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diff --git a/old/51696-0.txt b/old/51696-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 21d8d46..0000000 --- a/old/51696-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6365 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Brownie Scouts at Silver Beach, by Mildred A. Wirt - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Brownie Scouts at Silver Beach - -Author: Mildred A. Wirt - -Release Date: April 8, 2016 [EBook #51696] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BROWNIE SCOUTS AT SILVER BEACH *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Dave Morgan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: Soft wisps of mist enfolded the shadowy building. - - (_See Page 34_) - -“BROWNIE SCOUTS AT SILVER BEACH”] - - - - -The Brownie Scouts at Silver Beach - - by - Mildred A. Wirt - - ILLUSTRATED - - CUPPLES AND LEON COMPANY - Publishers New York - - - - - Copyright, 1952, by - CUPPLES AND LEON COMPANY - - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - - THE BROWNIE SCOUTS AT SILVER BEACH - - Printed in the United States of America - - - - -CONTENTS - - - _Chapter_ _Page_ - - 1 Sand Dollars 1 - - 2 A Turtle Race 11 - - 3 Fog 21 - - 4 The Ship House 32 - - 5 An Old Sea Captain 41 - - 6 House in the Mist 52 - - 7 The Locked Door 64 - - 8 High Tide 79 - - 9 Stuck in the Sand 87 - - 10 A Bird Report 95 - - 11 A Test for Snow White 103 - - 12 Found in the Reeds 115 - - 13 Jamie’s Present 125 - - 14 Hidden in the Sand 138 - - 15 A Face at the Window 147 - - 16 A Moonlight Swim 158 - - 17 Mrs. Allison’s Cruiser 170 - - 18 Adrift 181 - - 19 Snow White Wings Home 187 - - 20 Brownie of the Day 199 - - - - -THE BROWNIE SCOUTS AT SILVER BEACH - - - - -CHAPTER 1 - -SAND DOLLARS - - -“Watch me dive into that big wave! I’m a fish!” - -Vevi McGuire shouted the words as she ran along the sandy beach toward -the ocean. In her red bathing suit, the dark-haired, freckled little -girl made a bright flash of color against the blue sky. - -“Be careful, Vevi!” called Connie Williams. “The tide is coming in, and -those waves are strong.” - -Now Vevi did not heed the warning of her friend. In fact, she didn’t -even hear what Connie had said. That was because she was thinking only -of being the first Brownie Scout to get into the water. - -Flinging her arms wide, she ran to meet a big saucy wave. Icy cold, it -slapped hard at her knees. - -Vevi squealed and turned her head to see if the other girls were -watching. - -“Last one in is a sissy!” she challenged the group of Brownie Scouts. -“Who says the water is cold?” - -“Watch out!” shouted Connie. - -Another big foam-flecked wave came rolling slowly in. Vevi did not -turn quickly enough to see it. - -Before she could brace herself, a great wall of water washed over her. - -Now Vevi was very much surprised, for she had not known that a wave -could be so rough. Her feet were swept from beneath her and she fell -flat on her knees. - -Spluttering and choking, Vevi clawed at the sand. For a second she -could not get her breath and was very frightened. She was afraid she -might drown. - -Then the wave was gone, and Vevi found herself lying in a puddle of -salt water. When she scrambled to her feet, her bathing suit was gritty -with sand. Her elbow had been skinned too. - -“My, if you didn’t look funny when that big wave slapped you!” laughed -Connie Williams. - -Connie was Vevi’s very best friend, and a leader in the Rosedale -Brownie Scout troop. Her blue eyes twinkled, for she always enjoyed a -joke. - -“It’s not funny,” Vevi protested, rubbing the skinned place on her -elbow. - -“Look out, or you’ll be knocked flat again,” warned Jane Tuttle, -another Brownie Scout. She had long yellow braids which shone in the -bright sunlight. - -This time, Vevi saw the wave coming and raced to safety. She did not -feel nearly so brave now that she knew how hard water could slap. - -The five Brownies, Vevi, Connie, Jane, Sunny Davidson and Rosemary -Fritche, were spending their very first day on Silver Beach along the -Atlantic Coast. - -All the girls were looking forward to ten wonderful days as guests of -Miss Gordon, the troop leader. Rosemary, Jane and Sunny were staying at -the teacher’s vine-covered cottage overlooking Silver Beach. Vevi and -Connie bunked at Starfish Cottage rented by Connie’s mother. - -Now as Vevi shook sand from her bathing suit, the other girls