The Motor Boys on the Atlantic; or, The Mystery of the Lighthouse by Clarence Young
Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online DistributedProofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
HALF THE STEAMER DISAPPEARED FROM SIGHT BENEATH THEWAVES.]
THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE ATLANTIC
Or
The Mystery of the Lighthouse
BY CLARENCE YOUNG
Author of "The Racer Boys Series" and "The Jack Ranger Series."
ILLUSTRATED
NEW YORK CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY
BOOKS BY CLARENCE YOUNG
=THE MOTOR BOYS SERIES=
(_=Trade Mark, Reg. U. S. Pat. Of.=_)
12mo. Illustrated
THE MOTOR BOYS Or Chums Through Thick and Thin THE MOTOR BOYS OVERLAND Or A Long Trip for Fun and Fortune THE MOTOR BOYS IN MEXICO Or The Secret of the Buried City THE MOTOR BOYS ACROSS THE PLAINS Or The Hermit of Lost Lake THE MOTOR BOYS AFLOAT Or The Stirring Cruise of the Dartaway THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE ATLANTIC Or The Mystery of the Lighthouse THE MOTOR BOYS IN STRANGE WATERS Or Lost in a Floating Forest THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE PACIFIC Or The Young Derelict Hunters THE MOTOR BOYS IN THE CLOUDS Or A Trip for Fame and Fortune
=THE JACK RANGER SERIES=
12mo. Finely Illustrated
JACK RANGER'S SCHOOLDAYS Or The Rivals of Washington Hall JACK RANGER'S WESTERN TRIP Or From Boarding School to Ranch and Range JACK RANGER'S SCHOOL VICTORIES Or Track, Gridiron and Diamond JACK RANGER'S OCEAN CRUISE Or The Wreck of the Polly Ann JACK RANGER'S GUN CLUB Or From Schoolroom to Camp and Trail
Copyright, 1908, by CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY
THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE ATLANTIC
Printed in U. S. A.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE I. LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVE 1 II. THE RAILROAD WRECK 9 III. A QUEER OLD MAN 17 IV. OFF TO THE COAST 25 V. CAUGHT IN A SQUALL 33 VI. THE RACE 41 VII. "THERE SHE BLOWS!" 53 VIII. AFTER THE WHALE 61 IX. TOWED TO SEA 68 X. THE WHALE ESCAPES 74 XI. ADRIFT ON THE OCEAN 82 XII. ALMOST RUN DOWN 90 XIII. NODDY NIXON TURNS UP 98 XIV. A BATH HOUSE MYSTERY 107 XV. LOOKING FOR BILL 114 XVI. LANDING A SHARK 124 XVII. THE ABANDONED VESSEL 132 XVIII. ABOARD THE WRECK 140 XIX. ADRIFT IN THE STORM 148 XX. NODDY'S COMPANION 156 XXI. A RACE WITH NODDY 164 XXII. OVERHEARING A PLOT 172 XXIII. THE MOTOR BOAT MISSING 182 XXIV. THE SECRET OF THE COVE 189 XXV. AT THE LIGHTHOUSE 197 XXVI. HELD PRISONERS 206 XXVII. TRYING TO ESCAPE 215 XXVIII. JESS TO THE RESCUE 223 XXIX. THE RIGHT LIGHTS 231 XXX. JESSICA'S FATHER--CONCLUSION 239
THE MOTOR BOYS ON THE ATLANTIC
CHAPTER I
LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVE
"Oh! It's yo heave ho! and never let go, while the stormy winds doblow! blow! blow!"
"Is that you, Jerry Hopkins?" asked a youth, without looking up from abox he was hammering, in the yard back of his home.
"Aye, aye, my hearty! Shiver my timbers messmate, but we're in fora spell of bad weather!" and Jerry walked up to where Bob Baker wastrying to drive a nail straight into a piece of board.
"Why this sudden nautical turn?" asked Bob, aiming a hard blow, in hopeof correcting a certain wobbly tendency on the part of the nail. "Isthere--Wow! Jimminy crickets!" and Bob began dancing about on one foot,while his thumb was stuck in his mouth.
"What's the matter, Chunky?" asked Jerry, giving Bob the nickname hesometimes was called because of his general fleshiness. "Did you hityour finger?"
"No, I'm doing this for amusement," replied Bob, taking his injuredthumb from his mouth and gazing critically at the wounded member. "Um,it's going to swell," he added.
"Put cold water on it," Jerry advised. "That's a good thing. Then wrapit up in arnica."
"Come on into the house," Bob mumbled. "You can tell me the news there,while I'm doctoring up."
"What news?" asked Jerry.
"Why there must be something in the wind when you come around this way,singing sea songs and walking like a sailor on a pitching deck."
"Oh, yes, of course there's some news," Jerry went on. "I forgot aboutit in the excitement of seeing you do that war dance. Well, it's justas I was singing. It's going to be a life on the ocean wave for me thissummer vacation."
"How's that?"
"Mother is going to take a cottage on the Atlantic coast. Maybe I'llnot have swell times! I'm going in bathing every day, and I can learnall about a sail boat."
