"All right," a.s.sented Bill, after a conference with his partner and men. "I guess it's the best we can get out of it. But it's hard to lose a prize when you think you're got it. I'm not blaming you boys,"

he added quickly, "for I guess you had a hard pull with it. Come on, men, we'll leave our case with Captain Trent."

It was an unexpected turn of affairs, and the boys were glad the contest had ended in their favor. They were congratulated on all sides, and jokingly asked what they were going to do with the money, which was likely to be quite a large sum.

"We're going to buy a whaling vessel, make Mr. Trent captain, and go into the business," said Andy with a laugh. He looked around for his brother, and saw Frank talking to Kett.

"I heard you say something about seeing a boat towing something you thought was the whale, but which turned out to be a wrecked motor boat," began the elder Racer lad. "What sort of a boat was the wrecked one?"

"Well, it was pretty big, with a hood up forward, and it looked as if it had been in a fire. It was all blacked."

"A fire!" cried Frank eagerly, as the memory of the boat from which Paul Gale had been rescued came to him. "Are you sure of this?"

"Certain. We were right close to 'em. That's what made us lose so much time. If we'd taken after you boys in the first place we might have found the whale ourselves."

"Bob Trent sighted the whale before he came for us," explained Frank, "so he'd have first claim on it anyhow. But which way was the motor boat going?"

"Along toward Seabright. Then it got hazy and we lost sight of it."

"Did you notice whether there was a tall, dark man aboard?" asked Frank eagerly.

"Yes, there was such a chap," broke in Bill Lowden. "And he seemed mighty anxious about the wrecked boat in tow. Why, do you know him?"

"I don't know--I've met him," said Frank, as he quickly turned to join his brother. Then he whispered to Andy: "Come away, I've got on the track of the mysterious man and the wrecked motor boat. I want to talk to you."

Wonderingly, Andy followed. There was no need to stay and guard the whale, as Kett and his crowd were preparing to leave. Soon Andy had been told all that Frank had learned.

"What are you going to do?" asked the younger brother.

"We'll go to Seabright the first thing in the morning. Maybe we can find the man there. I believe we're on the right track. Let's go and tell Paul."

There was no little excitement in the Racer home when Andy and Frank arrived with their tale of the sea, the whale, and the quarrel about it. So interested were Mr. and Mrs. Racer that they did not chide their sons for their partial disobedience of orders. As for Paul, he leaned forward eagerly in the easy chair, listening to the tale of the brothers.

"Oh! If I would only get strong enough go with you!" he exclaimed regretfully.

"Don't worry, you will be strong soon," said Mrs. Racer kindly.

"It was rather mean of us to go away and leave you all alone, momsey,"

spoke Frank. "And Paul, too. But when Bob called us we just couldn't resist."

"I'll forgive you," said the mother. "I won my golf match after all, and perhaps if you had followed me over the links I might not have done so."

"And I didn't mind being left alone," added Paul. "I'm so glad you got the whale."

"And we may get your motor boat, and find out who that strange man is,"

said Frank.

"Now go slowly," advised Mr. Racer. "I don't want you boys getting into trouble and danger. I think I had better attend to this matter myself, only I can't very well stay away from the office to-morrow."

"Oh, we can do the work all right," declared Frank. "We'll go in our sailboat, it won't take us long. Perhaps Paul will be strong enough to come along."

"I wish I was," and the invalid shook his head. "But somehow I don't feel so well to-night."

"Then we must have Dr. Martin look at you," decided Mr. Racer, and, in spite of Paul's protests the physician was summoned by telephone.

"It is nothing," he said after examining Paul. "He exerted himself a little too much to-day. He must be quiet for a couple of weeks yet and he'll be all right."

"Then that means no trip for you to-morrow," said Mrs. Racer kindly.

"Never mind, I'll amuse you while the boys are away pretending they are detectives," and she smiled at Paul.

It was about nine o'clock when Frank happened to remember that he had left aboard their sloop _Gull_ a book of adventures in which he was much interested.

"I'm going down and get it," he announced. "I won't be long."

"I'll go with you," offered Andy, and the two started off toward the mooring place, which was near the big public pier. The boys kept a light skiff tied to the float and in this way they used to row out to the sailboat.

As they approached the pier they heard confused shouts and cries coming from the direction of the bay.

"Something's going on!" cried Frank, breaking into a run.

"Yes. Sounds like someone in trouble," added Andy as he hollowed.

Once more came the cry, and this time the brothers could make it out:

"Fire! Fire! Fire!"

They turned a corner of the street that led straight out on the long pier, and there caught sight of a cloud of smoke in the moonlight, and saw dancing flames near the surface of the water. Then Frank uttered a cry of alarm:

"It's our boat--the _Gull_--she's on fire!" he yelled.

CHAPTER XII

THE STRANGER AGAIN

Frank and Andy ran as they had never run before. Out on the long pier they speeded, their eyes turned toward their boat which they could now hardly see on account of the haze of smoke.

"How do you think it happened?" panted Andy.

"Don't know. We've got to get the fire out first, and think afterward.

Come on, leg it faster!"

Once more they heard the cries of fire.

"That's Bob Trent!" called Frank. "There he goes out in his boat!

We'll have to get some sort of a pump."