waded -into the water. They were careful though, not to get knocked down by a -wave. - -Nearby, Connie’s mother, Mrs. Williams, and Miss Gordon sat watching -from beneath the shade of a yellow beach umbrella. - -“Oh, see what I’ve found!” cried Jane Tuttle suddenly. - -She stooped to pick up something from the sand. - -“What is it?” demanded Rosemary, running up. Jane showed her an -odd-appearing, round, gray object. “It doesn’t look like a shell,” she -said, “and it isn’t alive either.” - -“Let’s ask Miss Gordon,” proposed Rosemary. - -The Brownies ran over to the beach umbrella where the two women were -reading magazines. - -“Why, Jane, you’ve found a sand dollar!” the Brownie leader exclaimed -when she saw the gray-purplish colored disc. - -“A sand dollar!” echoed Jane, greatly excited. “Is it real money?” - -“Dear me, no,” laughed the teacher. “It is only called by that name -because of its shape. Sand dollars really are like sea urchins, having -five parts to their shells. They have many hair-like spines or legs, -and eat tiny pieces of seaweed.” - -“I’m going to find a sand dollar!” announced Vevi. “A dozen of ’em!” - -All the Brownies joined in the search. No one, however, could find -another sand dollar. Connie picked up a pretty clam shell and Rosemary -found one of pure white which Miss Gordon told her was called an -angel’s wing. - -“I wish the Brownies could gather shells every day we’re here,” Connie -declared. “And then maybe have an exhibition of them.” - -Miss Gordon nodded approval. - -“Perhaps we can, Connie,” she replied. “I thought too that we might -study sea life and perhaps learn a little about the birds.” - -“And the ocean,” broke in Vevi. “I want to know where it came from and -how it got its salt.” - -“The story of how the ocean became salty must wait until tomorrow,” -Miss Gordon said, smiling. “This afternoon we are to have a swimming -lesson. Barney Fulsom, the life guard, has promised to give the -Brownies a few pointers.” - -“Is that Barney coming now?” asked Connie. - -A deeply-tanned, broad-chested young man was walking briskly toward the -group of Brownies. The girls knew he was a life guard for he wore a Red -Cross emblem on his black bathing trunks. - -“That’s Barney,” agreed Miss Gordon. “Now we must all do exactly as he -tells us.” - -Barney carried a rubber sea horse under his arm. - -“Hi, kids,” he greeted the Brownies. “All set for your first lesson?” - -“I want to ride the sea horse,” announced Vevi. “I already know how to -swim--at least a little.” - -“It didn’t look like it a minute ago when that wave smacked you,” -teased Connie. - -Barney told the Brownies that the one who did the best in the swimming -lesson would be the first to ride the sea horse. - -Mrs. Williams and Miss Gordon decided they would go into the ocean too. -The teacher removed her wrist watch, slipping it into the pocket of her -beach robe. She left the robe lying in plain view on the sand. - -“Now kiddies,” said Barney when the Brownies had gathered in a circle -about him. “We’re going to pretend to be jellyfish. Watch me!” - -Wading out a few feet into deeper, smoother water, he flung himself -face downward in the water. - -The Brownies were surprised to see that although he didn’t move arms or -legs, he floated easily on the water’s surface. - -“How do you breathe?” Connie asked when the life guard stood up again. - -“Just hold it,” Barney instructed. “And lie perfectly still on the -water. It’s easy.” - -One by one the Brownies tried to float like jellyfish. Connie and Jane -weren’t afraid to put their faces in the water. They learned to float -quite easily. - -Sunny, Rosemary and Vevi didn’t like to get their feet off the sand -even when Barney held their hands and pulled them along. - -“I don’t like being a jellyfish,” Vevi complained. “Whenever I put my -face in the water, I taste salt.” - -“You’ll soon get used to it,” Barney told her. “Only the Brownies who -do as I say may ride my sea horse.” - -Vevi wanted very much to ride the rubber steed, so she gritted her -teeth and ducked her head into the water. After the first time or two -it was easy. - -“Lesson’s over for today,” Barney announced after the Brownies had -practiced for awhile. “Connie did the best so she may ride the horse -first.” - -Connie tried to climb on the back of the rubber pony. She could not get -on until Barney lifted her up. - -“Kick your feet,” he advised. “That will make the old