"Hand me the glasses," requested Mr. De Vere, as he went nearer to the
cabin port. He peered through the binoculars for some time, then
announced:
"It's the steam tug, Monarch, from San Pedro. I wonder what it can be
doing out this way?"
"Perhaps it was blown out of its course by the storm," suggested
Jerry. "I'm sure we must have been."
"Very likely," admitted Mr. De Vere. "Still that is a very powerful
boat, and the captain must have some reason to be keeping after us the
way he is doing."
"Do you think they are following us?" asked Ned.
"It certainly looks so. We're headed straight out to sea now," he
added, after a glance at the compass. "If the tug was out of it's
course it would be turned about and going the other way. Instead it is
coming right after us."
This was very evident, for, as the Ripper was laboring through the
waves, the other vessel kept in her wake, and seemed to be overhauling
the motor boat.
"Well, it's a free country; I suppose they have a right to be here,"
spoke Jerry.
"Yes," said Mr. De Vere, watching the tug through the glasses, "but I
don't like their actions."
"Why not? Do you think--" began Jerry.
"I don't like to say what I think," was the answer. "We will have to
wait and see what develops. But I propose that we have some breakfast,
or, at least, some hot coffee, if Bob can manage to stand in the
galley. It has been a hard night for us."
Bob soon demonstrated that he could get up a breakfast under rather
adverse circumstances, and the derelict hunters were soon drinking hot
coffee, though they had to hold the partly-filled cups in one hand,
and maintain their balance by clinging with the other to some part of
the cabin.
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