CHAPTER XXI. A CHANNEL IN THE SWAMP
The wind was from the shore and Gib suggested that the small sail be runup. This was soon done and away the little craft went bounding over theevenly rolling waves and, before very many minutes, the point was roundedand the swamp reached.
"Where is the airplane anchored?" Nann inquired, peering curiously intothe cove which was unoccupied by craft of any kind.
"Well, we aren't sure as to that," Dick told her, speaking softly asthough fearing to be overheard. "We climbed to the top of the rocks andlay there for hours, or so it seemed to me. We were waiting for the tideto turn so we could go out in the punt. But all the time we were there wedidn't see or hear anything of the airplane or the pilot. Of course,since it's a seaplane, too, it's probably anchored over beyond the marsh.
"Now my theory is that the pilot has a little tender and that in it herowed up the creek and probably, right this very minute, he is in the oldruin, and like as not if we go up there we will meet him face to face."
"Br-r-r!" Dories shuddered and her eyes were big and round. "Don't youthink we'd better wait here? We could hide the punt in the reeds andwatch who comes out. You wouldn't want to meet--a--a--"
Dories was at a loss to conjecture who they might meet, but Gib chimed inwith, "Don't care who 'tis!" Then, looking anxiously at the girl who hadspoken, he said, "'Pears we'd ought to've left you at home. 'Pears likewe'd ought."
The boy looked so truly troubled that Dories assumed a courage she didnot feel. "No, indeed, Gib! If you three aren't afraid to meet whoever itis, neither am I. Row ahead."
Thus advised, the lad lowered the small sail, and the two boys rowed thepunt to the opening in the marsh.
It was just wide enough for the punt to enter. "Wall, we uns can't usethe oars no further, that's sure sartin." Gib took off his cap to scratchhis ear as he always did when perplexed.
"I have it!" Dick seized an oar, stepped to the stern, asked Nann to takethe seat in the middle of the boat and then he stood and pushed the puntinto the narrow creek.
They had not progressed more than two boat-lengths when a whizzing,whirring noise was heard and the seaplane scudded from behind a reedypoint which had obscured it, and crossed their cove before taking to theair. Then it turned its nose toward the island. All that the watcherscould see of the pilot was his leather-hooded, dark-goggled head, and, ashe had not turned in their direction, it was quite evident that he didn'tknow of their existence.
"Gone!" Dick cried dramatically. "'Foiled again,' as they say on thestage."
"Wall, anyhow, we're here, so let's go on up the creek and see what's inthe ol' ruin."
Dick obeyed by again pushing the boat along with the one oar. Dories saidnot a word as the punt moved slowly among the reeds that stood four feetabove the water and were tangled and dense.
"There's one lucky thing for us," Nann began, after having watched thedark water at the side of the craft. "That sea serpent you were tellingabout, Gib, couldn't hide in this marsh."
"Maybe not," Dick agreed, "but it's a favorite feeding ground for slimywater snakes." Nann glanced anxiously at her friend, then, noting howpale she was, she changed the subject. "How still it is in here," shecommented.
A breeze rustled through the drying reed-tops, but there was indeed noother sound.
In and out, the narrow creek wound, making so many turns that often theycould not see three feet ahead of them.
For a moment the four young people in the punt were silent, listening tothe faint rustle of the dry reeds all about them in the swamp. There wasno other sound save that made by the flat-bottomed boat, as Dick,standing in the stern, pushed it with one oar.
"There's another curve ahead," Nann whispered. Somehow in that silentplace they could not bring themselves to speak aloud.
"Seems to me the water is getting very shallow," Dories observed. She wasstaring over one side of the boat watching for the slimy snakes Dick hadtold her made the marsh their feeding ground.
"H-m-m! I wonder!" Nann, with half closed eyes looked meditatively ahead.
"Wonder what?" her friend glanced up to inquire.
"I was thinking that perhaps we won't be able to go much farther up thischannel, since the tide is going out. The water in the marsh keepsgetting lower and lower."
"Gee-whiliker, Nann!" Dick looked alarmed. "I believe you're right. I'vebeen thinking for some seconds that the pushing was harder than it hasbeen."
They had reached a turn in the narrow channel as he spoke, but, when hetried to steer the punt into it, the flat-bottomed boat stopped with suchsuddenness that, had he not been leaning hard on the oar, he would surelyhave been thrown into the muddy water. As it was, he lost his balance andfell on the broad stern seat. Dories, too, had been thrown forward, whileGib leaped to the bow to look ahead and see what had obstructed theirprogress.
"Great fish-hooks! If we haven't run aground," was the result of hisobservation.
"Nann's right. This here channel dries up with the tide goin' out."
"Then the only way to get to the old ruin is to come when the turningtide fills this channel in the marsh," Dick put in.
"Wall, it's powerful disappointin'," Gib looked his distress, "bein' asthe tide won't turn till 'long about midnight, an' you've got to go backto Boston on the evening train."
"I'd ought to go, to be there in time for school on Monday," the ladagreed.
"Couldn't you make it if you took the early morning train?" Nanninquired.
"May be so," Dick replied, "but we can decide that later. The big thingjust now is, how're we going to get out of this creek?"
"Why--" The girls looked helplessly from one boy to the other. "Is thereany problem about it? Can't you just push out the way you pushed in?"
