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CHAPTER XV ORDERED BACK
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The wind had freshened and was now blowing at a lively rate. Andy and Frank sprang to the sails, even hoisting1 a small jib which they seldom used. But now they wanted all the speed they could get, for the craft which was towing the damaged motor boat was some distance away, and was rapidly drawing ahead.

“Can we catch her, do you think?” asked Andy, as he gave the tiller over to his brother.

“We’ve got to,” was the answer with quiet determination. “Suppose you get something to eat while I handle the boat? We may not have time to cook anything after we come up to them.”

“Are you going to come to close quarters?”

“I’m going to try to get near enough to see if the mysterious man is aboard, and if he is, I’m going to fire some questions at him, and let him know that he’s liable to arrest for entering our house the other night.”

“I’d like to fire something else besides questions at him. I’ve got my small rifle aboard.”

“None of that!” objected Frank quickly.

“We’ll proceed on lawful2 lines, no matter what he does. Now, Miss Gull3,” and he patted the rail of the craft, “do your prettiest. See if you can’t catch up to those fellows.”

The wind continued good and the boys’ craft slipped through the water at a lively rate of speed. Andy busied himself in the galley4, whence soon came the appetizing odor of coffee, bacon and eggs.

“Hurry up with that!” called Frank. “I’m as hungry as a crab5.”

“It’s almost ready,” replied his brother. “Shall I bring it up, or will you come down?”

“You get yours first, and then relieve me. I don’t want to eat with one hand and steer6 with the other. Only don’t be all morning, and leave some for me.”

There was enough, as Frank soon discovered, and when he came up on deck again he found Andy leaning against the tiller and peering at the distant vessel7 through the binoculars8.

“Can you make out anything?” he asked.

“No, I can see several men aboard, but I don’t notice our mysterious friend.”

“Do they seem to be paying any attention to us?”

“Not a bit. Guess they don’t even know we are here. I don’t believe we are going to catch up to them, though.”

“Oh, yes we are. The Gull is plenty fast, and they are handicapped by dragging that motor boat in the water. It must be partly filled, as it sets so far down, and that makes it all the harder to tow. We’re gaining on them.”

“Not so’s you could notice it.”

“Oh, well, we’ve got all day, and grub enough for another night. I’m not going to give up this chase until I have to, or until I’ve solved the mystery.”

“And I’m with you.”

There is not much excitement in a sailing race, as the boys very soon found out. There was nothing they could do, which would have been the case in a motor craft, to add to their speed. All they could do was to sit and let the wind carry them. And they were glad to see that the breeze was continually freshening.

“There’ll be another gale9 before night, if this keeps up,” predicted Frank.

“Let it,” assented10 Andy. “The Gull likes heavy weather, and we can stand it.”

“Yes, but father and mother will be worried about us. If it comes on to blow too hard we’ll have to turn back.”

“And let that man get away?”

“There’d be no help for it. But we haven’t turned back yet, and now his craft ought to be easy to trace.”

Once more they looked through the glass at the vessel ahead of them. They could see sailors moving about on deck, but that was all. No sign of the tall dark man was visible.

“Perhaps he isn’t aboard,” suggested Andy.

“It can’t be helped,” answered his brother. “We want the motor boat almost as much as we want the man, and we can’t take our choice I’m afraid. But we are certainly creeping up on them.”

This was true, for while two miles had at first separated the vessels11, the distance was now narrowed to a little less than a half mile, and the Gull was sailing better than was her rival.

“What are you going to do when you get within hailing distance?” asked Andy, after a pause.

“I don’t know—haven’t exactly made up my mind,” was the answer of the elder Racer lad. “But I’ll have to soon.”

Frank was giving all his attention to managing the Gull, so as to gain every foot. Andy went up forward now and then to report progress.

“Hey, Frank!” he suddenly called, “there’s something doing on board.”

“What makes you think so?”

“Why the whole crowd of them have come aft and are looking at us for all they’re worth.”

“Are they using glasses?”

