CHAPTER 2 _THE BRASS LANTERN_
The rain dashed into Penny's face and ran in rivulets down her neck. Witha change in the wind direction, the air had become suddenly cold.Shivering, she huddled close to her father for warmth.
Veiled by rain, the shore no longer was visible. Far to the right, thechug of a laboring motorboat was heard for an instant, then died away. Itwas apparent to Penny that they were drifting downstream quite rapidly.
"Listen!" she cried a moment later.
From upriver had come three sharp blasts of a whistle.
"That's the _River Queen_," muttered Jack, tossing a lock of wet hair outof his eyes. "We must be right in her path."
"Then maybe we'll be picked up!" Penny exclaimed hopefully.
Jack gave a snort of disgust. "I'd rather drown than accept help fromSally Barker! Wouldn't she gloat!"
"Young man," interposed Mr. Parker with emphasis, "this is no time forfalse pride. We're in a predicament and will welcome help from anysource."
"Yes, sir, I guess you're right," murmured Jack, completely squelched. "Isure am sorry about getting you into this mess."
Gazing through the curtain of driving rain, Penny tried to glimpse the_River Queen_. Suddenly she distinguished its high decks and was dismayedto see that the ferry was bearing at full speed directly toward thedrifting motorboat.
Jack leaped to his feet, frantically waving his arms. Realizing thedanger of being run down, Mr. Parker likewise sprang up, shouting.
Straight on came the _River Queen_, her pilot seemingly unaware of thelittle boat low in the water and directly in the path.
"They don't see us!" Jack shouted hoarsely. "We'll be run down!"
The ferryboat now was very close. Its dark hull loomed up. Expecting asplintering crash, Penny struggled to her feet, preparing to jumpoverboard. But instead, she heard a series of sharp whistle toots, andthe ferryboat swerved, missing them by a scant three yards.
"Wow! Was that close!" Jack muttered, collapsing weakly on the seat. Thenhe straightened up again into alert attention, for the ferry had reducedspeed.
"Maybe we're going to be picked up!" he exclaimed.
The ferryboat indeed had maneuvered so that the current would swing thedrifting craft directly toward it.
Five minutes later, wet and bedraggled, the three stranded sailorsscrambled up a lowered ladder onto the _River Queen's_ slippery deck. Afew curious passengers who braved the rain, stared curiously at them asthey sought shelter.
"Well, if it isn't Jack Gandiss, and in trouble again!" boomed CaptainBarker, owner of the ferry. He was a short, stubby, red-faced man, withtwinkling blue eyes. "What happened this time? Engine conk out?"
"We ran out of gas," the boy admitted briefly. "Thanks for picking usup."
"Better thank Sally here," replied the captain, giving orders for themotorboat to be taken in tow. "It was her sharp eyes that picked you upout o' the storm."
Penny turned to see a dark-haired girl of her own age standing in thedoorway of the pilot house. In oilskin hat and coat, one easily mighthave mistaken her for a boy. Impatiently she brushed aside a strand ofwet hair which straggled from beneath the ugly headgear, and came out onthe rain-swept deck.
"Well, well, if it isn't Jack!" she chortled, enjoying the boy'sdiscomfiture. "Imagine an old tar like you running out of gas!"
"Never mind the cracks!" he retorted grimly. "Just go back to yourknitting!"
Turning her back upon Jack, Sally studied Penny with curious interest.
"Do I know you?" she inquired.
"My father and I are to be guests at the Gandiss home," Penny explained,volunteering their names. "We were on our way to Shadow Island when weran out of gas."
"Let's not go into all the gory details here," Jack broke in. "We'regetting wet."
"You mean you _are_ all wet," corrected Sally, grinning.
"Sally, take our guests to the cabin," Captain Barker instructed withhigh good humor. "I'll handle the wheel. We're late on our run now."
"How about dropping us off at the island?" Jack inquired. "If we had somegasoline--"
"We'll take care of you on the return trip," the captain promised. "Notime now. We have a hundred passengers to unload at Osage."
Penny followed Sally along the wet deck to a companionway and down thestairs to the private quarters of the captain and his daughter.
"Osage is a town across the river," Sally explained briefly. "Pop and Imake the run every hour. This is our last trip today, thank Jupiter!"
