Joe found that the wheel of the _Catspaw_ required a good deal more
attention than that of the _Adventurer_, and his arms were fairly tired
by the time he yielded his place to the impatiently eager Wink.
Steering the _Catspaw_ with the sea almost up to her deck line was a
good deal like steering a scow loaded with pig-iron, Joe decided. Not,
of course, that he had ever steered a scow of any sort, but he had
imagination.
The _Adventurer_ and _Follow Me_ were heading West Southwest one-fourth
West to pass Boon Island to starboard, and Kittery Point lay some thirty
miles away. As it was then just short of three bells, and as they were
making, as near as those aboard the _Catspaw_ could judge, very nearly
three miles an hour, it seemed probable that by two o'clock that night
they would be at anchor off Portsmouth Harbour. Of course, there was
always the possibility of bad weather or a broken cable, but the
_Catspaw's_ crew declined to be pessimistic. They were having a royal
good time. There was enough danger in the enterprise to make it
exciting, and, being normal, healthy chaps, excitement was better than
food. Perry proclaimed his delight at last finding an adventure quite to
his taste.
"Being wrecked on that island the other day was poor fun," he declared.
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