boy go.” - -Connie thrashed her legs back and forth and the horse moved with little -jerks through the water. - -“This is fun!” she cried. - -“Let me try next,” pleaded Vevi. - -Just then a wave upset the horse, and Connie fell off. Barney picked -her up and sat Jane astride the rubber steed. - -“I’m going to stay on a long while,” she boasted. - -Even as she spoke, a wave struck the horse, and over she went! - -One by one the Brownies took their turn. Vevi was the last one to ride. -When a wave upset the horse, she clung to his neck for a long while. -But finally she ran out of breath and had to let go. - -“That was fine!” approved Barney. “You stayed under water a long time, -Vevi.” - -Connie stood watching a swimmer far out near the pier. She was afraid -he might be in danger for she could see he was in very deep water. - -“Oughtn’t you to save him?” she asked the lifeguard anxiously. - -“That’s Raymond Curry, a guard at the hotel beach,” Barney told her. -“He’s an expert swimmer. Each day he swims from the hotel beach over -here, a distance of nearly a quarter of a mile.” - -“My, he must have strong muscles!” exclaimed Rosemary. “Will we be able -to swim that far after we’ve had a few more lessons?” - -“I’m afraid not,” Barney smiled. “Raymond has been swimming all his -life and has won several medals.” - -The children watched the lifeguard for awhile. - -He was swimming very smoothly away from Silver Beach. At times his head -would disappear from view. But a moment later, it would pop up again -between the waves. - -“I wish we could take lessons from _him_,” remarked Vevi. - -“Raymond doesn’t care too much about teaching youngsters,” Barney told -her. “Figures it’s too hard work. He has a son of his own only a little -older than you girls.” - -The Brownies were starting to shiver, so Miss Gordon sent them to get -their beach robes. - -“It’s time to dress now,” she said. “But before you race to the -showers, I must tell you of our plans for tomorrow.” - -“Another swimming lesson?” pleaded Connie. - -Miss Gordon nodded. “We’ll have an early beach breakfast,” she -promised. “I’ll tell the Brownies how the ocean got its salt. -Meanwhile, I want you all to watch the sea birds. Learn the name of at -least one and be prepared to report on its habits at the meeting.” - -“I already have my bird!” cried Connie. “The gull.” - -“And I’m going to tell about the sand piper,” added Rosemary. - -“My report will be on the tern,” declared Sunny Davidson, quick as a -flash. - -“I’ll tell about egrets,” announced Jane. “I wrote a paper on them last -year in school.” - -Now all the girls except Vevi had named a bird on which they would -report. - -“Maybe I’ll tell about a robin,” she said. - -“A robin isn’t a sea bird,” Jane reminded her. “Anyway, we know all -about robins.” - -“Vevi will think of a bird before our meeting tomorrow,” said Mrs. -Williams kindly. - -“I’ll think of the best one of all,” Vevi boasted. - -Miss Gordon reminded the girls again that it was time to dress. She -and Mrs. Williams began to gather up their sun glasses and other -possessions. - -“What time is it?” inquired Connie’s mother. - -Miss Gordon had slipped on her beach robe. She reached into a pocket -for the wrist watch she had left there. - -A strange expression came over her face. The Brownies knew at once that -something was wrong. - -“What is it?” questioned Vevi. “What’s happened?” - -“I can’t find my wristwatch,” Miss Gordon murmured. “It’s gone!” - - - - -CHAPTER 2 - -A TURTLE RACE - - -At first, Miss Gordon and the Brownie Scouts could not believe that -anyone had stolen the wrist watch. - -“I must have dropped it somewhere in the sand,” murmured the teacher. - -Mrs. Williams and the Brownies looked carefully beneath the beach -umbrella. Miss Gordon removed her beach robe and shook it. But the -missing watch could not be found. - -“I’m certain I put it in the pocket of this robe not a half hour ago,” -the teacher declared. “When I went in swimming I left it lying on the -sand. Oh, dear, I should have checked the watch at the bathhouse. I -kept it because I wanted to keep track of the time.” - -“I can’t believe anyone would steal the watch,” insisted Connie’s -mother. “Certainly not while we were so close by.” - -Miss Gordon declared that the robe never had been out of her sight. -“I’ll admit though,” she added, “that during the swimming lesson, I -seldom glanced in this direction.” - -Connie, who had