The Motor Boat Club and The Wireless; Or, the Dot, Dash and Dare Cruise

ate signal, below his name, that he told us to look for on all orders of his.

e the wheel. Facing about, Tom swung open the small chart-case secured to the to

straight sou'east by east course should bring us right in the

. "But I can't fool with the engine, unless you insist. I

rs, then," nodded Captain

snug little staterooms; at the other end, forward, a table had been fitted up with wireless apparatus, for the tw

on deck. The signal mast stood just behind the bridge deck. It was of light, hollow stee

eight in this light breeze, can't we, Tom?"

had the aerials well aloft. Nor was he too soon, for this query

starting

by the wireless apparatus, young

nd running to interc

is ears, a moment later. "Then I won't bother you further. I trust you

dash code of the Morse alphabet, but to Joe 21 Dawso

ssage on the sending key, while the electric waves sped from the aerials alo

liner answered promptly. She was on the same course, and glad t

hardly to be expected as a member of the crew of the "Restless" on this cruise, but he had wound up the summer season at East Hampton, and now, with idle September coming upon him, he had found t

Mr. Seaton has started i

in Tom. "We're cruising at full speed, and under orders f

can this

w," Tom Hals

y interested in him? What does Seaton

nk, Hank?" queried the

ha

irs of the man who employs us. We looked Mr. Seaton up, and found he had the reputation of

h he went on, in an

smell a big mystery, to want to know the meaning of at least some of it. A

iving the wheel another turn in order to

what

be downright nosey.

ank, who could not be repressed easily. "And Seaton is surely mightily worked up about it. And sending u

e motors. For goodness' sake don't let us break down on what we've been told is a life-and-d

ing, for his curiosity was doi

riving on time. Yet there was not wanting pleasure, mixed with the anxiety. How good the fresh, salty air tasted, out here on the broad sea, with the low coast-line already nearly out of sight! Tom Halstead sniffed in breath af

these Motor Boat Club boys were, there must have been much of the old Norseman Viking blood in t

s glowing, as he paused on the bridge deck, taking

, in a tone that was almost a

y n

pleasure. I've signaled the 'Constant,' and she's sti

patient

eon offers no hope, and will be glad t

ake Mr. 25 Seaton so anxious about

e armatures of the Morse register, aft, to a buzzer in the engine room. Then if I happen to

affair of theirs was but the start of a series of adventures more amazing than any they had ever dreamed of. Now, at the most, they were curious. Soon they were to know what it meant to be astounded; they were soon

them, they were mainly intent, now, upon intercepting at

teamship were visible through the marine glasses. Then the hull appeared. A few minutes later Captain Tom ran the "Restless"

in Tom Halstead snatched up the megap

pper. "This is the yacht 'Restless,' sent

liner's bridge. "We'll lower our starboard s

the threshold of their strangest,

PTE

HE MYSTER

d Hank, disgustedly. "I'll show 'em-and

n Tom, boathook in hand, made fast 27 temporarily. Then H

ngway," roared down a mate, whose head an

us," grinned Joe

up the steps of the gangway. He reached the

Captain Hampto

sailing mast

fore you,

ou

s,

d Captain Hampton, much astoni

ntinued, still smiling at the other captain's very evident aston

A man who has followed the sea for years knows the capacity and efficiency that boys of

was Tom Halstead in the captain's uniform.

Clodis, that you want to ha

ave come fo

er, has very urgently ordered us to bring Mr. Clodis ashore; also his b

mfortable bert

f them," T

p's surgeon, Dr. Burke, will also go over the side and see that M

ow your men to the por

rke. A boatswain was directed to attend to havi

you please," requested Captai

xplanation," declared the 'Constant's' sailing master, opening his desk. "Here is a

d," supp

glanced hurriedly t

is voice. "Our charter-man, Mr. Seaton, intimated that he believed it might have be

oted that Hampton appeared to be a sturdy, honest sea-dog. "Still, Captain Halstead, if you woul

he investigation

ink s

Captain, by my asking any questions of

0 had been carried over the side, and that his

ort of the accident into his pocket. "I'll go over the side, sir, as soon as you can

p's sailing master, "and none were deposited with the purser. So, i

u good-bye and hurry over the sid

ateroom a passenger who had b

ntleman is Mr. Arthur Hilton. Since leaving New York he has received some wi

. Though evidently not a Spaniard, he had the complexion usual to that 31 race. His dark eyes were keen and sharp, though they had a rather pleasant look

t you, young man, for a ten-

nows no reason why you shouldn't

icket, and there is nothing to detain him

e ready, sir

hed Hilton, stepping back an

ong, the

ed on deck, he heard several wondering, and some admiring, remarks rela

ding his bag before him. Tom Halstead, as he turned, got a good look at that bag. It was one that he was likely to remember for many a day. The a

ten-dollar bill. Murmuring his thanks, the young skipper crumpled

ut and well dressed. His head was so bandaged, as he lay in the lowe

in the doorway. "If he comes to, I've left some medicine with your steward, to be given the pa

from Beaufort to meet us,

Burke, rising. "But I'm glad to know that

over the side, Hilto

ain Tom. "No one is to go into the cabin 33 until t

almost instantly vanished. Joe brought a deck arm ch

," called down Captain Hampton over the

ged. "We'll take the best care

tart as best he could. He managed the double task neatly, however, and, as he f

long, deep-throated blast from the liner's steam whistle. With this brief inter

?" called Joe, from the d

ook out for vibration. Our sick m

ore than a mile over the waves, Captain Halst

our sick man cam

I understand that Mr. Clodis fell down the stairs leading to the main saloon, and

and as speedily as possible. There was no land in sight, and the trip

n Hilton roused himself at sight of a low-hulled, blac

hat boat, aren't you, Captain?"

