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Page 41
"Me for bed," said Coggins finally.
"You don't mean bed, do you?" asked Porky. "How the Captain
would feel if he should hear you call his nice berths 'beds!'"
"I thought you were coming on deck," said Beany.
"Of course not; that was a joke," said Coggins.
"Good-night then," said the boys. They went up on deck. It was
perfectly dark. Not even a riding light was shown, and through
the darkness at top speed raced the Firefly.
"Sort of thrilling, isn't it?" said Porky in a low tone as they
leaned over the rail and looked down at the mysterious water
below them. "Gee, I hope we don't get torpedoed! I worry about
the Colonel. I don't know how well he can swim, or anything
about it. He'd catch cold, too, like as not!" He grinned.
"Say, do you know what I did back home? I knew you'd laugh if I
told you. I bought a couple pounds of--"
"Chocolate," completed Beany. "I did too."
"Any malted milk tablets?" asked Porky.
"Yep, a couple of bottles."
"Oh, gee! Doesn't it beat anything? I suppose yours are for the
Colonel in case of shipwreck. Just that!"
"Of course", grinned the other twin. "Well, we are well stocked
up; and as long as we have done it, let's fix things up in case
anything should happen. You know the Colonel will think of
himself the very last one. And if anything does happen, old
chap, just you stick right by the Colonel."
"You know if there is anything we can do, and do it is swim."
The two boys went down to their stateroom, and got out the
precious store of chocolates and malted milk. Each boy put his
share in the oil skin water-tight money belt that had been one of
Mr. Leffingwell's many gifts. Their money went easily into a
much smaller and less complicated carrier that each boy wore
around his neck. Then, feeling ready for any emergency, they
hurried back to the dark and silent deck. They stayed up until
midnight. Then the wind started up, increasing in violence until
the chilled watchers took refuge below.
The boys turned in.
It seemed about fifteen minutes when Porky sat up. Beany was
leaning down from the upper berth.
"Did you call me?" he asked.
"No, I thought you called me," said Porky.
"All right," said Beany. He swung to the floor. "Hustle and
dress. I bet some thing is on foot."
He hustled himself into his clothes and was ready as soon as
Porky, who considered himself the record dresser. Together they
slipped through the dark passage and went up on deck. The
Firefly fled like a wild thing, cutting a swift path through a
rough and choppy sea.
They went forward. Motionless, a dark blur against the sky line,
they saw the lookout, his eyes searching the waste. Scudding
clouds were massing in the east. A storm was on the way. The
boys walked the length of the steamer and leaned over the stern,
where the water boiled furiously away from the propeller. Close
beside them another watch silently studied the surface of the
sea. The night lifted a little. It was nearly dawn. The boys
felt depressed. Porky turned and studied the sky in the east;
Beany kept his keen eyes on the water behind the Firefly.
Suddenly be clutched his brother's arm.
"See! See!" he cried. "Where that patch of white shows! She's
coming! Look! Look!"
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