been poking about in the sand, suddenly shouted: “See -what I’ve found!” - -The other Brownies thought that she had come upon Miss Gordon’s missing -watch. Instead, Connie pointed to a large footprint in the loose sand. - -“It was made by a man with wet feet!” she exclaimed. “See, here’s -another--and another! Maybe the person who left these prints stole your -watch, Miss Gordon!” - -“I think not,” replied the teacher, examining the prints. “These marks -plainly were made by a bather. See, the trail goes directly down to the -sea.” - -“And one wouldn’t take a wrist watch into the water,” said Rosemary. -“That would be stupid.” - -Just then Barney Fulsom, the lifeguard, came over to the group to ask -if anything were wrong. Miss Gordon told him about losing her watch. - -“It’s been stolen, all right,” Barney said. “That thief gets bolder -every day.” - -“Then you’ve had other articles stolen here?” inquired Mrs. Williams. - -“We’ve had at least a dozen thefts reported during the summer. Several -cars have been broken into too, and a couple of cruisers. It’s giving -the beach a bad reputation.” - -“Can’t police catch the thief?” asked Vevi. “Once when Connie and I -traveled with a circus we helped the circus people trap a pickpocket.” - -“I wish the Brownies would help me catch this fellow,” replied Barney -soberly. “So far we haven’t a single clue.” - -Mrs. Williams inquired how long the beach thefts had been going on. - -“All summer,” the life guard answered. “Almost from the day I started -to work here. That’s what makes it look so bad for me. Folks are -starting to shun the cottage beach and use the one by the hotel.” - -“The thefts never occur there?” - -“None has been reported so far. Raymond Curry guards at the hotel -beach. He likes to twit me and make out that it’s my fault so many -things are taken here. He says I don’t keep close enough watch.” - -“My loss certainly wasn’t your fault,” Miss Gordon said. “I never -should have left jewelry in the pocket of a beach robe. I blame only -myself.” - -Barney told the teacher that it would be most unwise in the future -to leave any item of value on the beach. Lockers were provided in the -bathhouse for the safekeeping of all valuables. - -“Your watch may turn up later,” he said. “I doubt it though.” - -“Maybe the Brownies can catch that thief,” suggested Vevi. “We’ll all -keep watch for ’spicious characters.” - -Miss Gordon felt her loss most keenly. However, she told the Brownies -they were not to worry about it. - -“Scamper to the bath-house now and dress,” she advised them. “You’ll -have an hour or so to play before dinner time.” - -Miss Gordon told the girls that if they liked they might use the free -period to watch the sea birds and learn their habits. - -The teacher did not think to warn the Brownies that they were to stay -close to Starfish Cottage. Anyway, she knew all the girls could be -trusted to use good judgment. - -Now none of the Brownies lived at Silver Beach. Instead, their homes -were at Rosedale, a town many miles away. - -At Rosedale, Connie and Vevi were next door neighbors. Always they had -been close friends, enjoying many good times together even before both -had joined the Brownie troop. - -Miss Gordon’s unit was a very active one. With her as the leader, the -girls had spent several exciting days at Snow Valley. - -Another time, Vevi and Connie had been carried away with a circus. -However, that had been an accident. - -On one occasion the Brownies had taken part in a wonderful cherry -festival. At Rosedale, the troop met either in private homes or their -own little tree house which had been built in the metropolitan park. If -you wonder how they ever acquired a tree house, read the book called, -“The Brownie Scouts and their Tree House.” - -The Brownies now raced off to the bathhouse to dress. - -Connie and Vevi dressed faster than the other girls. They both took -showers, washing salt water from their bathing suits. Then they put on -their pinchecked brown gingham uniforms with white stitching. On the -right side of each collar was a tiny Brownie pin. - -Vevi gave her dark hair a quick brush and put on her brown felt -beanie. “Come on, slow poke,” she said to Connie. “Let’s walk up to -the hotel beach.” - -The girls left their bathing suits with Connie’s mother and started off. - -“Don’t be gone long,” Mrs. Williams called after them. “Dinner at six.” - -Hand in hand, the two girls skipped along