“No—yes, they are too! A new man has come up on deck, and he’s got a pair. He’s training them on us.”

“Good! That shows they’re worried. Take our glasses and see what you can make out.”

Andy looked long and earnestly. Then he let out a yell.

“It’s him! It’s that mysterious man!” he shouted. “He’s excited, too, for he’s making motions to the crew!”

“Good! Watch him carefully. We’ll be up to them in about five minutes.”

Andy watched. In a minute he gave another cry.

“What is it?” asked Frank.

“They’re laying-to—waiting for us, I guess.”

“They won’t have long to wait,” declared Frank grimly.

The Gull was swiftly slipping through the water. In a little while it was almost abeam12 of the craft towing the mysterious motor boat. Frank threw her head up into the wind, and, as he did so a voice from the other sailboat hailed him.

“Gull ahoy! Are you trailing us?”

It was the mysterious man calling, and he was standing13 on the rail.

“Yes, we are,” answered Frank boldly.

“Well, what do you want?”

“We want to find out who you are, what you have to do with a boy named Paul, why you have his motor boat in tow, and why you entered our house like a thief in the night.”

“Hu! That’s a lot of questions. And I suppose you think they’ll be answered,” commented the man, in sneering14 tones.

“I do,” said Frank calmly. “Where are you going with that boat?”

“None of your business!” snapped the man. “And I want to tell you one thing more. You’ve got to quit trailing after us, too!”

“Suppose we refuse?” asked Andy.

“Then it will be the worse for you. Meldrick, just run that brass15 cannon16 over on this side.”

A moment later the muzzle17 of a small brass gun was pointed18 menacingly at our heroes.

“There’s my answer,” went on the mysterious man. “If you persist in following us you’ll be plugged below the water line. Now you go back where you came from, and keep away. Don’t try to meddle19 with what doesn’t concern you.”

“This does concern us—or, rather a friend of ours,” said Frank determinedly20. “And what’s more, we’re going to swear out a warrant for your arrest for setting fire to our boat with a bale of hay.”

The man on the rail started.

“Are you going to turn back?” he shouted.

“No!” declared Frank.

“Get ready to fire,” said the scoundrel calmly.

“I guess they’ve got us,” spoke21 Andy, in a low voice to his brother. “We can’t risk being fired at.”

“No, I suppose not,” answered Frank bitterly. “We’ll have to run back.”

He let the head of his craft fall off in the wind.

“That’s more sensible,” commented the man on the rail. “Good-bye!” he called sarcastically22 as the vessels separated, the one towing the damaged motor craft forging ahead, while the Gull sailed off on the backward tack23.