The cabin was warm and cozy, though cramped in space. Sally gave Mr.Parker one of her father's warm sweaters to put on over his soddengarments, offered Penny a complete change of outer clothing, anddeliberately ignored Jack's needs.
"You may return the duds later," she said, leading Penny to an adjoiningcabin where she could change her clothes. "How long do you folks expectto stay at Shadow Island?"
"Two weeks probably." Penny wriggled out of the limp dress.
"Then we'll have time to get better acquainted. You'll be here for thetrophy race too!" Sally's dark eyes danced and she added in a very loudvoice: "You'll be around to see Jack get licked!"
"In a pig's eye!" called Jack through the thin partition of the cabin."Why, that old sailboat of yours is just a mess of wormwood!"
"It was fast enough to win the brass lantern trophy!" Sally challenged,winking at Penny. In a whisper she explained: "I always get a kick out oftormenting Jack! He's so cocky and sure of himself! It does him good tobe taken down a peg."
"Tell me about the race," urged Penny. "It sounds interesting--especiallyyour feud with Jack."
"Later," promised Sally carelessly. "Right now I want to get yousomething warm to drink before we dock at Osage. Here, give me those wetclothes. I'll dry them for you, and send them to Shadow Island tomorrow."
Rejoining Jack and Mr. Parker, the captain's daughter conducted the partyto a food bar in the passenger lounge.
"Hot Java," she instructed the counter man. "And what will you have to gowith it? Hamburgers or dogs? This is on the house."
"Make mine a dog with plenty of mustard," laughed Penny, enjoying thegirl's breezy slang.
"Nothing for me except coffee," said Jack stiffly. "I'll pay for it too."
Mr. Parker decided upon a hamburger. Food, especially the steaming hotcoffee, revived the drooping spirits of the trio. Even Jack thawedslightly in his attitude toward Sally.
Sipping the brew from a thick China mug, Penny's gaze roved curiouslyabout the lounge. The room was poorly furnished, with an ancient redcarpet and wicker chairs. Passengers were absorbed with newspapers, theirfretful children, or the _River Queen's_ supply of ancient magazines.
The lounge however, was scrupulously clean, and every fixture had beenpolished until it shone like gold. Sam Barker, whose father before himhad sailed a river boat, was an able, efficient captain, one of the bestand most respected on the waterfront.
Attached to an overhead beam near the food bar, swung an ancient brasslantern. The body was hexagonal in shape, its panes of glass protected bybars of metal. A two-part ornamental turret was covered with a hood fromwhich was attached the suspending ring.
"That lantern came from an old whaling boat nearly a century ago," Sallyexplained. "For many years it was kept in the Country Club as a curio.Then two seasons ago, it was offered as a trophy in the annual Hat Islandsailboat race held here."
"I won the lantern the first year," Jack contributed. He pointed to hisname and the date engraved on the trophy's base.
"The second year, I upset the apple cart by winning," Sally added with agrin. "The race next week will decide who keeps the lantern permanently."
"Providing it isn't stolen first!" Jack cut in pointedly. "Sally, whymust you be so stubborn about hanging it here on the _River Queen?_ EveryTom, Dick, and Harry rides this old tub."
"Don't call the _River Queen_ a tub," drawled Sally, her
tone warning himhe had gone far enough. "And as for our passengers--"
"What I mean," Jack corrected hastily, "is that you can't vouch for thehonesty of every person who rides this ferry."
"I'm not in the least worried about the lantern being stolen," Sallyretorted. "I won it fairly enough, didn't I?"
"Yes."
"Then it's mine to display as I choose. The racing committee agreed tothat. The lantern is chained to a beam and is safe enough."
"I hope so," Jack said grimly. "I aim to win it back, and I don't want tosee it do a disappearing act before the day of the race."
"You won't," Sally returned shortly. "I accept full responsibility, solet me do the worrying."
A signal bell tapped several times, a warning to the passengers that theferry was approaching shore. As those aboard began to gather up theirbelongings, Sally buttoned her oilskin coat tightly about her.
"Excuse me for a minute," she said to Penny and Mr. Parker. "I've got tohelp Pop. See you later."