that there was
no use in the _Adventurer_ lying around and waiting, but Steve replied
that there was no hurry and that they'd stand by.
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