Dick's expression betrayed his perplexity. "Hmm! I'm not at all sure,with the tide going out as fast as it is now."
"Gracious!" Dories looked up in alarm. "We won't have to stay in thisdreadful marsh until the tide turns, will we?" Then appealingly, "Oh,Dick, please do hurry and try to get us out of here. Aunt Jane will beterribly worried if we don't get home before dark."
The boy addressed had already leaped to the stern of the boat and waspushing on the one oar with all his strength. Gib snatched the other oarand tried to help, but still they did not move. Then Nann had aninspiration. "Dori," she said, "you catch hold of the reeds on that sideand I will on this and let's pull, too. Now, one, two, three! Alltogether!"
Their combined efforts proved successful. The punt floated, but it wasquite evident that they would have to travel fast to keep from againbeing grounded, so they all four continued to push and pull, and it waswith a sigh of relief that they at last reached deeper water as thechannel widened into the sea.
"Well, that certainly was a narrow escape," Nann exclaimed as the puntslipped out of the narrow channel of the marsh into the quiet waters ofthe cove.
"Now we know why the pilot of the airplane left. He probably visits theold ruin only at high tide, when he is sure that there is water enough inthe creek," Dick announced.
Dories seemed greatly relieved that the expedition had returned to theopen, and, as it was sheltered in the cove, the boys soon rowed across tothe point of rocks. "If Gib could leave the punt here where the water isso sheltered and quiet, your mother, Dick, would not object even if youwent out when the tide is high, would she?" Nann inquired.
"No, indeed," the boy replied. "Mother merely had reference to the opensea. A punt would have little chance out there if it were caught betweenthe surf and the rocks, but here it is always calm."
While they had been talking, Gib had been busy letting his home-madeanchor overboard. It was a heavy piece of iron tied to a rope, which inturn was fastened to the bow.
"Hold on there, Cap'n!" Dick merrily called. "Let the passengers ashorebefore you anchor." Gib grinned as he drew the heavy piece of iron backinto the punt. Then Dick rowed close to the rocks and assisted the girlsout.
"What shall we do now?" he turned to ask when he saw that Gib had pushedoff again. He dropped the anchor a little more than a boat length fromthe point, pulled off his shoes and stockings and waded to the rocks.After putting them on again he joined the others, who had started toclimb.
When they reached the wide, flat "tiptop" rock Dories sank down,exclaiming, "Honestly, I never was so hungry before in all my life."Then, laughingly, she added, "Nann Sibbett, here we have been carryingthat box of lunch all this time and forgot to eat it. The boys must bestarved."
"Whoopla!" Dick shouted. "Starved doesn't half express my famishedcondition. Does it yours, Gib?"
The red-headed boy beamed. "I'm powerful hungry all right," heacknowledged, "but I'm sort o' used to that." However, he sat down whenhe was invited to do so and ate the good sandwiches given him with asmuch relish as the others.
Half an hour later they were again on the sand walking toward the row ofcottages. Nann glanced at the upper window of the Burton cabin, and Dick,noticing, glanced in the same direction. Then, smiling at the girl, hesaid, "I guess, after all, there has been no one in the cottage. Theblind is still closed just as I left it yesterday."
"We'll look again tonight," Nann said, adding, "We'll each have to carrya lantern."
"What are you two planning?" Dories asked suspiciously.
"Can't you guess the meaning that underlies our present conversation?"Nann smilingly inquired.
"Goodness, I'm almost afraid that I can," was her friend's queerconfession. "I do believe you are plotting a visit to the old ruin at theturn of the tide, and that will not be until midnight, Gib said."
"It's something like that," Dick agreed.
"Well, you can count me out." Dories shuddered as she spoke.
Nann laughed. "I know just exactly what will happen (this teasingly) whenyou hear me tiptoeing down the back stairs. You'll dart after me; for youknow you're afraid to stay alone in our loft at night."
"You are wrong there," Dories contended. "Now that I know about theghost, I won't be afraid to stay alone, and I would be terribly afraid togo to the ruin at midnight, even with three companions."
"Speaking of lanterns," Dick put in, "if it's foggy we won't be able togo at all. That would be running unnecessary risks, but if it is clear,there ought to be a full moon shining along about midnight, and that willmake all the light we will need." Then he hastened to add, "But we'lltake lanterns, for we might need them inside the old ruin, and what ismore, I'll take my flashlight."
The boys had left the white horse tied to the cottage nearest the road.When they had mounted, Spindly started off as suddenly as hours before ithad stopped.
"Good-bye," Dick waved his cap to the girls, "we'll whistle when we getto the beach."
"Just look at Spindly gallop," Dories said. "The poor thing is eager toget to its dinner, I suppose." Arm in arm they turned toward theirhome-cabin.
"My, such exciting things are happening!" Nann exclaimed joyfully. "Iwouldn't have missed this month by the sea for anything."
Dories shuddered. "I'll have to confess that I'm not very keen aboutvisiting the old ruin at----" She interrupted herself to cry outexcitedly, "Nann, do look over toward the island. We forgot all aboutthat sea plane. There it is just taking to the air. What do you supposeit has been doing out on that desolate island all this time?"
Nann shook her head, then shaded her eyes to watch the airplane as itsoared high, again headed for Boston.
"Little do you guess, Mr. Pilot," she called to him, "that tonight we areto discover the secret of your visits to the old ruin."
"Maybe!" Dories put in laconically.