There were bitter feelings in the hearts of Frank and Andy Racer. They had almost solved the mystery, only to lose at the last moment. But they resolved not to give up.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 hoisting 6a0100693c5737e7867f0a1c6b40d90d     
起重,提升
参考例句:
  • The hoisting capacity of that gin pole (girder pole, guy derrick) is sixty tons. 那个起重抱杆(格状抱杆、转盘抱杆)的起重能力为60吨。 来自口语例句
  • We must use mechanical hoisting to load the goods. 我们必须用起重机来装载货物。
2 lawful ipKzCt     
adj.法律许可的,守法的,合法的
参考例句:
  • It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
  • We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。
3 gull meKzM     
n.鸥;受骗的人;v.欺诈
参考例句:
  • The ivory gull often follows polar bears to feed on the remains of seal kills.象牙海鸥经常跟在北极熊的后面吃剩下的海豹尸体。
  • You are not supposed to gull your friends.你不应该欺骗你的朋友。
4 galley rhwxE     
n.(飞机或船上的)厨房单层甲板大帆船;军舰舰长用的大划艇;
参考例句:
  • The stewardess will get you some water from the galley.空姐会从厨房给你拿些水来。
  • Visitors can also go through the large galley where crew members got their meals.游客还可以穿过船员们用餐的厨房。
5 crab xoozE     
n.螃蟹,偏航,脾气乖戾的人,酸苹果;vi.捕蟹,偏航,发牢骚;vt.使偏航,发脾气
参考例句:
  • I can't remember when I last had crab.我不记得上次吃蟹是什么时候了。
  • The skin on my face felt as hard as a crab's back.我脸上的皮仿佛僵硬了,就象螃蟹的壳似的。
6 steer 5u5w3     
vt.驾驶,为…操舵;引导;vi.驾驶
参考例句:
  • If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车,我就来驾车。
  • It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。
7 vessel 4L1zi     
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管
参考例句:
  • The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
  • You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。
8 binoculars IybzWh     
n.双筒望远镜
参考例句:
  • He watched the play through his binoculars.他用双筒望远镜看戏。
  • If I had binoculars,I could see that comet clearly.如果我有望远镜,我就可以清楚地看见那颗彗星。
9 gale Xf3zD     
n.大风,强风,一阵闹声(尤指笑声等)
参考例句:
  • We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
  • According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报,明天有大风。
10 assented 4cee1313bb256a1f69bcc83867e78727     
同意,赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The judge assented to allow the prisoner to speak. 法官同意允许犯人申辩。
  • "No," assented Tom, "they don't kill the women -- they're too noble. “对,”汤姆表示赞同地说,“他们不杀女人——真伟大!
11 vessels fc9307c2593b522954eadb3ee6c57480     
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人
参考例句:
  • The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
12 abeam Yyxz8     
adj.正横着(的)
参考例句:
  • The ship yawed as the heavy wave struck abeam.当巨浪向船舷撞击时,船暂时地偏离了航道。
  • The lighthouse was abeam of the ship.灯塔在船的正横方向。
13 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
14 sneering 929a634cff0de62dfd69331a8e4dcf37     
嘲笑的,轻蔑的
参考例句:
  • "What are you sneering at?" “你冷笑什么?” 来自子夜部分
  • The old sorceress slunk in with a sneering smile. 老女巫鬼鬼崇崇地走进来,冷冷一笑。
15 brass DWbzI     
n.黄铜;黄铜器,铜管乐器
参考例句:
  • Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
  • Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
16 cannon 3T8yc     
n.大炮,火炮;飞机上的机关炮
参考例句:
  • The soldiers fired the cannon.士兵们开炮。
  • The cannon thundered in the hills.大炮在山间轰鸣。
17 muzzle i11yN     
n.鼻口部;口套;枪(炮)口;vt.使缄默
参考例句:
  • He placed the muzzle of the pistol between his teeth.他把手枪的枪口放在牙齿中间。
  • The President wanted to muzzle the press.总统企图遏制新闻自由。
18 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
19 meddle d7Xzb     
v.干预,干涉,插手
参考例句:
  • I hope he doesn't try to meddle in my affairs.我希望他不来干预我的事情。
  • Do not meddle in things that do not concern you.别参与和自己无关的事。
20 determinedly f36257cec58d5bd4b23fb76b1dd9d64f     
adv.决意地;坚决地,坚定地
参考例句:
  • "Don't shove me,'said one of the strikers, determinedly. "I'm not doing anything." “别推我,"其中的一个罢工工人坚决地说,"我可没干什么。” 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
  • Dorothy's chin set determinedly as she looked calmly at him. 多萝西平静地看着他,下巴绷得紧紧的,看来是打定主意了。 来自名作英译部分
21 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
22 sarcastically sarcastically     
adv.挖苦地,讽刺地
参考例句:
  • 'What a surprise!' Caroline murmured sarcastically.“太神奇了!”卡罗琳轻声挖苦道。
  • Pierce mocked her and bowed sarcastically. 皮尔斯嘲笑她,讽刺地鞠了一躬。
23 tack Jq1yb     
n.大头钉;假缝,粗缝
参考例句:
  • He is hammering a tack into the wall to hang a picture.他正往墙上钉一枚平头钉用来挂画。
  • We are going to tack the map on the wall.我们打算把这张地图钉在墙上。


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