Knowing from the gesture of the Captain what was the matter, Chester asked, as he obeyed the request:

"What causes that?"

"There is either something wrong with the water pump, the spark is r.e.t.a.r.ded, or a lack of sufficient lubrication, causing the motor to heat.

It will take some time to find out and we shall have to drift for awhile."

"Why not run to land and tie up? We may get in the way of some of the boats steaming up or down the river if we stay out here."

Alvin scrutinized the eastern bank, which is the upper portion of Westport, and much nearer than Wisca.s.set township opposite.

"The water is so deep that I suppose we can touch the bank anywhere without risk to the hull. All right; feel your way in."

The turning of the boat naturally stirred Mike's curiosity and he came back to learn the cause, which was soon explained to him.

"Ye have me consint, since I obsarve there's a bit of a town not far off where we can git enough food to keep off starvation."

Fir, spruce and pines line the sh.o.r.e of this part of Westport, the ground rising moderately inland. A half mile, more or less, from the river, runs the public highway from Clough Point, the northern extremity of Westport, almost to Brooks Point at the extreme southern end, the distance being something like fifteen miles, the entire length of the island.

The village to which Mike Murphy alluded stands alongside this road, a half mile from the sh.o.r.e of Back River. There was enough rise to the ground to show the church steeple and the roofs of the higher buildings.

Perhaps it will be well to give it the name of Beartown, and to say that it numbered some five hundred inhabitants. Although its main interest was with the highway alluded to, yet it had considerable trade with the river, up and down which boats of different tonnage steamed, sailed or rowed during the day, and occasionally at night. A well-marked road led from a wharf to the village. Over this freight was drawn to and fro in wagons, and some of the less important steamers halted for pa.s.sengers who liked that way of going up or down stream.

Alvin and Chester thought it better not to stop at the public wharf, where they were likely to be in the way of larger craft and might draw unpleasant attention to themselves, while engaged in repairing the launch. Accordingly, the latter timidly approached the land, several hundred yards below the wharf. The water possessed that wonderful clearness which is one of its beautiful peculiarities in Maine. The boat was far out when the change was made in her course, but she had not gone far when, looking over the side, the dark, rocky bottom was plainly seen fully thirty feet below. There was slight decrease in this depth until the boat was within a few yards of land. Even then, it must have been twenty feet at least, the bottom sloping as abruptly from the sh.o.r.e as the roof of a house. Consequently the approach was safe and easy.

In such favorable conditions there was no difficulty in laying the launch near the bank, where, as in former instances, she was made fast by the bow line looped around a st.u.r.dy spruce more than six inches in diameter, and the anchor out over the stern. Chester tied the knot securely, and stepped back to give what help he could to Alvin, who was busy with the engine. Mike looked on and remarked that, although he knew nothing at all about the various contraptions, he held himself ready to give valuable advice whenever it was needed.

"Being as mesilf ain't indispinsable just now, 'spose I strolls up to the city nixt door and make a few more new acquaintances."

"There is no objection to that," replied the Captain, "but be sure to come back before dark."

Mike sprang lightly to land and set off on his journey of discovery. It will be recalled that our friends were some distance from the highway connecting the wharf and town and therefore he had to thread his way among the trees to reach the direct route to the village. There was no trouble in doing this: the trouble came afterward.

Alvin and Chester gave the lad no thought, for he surely was old enough to take care of himself, and there was nothing in the situation to cause any misgiving. Their ambition was to get the engine of the launch in shape. With painstaking care and the expenditure of more time than was expected, Alvin finally discovered that the heat of the exhaust pipe was due to the clogging of the pump with weeds, and not to the lack of lubrication or the r.e.t.a.r.ding of the spark.

To the disgust of both, when a test was made with the launch still held immovable, and the heating was overcome, explosions in the m.u.f.fler developed.

"Now we must find whether that is caused by a cylinder missing fire and pumping the gas into the m.u.f.fler."

"How will that do it?" asked Chester, who, while a good motor boat pilot, possessed less practical knowledge than his chum.

"The charges which I spoke of are ignited from the heat of the next exhausted charge. It may be the exhaust valve is stuck or does not seat properly, or the gas mixture is too weak to fire in the cylinder, or the spark may be insufficient or over-r.e.t.a.r.ded. It is a job to get that straightened out, and when that is done, perhaps something else will turn up, but we may as well tackle it at once."

It was fully dark before the difficulty was remedied by a careful readjustment of the carburettor. Repeated tests were made, and everything found to be right.

"At last!" said Alvin, with a sigh of relief. "And now we are ready to go home. But where is Mike?"

CHAPTER X

AT BEARTOWN

Alvin Landon had been toiling so long, often in a stooping posture, that he was tired. He sat down on one of the seats and his chum placed himself opposite.

"I'm mighty glad," said the Captain, "for a fellow can't do much of this in the dark, and I was bothered a good deal as it was."

"It strikes me that you will be running into danger by going down the river to-night."

"How?"

"There is no moon until late. Suppose the launch should break down when we were well out in Sheepscot Bay, wouldn't we be in a fix?"

"Yes, but I hope she is through breaking down for some time to come."

"So do I, but why take the risk, when there's no necessity for it?"

"We aren't fixed to sleep on board, though we could do it in a pinch, for the weather is mild."

"Let's go up to this village or town near by. I am sure we shall get accommodations for the night. Truth to tell, Alvin, I'm as hungry as I was at dinner to-day in Wisca.s.set."

"The plan is a good one, though I don't like to leave the boat by itself till morning. You know what happened the other night."

"That won't occur again in a thousand years. Put the flags and other stuff in the c.o.c.kpit, lock the engine cover, take the switch plug with you, and the boat will be as safe as if she had a regiment of men on guard."

"Mike ought to have been back before this," said the Captain, with a touch of impatience. "Unless he has a good excuse I shall demote him, by making you first mate."

"It is a dazzling promise you hold before me, but it won't be fair to condemn Mike unheard. Give him a chance."

After some hesitation, Alvin acted upon the advice of his comrade. The launch was made as secure as possible, and they sprang ash.o.r.e, where the gloom among the trees reminded them of that other tramp after taking supper with Uncle Ben Trotwood. There was no reason for going astray and they followed a direct course until they reached the roadway between the wharf and the village of Beartown, alongside the main road running the length of the island of Westport.

The moon had not yet risen; in fact it would not be up for several hours, but the sky was clear and studded with stars which shone with dazzling brilliancy. They could plainly see the broad trail into which they turned and walked toward the village.

Less than a score of paces were pa.s.sed when the two caught sight of a figure approaching through the obscurity. The person kept in the middle of the road, and an instant later both recognized him as their comrade.

"Hands up!" called the Captain, in his most startling voice.

Mike stopped short, but made no motion to obey.

"Didn't you hear me?" demanded Alvin fiercely, as he strode forward with the grinning Chester at his elbow.

"If ye'll be kind enough to spell out the words I'll think 'em over and let ye know me decision to-morrer," replied the Irish youth, who knew the voice, though the speaker screened himself as much as he could in the shadow at the side of the highway. The parties met and shook hands.

"What kept you so long?" asked Chester.

"I spint the time in making acquaintances, and before I knowed it, night had descinded. I 'spose there's about two thousand folks in Beartown as they call it, and I know 'em all excipt two or three, the same being out of town."

"It is so late," said the Captain, "that we have decided to stay here overnight--that is, if we can get lodgings."