Bob had been so busy looking for the arnica bottle, and a rag in whichto wrap his thumb, that he paid little attention to what Jerry wassaying, save in a vague sort of way. He caught the last reference to aboat, however, and asked:
"You're not going back on our motor boat, are you, when you say you'regoing to take up with a sail boat? Jerry I'm ashamed of you!"
"Go back on the dear _Dartaway_? I guess not much," Jerry answered."But we can't take her down with us, very well. The cottage is toosmall."
"I don't know about that," Bob said, in rather muffled tones, for heheld one end of a string in his mouth and was wrapping the other aboutthe rag on his thumb. "I wish we were going to the shore. The folksdon't know yet what they will do. There, that feels better. When I turncarpenter again you'll know it."
"What were you making?"
"Oh, the cook wanted something to keep the stove blacking in, and Isaid I'd make it. Glad it's finished though. Maybe she'll give mesomething to eat before dinner's ready."
"You don't mean to say you're going to eat again, and breakfast notover more than two hours?"
"There you go, poking fun at my appetite as usual," Bob complained.
"Well, it's hard to forget it, since you always seem to have it withyou," Jerry commented, referring to Bob's one failing, if it could beso called.
The Baker family's cook entered the dining room at this point and Bobmentioned that the box she had asked for was finished. Then, while thewoman was expressing her thanks, Bob added:
"You haven't got any bread and butter and jam you could spare, haveyou, Mary?"
"Sure there's lots of it," was the answer. "Though it's not long sinceI cleared off the breakfast things. Will I bring two plates?"
"Have some, Jerry?"
Jerry tried to struggle between wanting some of the good jam he knewwould be brought out, and his desire to maintain his attitude againsteating so soon after the morning meal. Bob watched him, and laughed.
"Of course you will, Jerry," he said. "Bring two plates, and plenty ofjam."
"Seen Ned since last night?" asked Jerry, as he spread the jam on hisbread.
"Nope, but he's coming over this afternoon, and we were going out inthe boat," replied Bob, hardly pausing between the bites. "Want tocome?"
"Speak of trolley cars and you'll hear the gong," remarked Jerry, ashe looked out of the window and saw Ned Slade across the street. Nedobserved his chums at the same instant and came over.
"At it again, Chunky?" he asked, as he saw the refreshments. "How manymeals so far to-day?"
"Help yourself," replied Bob, not bothering to defend his character.
Ned lost little time in following his chums' examples, and Bob, with alaugh, rang the bell to have the cook
"Let me make you acquainted with Willie-off-the-Yacht," said Bob,nodding toward Jerry.
"What's the matter? Has he bought a pair of white duck trousers and acap?"
"Worse and more of it," Bob answered. "He's going to the seashore forthe summer, and learn to run a sail boat."
"That's so, it's about time to think of where I'm going this summer,"mused Ned. "I heard the folks say something about the mountains, but Idon't know as I care for 'em. Wish we could do as we did last year, andcruise about in the _Dartaway_."
"Why can't we?" asked Bob, spreading another piece of bread. "Jerrysays he's going to the shore, where his mother is hiring a cottage.Maybe I can persuade my folks to let me go down along the coast andboard; or perhaps they'd go along. Then if you could come, too, Ned, wecould take the _Dartaway_ with us, and run up and down the shore, andhave no end of good times. How about it?"
"Sounds good to me," Ned replied. "I guess we could manage it. Howcould we get the boat down?"
"Have it boxed and shipped, of course," Bob replied. "It traveled agood way over land before it got to us, and I guess it wouldn't costmuch."
"Say, that would be sport!" exclaimed Jerry. "There is just the placefor a motor boat where mother is going."
"Where's that?" asked Ned.
"Harmon Beach. There's a sort of cove there, where the boats aresheltered from storms. But you can go through the inlet right out tosea, and then up and down the coast. The _Dartaway_ is big enough tostand a bit of bad weather, if it don't come too strong."
"Then let's do it," exclaimed Bob. "I'll speak to my folks right away,and will you fellows do the same? Then we can talk it over again."
"I'm pretty sure dad is going to the Berkshires," Ned answered, "but Idon't have to go with the rest of the family. I'll find out as soon asI can. Are there any good boarding houses at Harmon Beach, Jerry?"
"I don't know much about that part of it, but I'll ask mother to take alarger cottage than she counted on and you two boys can come with me."
"Fine!" cried the others. "That will be the best ever," went on Bob."Here's your hat, Jerry, go home and ask her right away."
"Well, I like your nerve, Bob Baker!" exclaimed Jerry. "Nice way totreat company! Here's your hat, what's your hurry? I'll come again!"and he pretended to get angry.
"Oh, you know I didn't mean it that way!" cried Bob, fearing he hadoffended his friend. "It's only that we're anxious, you know. I want--"
"Hark! What's that?" cried Ned, running to the window, just as theonly ambulance the town of Cresville possessed, went by with the gongclanging.
"Something has happened!" exclaimed Jerry. "See all the people running."
The three boys hurried to the front door. The street was filled with ahurrying and excited throng, every one going in the same direction.
"What's the matter?" asked Bob, of a boy running past the house.
"Railroad collision! Lots killed! Down near the cut crossing!" the ladexclaimed.
"Come on!" Jerry shouted. "Let's go!"