Herb struggled to the surface in a few seconds, puffing and sputtering.

"Aw, I don't care!" he shouted. "I was going in anyway, so you just saved me the trouble of walking in. So long! I'm going to swim to Boston!"

But he did not get very far on this extended journey, for the surf was so high that day that the boys were content to spend their time diving into the big combers and letting themselves be carried sh.o.r.eward by the big waves. After they had had enough of this, they went up on the beach and played ball with a cork surf ball that Bob had brought with him.

"This beats digging away in school, by a long sight," said Jimmy. "Next winter when we're working away like real good boys, we can think of this and wish we were back here."

"Not on your life!" said Joe. "This place is very nifty now, but there's nothing more cold looking than a beach in winter."

"Oh, well, you know what I mean, you big prune," said Jimmy. "We'll wish it were summer and we were back here. It's just as easy to wish for two things as it is for one."

"Who's a big prune?" demanded Joe. "Did you hear that insult, Bob? What shall I do to him?"

"Make him lie down in the sand and roll over," replied Bob, grinning.

"You can't let him call you a prune, even if you are one."

"That's what I'll make him do," said Joe, ignoring this last thrust, and he went after Jimmy.

But that individual did not wait his coming, but meekly lay down on the sand and rolled over in most approved fashion.

"Want me to do it again?" he asked Joe. "Anything to make you happy, you know."

"Once is enough," said Joe. "That means that you're sorry and apologize, you know."

"Like fun it does!" said Jimmy. "I just did that because it was less trouble than throwing you into the drink, and, besides, I was afraid of hurting you."

"Oh, I see," said Joe. "But don't let that stop you, Doughnuts. I'll take a chance of getting hurt."

"No, I guess I'll stay here," said Jimmy, gazing placidly up at the blue sky. "Please don't bother me any more. Make him stop bothering me, Bob."

Joe picked up a double handful of heavy wet sand and dropped it squarely on Jimmy's rotund body.

"Let's see you make me stop, Bob," he called, as Jimmy emitted an outraged howl.

Bob was not slow to accept the challenge, and made a flying leap for Joe. The sand flew as they wrestled back and forth, each one striving to throw the other. Finally both went down with a thud, and Bob managed to land on top. Laughing, the two friends scrambled to their feet and dug the sand out of their eyes and ears.

"Thanks, Bob," said Jimmy. "You landed on him almost as hard as that sand landed on me, so we're quits. Before anything else happens to me, I'm going home and get something to eat, so as to have strength to stand it. You fellows may not know it's pretty near dinner time, but I do."

Thus reminded, all the boys suddenly discovered that they were hungry, and they started for home, after taking one more dip to wash the sand off.

"Do you know," said Bob, as they started off, "Mr. Harvey told me the other day that we could borrow his motor boat any time we wanted it and he wasn't going to use it? What do you say if we try and get it to-morrow and take a little cruise?"

This proposal met with instant favor, and that evening the boys planned to leave immediately after breakfast the next morning and try to borrow the motor boat from their new friend at the radio station.

CHAPTER XV-SKIMMING THE WAVES

The next morning dawned without a cloud in the sky, and the boys were so anxious to get started that they could hardly take breakfast. Crisp brown bacon and fried eggs are not to be lightly ignored, however, and they managed to eat a pretty hearty meal, starting on their expedition immediately afterward.

"We couldn't have picked out a better day if we'd planned for a week ahead of time," observed Joe. "If we can only get that boat now, everything will be fine and dandy."

"I think we'll be able to get it, all right," said Bob. "The only thing that can stop us is the chance that Mr. Harvey will want to use it himself, and even then, likely enough, he'd take us along."

"Well, there's no use worrying about it till we get there," said Jimmy philosophically. "Even if we can't get it, I guess we'll be able to survive the shock."

But when they arrived at the big station they found their misgivings had been groundless. Mr. Harvey seemed very glad to see them, and when they asked him about the motor boat he told them to "go as far as they liked."

"I'm pretty busy here these days, and don't have much time to use it myself," said the radio man. "You boys will be welcome to the use of it to-day, or any other time. It seems a shame for it to be lying idle a day like this."

"Well, if you'll show us where you keep it, we'll see that it gets a little exercise," said Bob.

"Sure thing," said the wireless man. "Come along."

He led the boys a short distance from the station to a narrow inlet that ran back from the ocean. At the head of this inlet was a snug little boathouse which Brandon Harvey unlocked.

"There she is," he said, a note of pride in his; voice. "What do you think of her?"

"She's a little beauty!" exclaimed Bob. "That's a mighty nifty boat, Mr.

Harvey."

The others were equally unqualified in their praise, because the boat was a beautiful model, twenty-five feet long, with a snug little hunting cabin built up forward. It had a st.u.r.dy four cylinder engine, and everything looked to be in perfect order.

Mr. Harvey was evidently pleased by their appreciation of his pet, and pointed out some of the boat's good qualities.

"She's as staunch as they make 'em," he said. "She's a mighty seaworthy and dependable little craft. I think you'll find plenty of gasoline in the tank, so you won't have to worry about anything. I only wish I could go with you."

"I wish you could," said Bob. "But we'll take the best of care of it, and we'll be back before dark. We'll not go far, anyway."

"Well, enjoy yourselves," said Brandon Harvey. "Can you get the engine started all right?"

For answer Bob gave the flywheel a twirl, and the engine started upon the first revolution. Joe took the wheel, while Bob acted as engineer.

They backed carefully out of the boathouse, and then shifted into forward speed and proceeded slowly down the creek toward the bay, the engine throttled down until one could almost count the explosions, and yet running sweetly and steadily, without a miss.

"Say, this engine is a bird!" said Bob enthusiastically. "Just make out I wouldn't like to own a boat like this!"

"Who wouldn't?" asked Joe. "It's about the neatest boat of its size I ever saw. I'll bet it can go some if you want it to, too."

"We'll, you know Mr. Harvey told us it could make twenty-five miles an hour, and that's fast enough to beat anything but a racer," said Herb.

By this time they had reached the mouth of the creek, and the whole expanse of the big bay opened out in front of them. There was just enough breeze to ruffle the surface of the water, upon which the sun played in a million points of flashing light. The cool, exhilarating salt wind filled their lungs, and they shouted and sang with the pure joy of living.

"A life on the ocean wave, a home on the rolling deep!" chanted Jimmy.

"Whoever wrote that song knew what he was talking about."

"He'd probably never have written it if he had known you were going to sing it," said Joe.