Frank, the Young Naturalist Part 13

"There's a cheat somewhere," said James.

"You haven't done as you agreed," said Charles. "You promised to carry all the things in one boat."

"Yes, that's what you agreed to do," shouted several.

"And we've kept our promise," said Harry.

"Then, where's _my_ basket?" inquired one of the boys, who had failed to discover it among the things in the Alert.

"I'll bet the Champion carried some of the provisions over," said another, "for there are not half of them here."

"No, the Champion didn't have a thing in her," said a third. "She pa.s.sed so close to my boat, that I could have jumped into her, and I took particular pains to see that she was empty."

"Well, here are the things that I brought, at any rate," said Charles, who had just caught sight of the bag which contained, as he supposed, his lemons. "My goodness!" he continued, as he lifted them out of the boat, "how heavy they are!"

And he began to untie the bag, and soon disclosed to the view of the coast-guards, not the lemons, but almost half a peck of smooth, round stones.

George and Harry, who could contain themselves no longer, rolled on the bottom of the boat, convulsed with laughter; and several ready hands tore off the coverings of the baskets and pails, and they were found to be empty.

A more astonished set of boys one never saw; and, as soon as they could speak, they burst out with a volley of e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.ns that will hardly bear repet.i.tion.

"We've been chasing the wrong boat," said one.

"Yes," answered another, "and I knew it would be so. That Frank Nelson is too much of a Yankee for us."

"The Speedwell--the Speedwell!" shouted another; "keep a good look-out for her."

"Oh, you're too late," said Harry, with a laugh, "the provisions were landed long ago."

"I don't believe it. I didn't see any thing of her."

"Of course you didn't," said Charles; "you were too intent on catching the Alert. Boys," he continued, "we're fairly beaten. Let's start for the island."

The coast-guards silently obeyed, and the smugglers refrained from making any remarks, for they saw that the squadron's crew took their defeat sorely to heart.

In a few moments the little fleet rounded the foot of the island, and the boys discovered the Champion and Speedwell, lying with their bows high upon the sand, and their crews were busy carrying the provisions under the shade of a large oak, that stood near the water's edge.

As soon as the last vessel came in sight, the smugglers on sh.o.r.e greeted them with three hearty cheers, which George and Harry answered with a will, but the coast-guards remained silent.

In a few moments they had all landed, and the smugglers joined their companions; and Charles took off his hat, and said to the coast-guards,

"Boys, I want to have just one word with you. We have been beaten," he continued, as they gathered silently about him, "completely outwitted; but it was fairly done. We took all the advantage of the smugglers that we could, but they have beaten us at our own game. I feel as cheap as any of you do, but it can't be helped now; and there's no use of having unpleasant feelings about it, for that would spoil a good day's sport. If we didn't catch them, we did our best, and we had a good, exciting race--one that I wouldn't have missed for a good deal.

Now, boys, show that you appreciate the good trick that has been played on us, by giving the smugglers three hearty cheers."

This little speech--showing Charles to be a boy of good feeling--had the effect of convincing the coast-guards that to manifest any ill-will at their defeat would be both unkind and selfish, and the cheer that rose from forty strong lungs was almost deafening. The smugglers, who had heard what Charles had said, cheered l.u.s.tily, in turn, for the coast-guards, and instantly every unkind feeling vanished. The coast-guards readily entered into conversation with the smugglers, and the latter explained the trick of which they had made use, as well as the manner in which the capture of the prisoners was affected, and the adventure with the police-boat; and, although the coast-guards were provoked at themselves for "not having more sense,"

as they termed it, they could not refrain from joining in a hearty laugh.

By this time the refreshments had all been carried under the tree of which we have spoken, where there was a smooth gra.s.s-plat, which made a nice place to set the table.

The boys had spent some time relating various incidents that had occurred during the chase, when Ben suddenly inquired,

"Well, boys, what's to be the order of the day? You know that we came over here to enjoy ourselves, and we had better be about it."

"I think," said Charles, "that it would be a good plan to appoint a committee to arrange those eatables. We came away without our breakfast, and I, for one, feel hungry."

"There's where we had the advantage of you," said Thomas. "While you were hurrying around, and taking your positions, we were eating our breakfast. You see, we took matters easy."

"And beat us, after all," said one of the coast-guards; "it's too bad.

But let's have that committee appointed."

A dozen boys were speedily chosen to set the table, and the others, catching up all the empty pails and baskets they could find, scattered over the island in search of strawberries.

In about an hour they met again under the tree, and found the refreshments all ready for them, and they fell to work in earnest. So full were they of their sport, that it took them two hours to eat their dinner, as they had said they had come to enjoy themselves, and felt in duty bound to eat all their baskets contained.

After dinner, one of the smugglers proposed to go squirrel-hunting; but many of the coast-guards had pa.s.sed the preceding night without any sleep, and, to use their own expression, they "didn't feel like it;" so this project was abandoned, and the boys lay on the gra.s.s, under the tree, telling stories, until almost three o'clock, and then began to get ready to start for home.

CHAPTER X.

A Queer Cousin.

As every one knows, it would be almost an impossibility for sixteen sail-boats to go any where in company without trying their speed, especially if they were sailed by boys. When our heroes stepped into their vessels, each skipper made up his mind that his boat must be the first one to touch the opposite sh.o.r.e. Not a word was said about a race, but every one knew that one would be sure to come off. Every thing was done in a hurry, and the little vessels were all afloat in a moment. They were on the leeward side of the island--that is, the side from the wind--and they would be obliged to get around to the opposite side before they could use their sails.

The coast-guards shoved their boats out into the current, and allowed themselves to float down toward the foot of the island, thinking that course easier than pulling, against the current, up to the head of the island.

Frank noticed this movement, and said, in a low voice, to the smugglers,

"Don't follow them, boys. They will find themselves becalmed in less than a quarter of an hour. The breeze is dying away. If you want to beat them, hoist your sails, and get out your oars, and row up to the head of the island; we can reach it before they reach the foot, and, besides, the current will carry them further down the river than they want to go."

The smugglers did as Frank had directed; and as they moved from the sh.o.r.e, and turned up the river, one of the coast-guards called out,

"Where are you fellows going?"

"Home," answered Ben.

"You are taking the longest and hardest way."

"The longest way around is the nearest way home, you know," answered William.

"I don't believe it is, in this instance," said James Porter. "Let's see who will be at the long dock first."

"All right," answered the smugglers.

And they disappeared behind a high-wooded promontory of the island.

It was hard work, pulling against a current that ran four miles an hour, but they were accustomed to it, and the thought of again beating the coast-guards gave strength to their arms.