They worked industriously to the noon hour, only Little Tim knocking off work an hour before the others, in order to go down on the rocks and catch a mess of cunners for their dinner. He had these cleaned and cooking by the time the other three were ready, and they ate the meal heartily, in sight of their labours. Then they were at it again shortly, and worked hard till sundown. The yacht had begun to have a different appearance.
The next three days they made even better progress, and had the most of the deck scraped down, so that it began to look bright again, as Harvey and his crew had always kept it.
Shell be the fine old boat she was before, exclaimed Joe Hinman, joyfully, as they stood that next evening eying their work approvingly. Jack wont know her when he gets back.
But the following morning, when Joe had arisen and dressed and taken a peep out of the old shed in which they had found shelter, he could scarce believe his eyes. His first thought was, however, when he had begun to think at all, that the yacht Spray had returned, and that the Warren boys had surprised them by coming to lend a hand, and that they had begun work early.
Then he saw that the yacht that lay anchored close in shore was not the Spray , but a strange boat; and furthermore that the four persons who were busily engaged at work upon the hull of the Surprise were not the Warren boys, but larger youths, and strangers.
No, they were not all strangers, either. For there was one with whom they had a slight and brief acquaintance. It was Harry Brackett. What had happened was this:
When Harry Brackett had ventured finally to return to his fathers home, he had not received that fond welcome that one might expect from an indulgent parent.
In fact, Squire Brackett was so incensed at having been led to make the exhibition of himself in the store before his fellow townsmen that he stormed roundly at his son, and he made some remarks about having wasted his money for the last few years in sending young Brackett to the city to school, an assertion which perhaps Harry Brackett knew the full truth of even better than the squire.
Now, said the squire at length, lets see if you cant make yourself of some use, instead of just spending my money. You get Tom Dakin and Ed Sanders and John Hart, and take the Seagull and get down there in the Thoroughfare and see if you cant raise up that yacht that those young scamps wrecked there last fall. Shes abandoned, and she belongs to anybody that can get her. Id just like to fetch her back here and rig her up handsome, and let them see what they might have done. Ill show them a thing or two.
Now you work smart, continued the squire, and get that boat, and Ill give her to you to use while you are at home; and Ill get John Hart to teach you how to sail her. And see here, dont you go fooling around with the Seagull any. You let John Hart sail her. That was a pretty story you told me about winning races around Marblehead! Now clear out and see what you can do.
It might be said that if young Harry Brackett had had any knowledge of boat-sailing he could not have gained it from the squire, for, whereas that gentleman had property interests in several sailing-craft, by way of business, he knew nothing of seamanship himself, and was invariably seasick when he went out in rough water.
Harry Brackett was not wholly disinclined to the task imposed upon him, although he had certain misgivings as to how it would coincide with the commission imparted to him by the man, Carleton, whom he had met at Bellport. He figured, however, that the Surprise , if she could be floated, would be worth vastly more than the promised two hundred dollars. So he went about the village hunting up the youths his father had named. These three were rough fellows, whose worth the squire had well in mind in selecting them. They were strong and able-bodied, older by some years than Harvey and his companions; youths who went alternately on short fishing-voyages and hung about the village at other times, ready equally for work or mischief.
The four accordingly embarked at evening and sailed down to the Thoroughfare that night. Great was their surprise to find, on coming to anchor, that the yacht they had expected to see deep under water lay out on shore, with evidences of having been worked upon.
Not to be defeated so easily, however, they resolved, on the spur of the moment, to lay claim to the yacht, especially as they saw no boat of any description anchored anywhere in the Thoroughfare. They would take possession of the Surprise and, if it should prove that a party of the campers had raised her, and not any of the villagers, they would swear that they themselves had found her in shoal water and had dragged her out.
As to the future possession of her, they would trust to the squire to fight a lawsuit, if necessary, to retain her. It was a lonely place, down there in the Thoroughfare, and there could be no outside witnesses.
Therefore, before the sun was up, they had rowed ashore and begun work upon the yacht. They began differently, however, than the boys had done. They realized that the first thing for their purpose was to get the Surprise afloat. Once in possession of the yacht, afloat and towed back to harbour, whoever should claim it then might have trouble in making their claim good.