r; prett

e mainland at the earliest possible moment, and catch a railway train. So, Captain, if you'll signal that s

ner lay to until overtaken. Hilton discovered that the schooner was bound for Beaufort, and the bargain was quickly complet

he schooner was hull down, when Captain Tom su

d the young skipper. "I

," came quietly fro

to get ashore, may be the very c

just come to me

ted that the 'accident' might

e "Restless" stared discon

and make such a fearful stu

e than I did," Joe t

Hilton aboard until Mr. Seaton h

o grab Hilton on landing," suggested Joe, doubtfu

n our say-so, Joe. And, even if they did, w

alm ocean. Tom shivered whenever he thought of the possibility of the motors becoming cranky.

e yacht came in sight of Lonely I

aking the marine glass

rt on the tug, after all the trouble of rounding up doctors. 37 He must have c

med hat and blue serge, waved his hand vigorously at the boys. With him stood three men, presumably surgeons. Captain Tom Halstead

Tom. "I'm going to make a swift landing that w

m swung the yacht in almost a semi-circle, running up with bare headway so that the boat lay in gently against the string-piece. In that instant Tom, leaving the wheel, bounded up

t-handling-a 38 superb piece of seamanship

o hear none of this. He gripped T

odis ashore? Ho

doctor offered no hope. You will find

Seaton vanished aft, the medical men with him.

s say, Hank?" deman

lion," replied Hank, in a

. Seaton, hat in hand

hing to tell you." Then the young skipper detailed the affair of taking Arthur

commanded Powell Seat

Tom di

he?" cried Mr. Seaton, in a rage. "Ans

ir?" Tom aske

"Who, but the scoundrel who has engineered this whole desperate plot against me! The

PTE

HANDS AT T

, Allan Clodis, barely alive, was placed when they bore him up from the boat. Th

thed Seaton, tensely. "Dawso

perator," reported Joe

the hands of the chief of police without an instant's los

olice chief was asked to arrest Dalton on sight, on the authority of Powell Seaton, and hold him

k came the reply from

chooner. Man Dalton will be arrest

ates revenue cutter would intercept the ship and take you off. At best, you knew you would be arrested at Rio Janeiro, if I suspected you, as I was bound to do. So you tried to steal ashore here, to b

om Halstead, hinti

?" insisted

f the schooner to land him at some other point, where

ugh he were grinding his teeth. Then he

ge was one warning the police chief that Dalton might attempt to land at some point outside of Beaufort, and askin

ew minutes, the a

slated the dots and dashes, "that his author

to force self-control, he trod softly out of the room, going t

hange," Hank report

s," said Tom Halstead, gravely, "for allowing

're hired to furnish a boat, to sail it, and, incidentally, to run a

e quicker thinking. My! What would Dalton have felt like if I had ru

other quiet smile, "do you know, Tom, what I think y

f cour

ing tears. They would be looking at you, to-morrow, and

nt or two. Then, comprehending,

would have dared a

w we don't go armed aboard the 'Restless.' Now, 43 I'm pretty certain that Dalto

he beheld Captain Tom Halstead seated at the operator'

ng, Captain?" ask

that I took from Anson Dalton for passag

es

the money in this en

Dalton when you find his addre

to have more money, already, than is good for him. I've addressed this

ic inst

home for feeble

cion you would have done whatever lay in your 44 power. I might have warned you a

lstead could not even guess what the underlying mystery was, he knew that it seriously affected Mr. Seaton's

ll his bluntness of manner, was proving himself valuable in the sick-room, while Joe spent most of his time in the wireless room of the b

to run down and make sure that all was snug and tight aboard the "Restless." The youn

Tom muttered to himself, as he halted, 45 a momen

at the bungalow seated themselves at supper, however, the s

ditions to-night, won't it?" q

keep up," replied Joe Dawson. "But I ima

was falling steadily, though only in a dr

om of the bungalow, after the meal, the warnin

rising quickly, "the wirel

imself by the instruments and slipping

y, looking up. "The police report that n

sk them not to give up 46 the lookout through the night. Tell the ch

or the sending-key. Then a bla

ned, in a low voice, leaping up. He examined the connections

out," he muttered, snatching up a lighte

ed, followed by Powell Seaton and by To

he storage battery connections and other parts of

of our crowd would do such a trick! Not even in fun! Look, sir, at where the parts have been tampered with. Look where pliers have

hen glanced w

! Mr. Seaton, until we get in touch with the mainland, and get some needed supplies there, we can't use this w

Powell Seaton, looking as though amazemen

y. "While we were at supper some sneak or sneaks have landed on this island. They hav

ng any noise," confirmed Joe. "Yes-they've done a

s work for the sending of even a s

nd replacement materials from the mainland," re

essages from the 'Restles

door of the dynamo shed with

over his shoulder, "unless the same crowd of rascals have broken int

was a pile of long sticks of firewood. Tom Halstead stopp

. Seaton, who had followed them. "If there's anyon

moment, as though he were aboard

your unconscious friend. Doctor, wake up! Better go in and

important was happening, swiftly moved off to the s

nd," Tom added. "Better be in the sick-room at any moment when Dr. Cosgrove leaves there. Hank, get a club from

out onto the porch, thence running

of his beloved boat. Yet, alarmed as he was, he was hardly prepared for

uck, and gazing back at his stupefied comrades. "The rascals-whoever