the beach. They kept watching -for birds but the only ones they saw were gulls. - -Before long, Vevi and Connie came within view of the big Beach House -hotel. The waterfront was dotted with colored umbrellas and many -bathers were in the sea. - -An even larger crowd had gathered in a huge circle on the lawn in front -of the hotel. - -“Why, what are all those folks doing?” Vevi demanded, stopping short. - -“Let’s find out,” proposed Connie. - -The children approached the group of people, who were laughing and -having a good time. In the center of the circle were a number of -turtles. The creatures were crawling toward the rim which had been -chalked on the grass. - -“It’s a turtle race!” cried Vevi. “Let’s watch!” - -She and Connie crowded into the front line. A tiny turtle with a -yellow painted stripe across its back, was coming directly toward them. - -“Come on, yellow!” shouted Vevi. She wanted the little turtle to win. - -Instead of coming on toward the edge of the circle, it stopped short, -raising up its head to look and listen. - -A spotted pond turtle went around it. Vevi and Connie thought it would -be the winner. But a moment later a snapper went around both turtles. -It was crawling very fast, much like a creeping baby. - -Suddenly everyone began to shout. The snapper had crossed the chalk -line, winning the race. - -Raymond Curry, the hotel life guard, had been conducting the race. - -“No. 10 wins,” he announced in a loud voice. “Who owns him?” - -A boy of ten years stepped forward to claim a prize for having the -winning turtle. - -“Ten dollars for you, son,” said the lifeguard. “Nice going! Now -remember, folks, we’ll have another race here Saturday afternoon. The -hotel again will offer ten dollars to the winner, and a second prize -consisting of a free motor boat ride.” Vevi pinched Connie so hard -that it hurt. “Did you hear that?” she whispered. - -“Ten dollars,” murmured Connie. “That’s a lot of money!” - -“Maybe we could win it for our Brownie troop!” - -“But we have no turtle.” - -“There must be a way to get one,” Vevi declared. “Let’s ask.” - -The girls sidled over toward the lifeguard. He was busy and did not act -as if he wanted to be bothered. - -“Well, what is it?” he asked impatiently. - -“Please,” said Connie politely, “may anyone enter the race?” - -“That’s right.” - -“We have no turtle,” Vevi informed him. “How do we get one?” - -“You’ll have to hunt,” replied the lifeguard. He spoke rather crossly, -snapping out his words. - -“But where does one find a turtle?” - -“That’s up to you,” the guard returned, shrugging his powerful -shoulders. He walked away before the girls could ask another question. - -“I don’t like him one bit,” said Vevi. “His name should be ‘Snapper.’ -He snaps just like a turtle.” - -Picking up a stick, she poked it at one of the turtles which was -crawling across the lawn. It huffed up and bit fiercely at the stick. - -“Careful,” warned the man who owned the turtle. “That old boy is a -biter. The only safe way to handle him is to pick him up by the tail.” - -“I don’t think I want a racing turtle,” said Connie, backing away. - -“Only the snappers are cross,” the man explained. “They’re safe enough -if you handle them right. If you youngsters want to enter the race, -better get yourselves a pair of nice pond turtles. Most of them are -good-natured.” - -“I don’t think Mr. Curry wants us to be in the race,” declared Vevi. -“He wouldn’t tell us anything about it.” - -“Oh, Curry’s out of sorts this morning,” the man replied. “It seems his -son has run away again.” - -Now Vevi and Connie had forgotten that Barney Fulsom had told them the -hotel lifeguard had a son. In fact, they did not know anything about -him, except that he was a fine swimmer. - -“Curry and his son, Jamie, can’t seem to get along well,” the man went -on. “Every so often, the youngster chases off somewhere for a day or -two. It makes his father very angry.” - -Vevi and Connie now understood why the lifeguard had spoken so crossly -to them. They thought though, that he might have taken time to tell -them more about the race. - -“I’d give you youngsters this snapper, only I’m afraid you couldn’t -handle him,” continued the friendly man. “Better get a pond turtle.” - -“But how do we find one?” asked Vevi eagerly. - -“Try Cabell’s pond. That place should be thick with them.” - -Without telling the children how to reach the pond, the man walked away -with his snapping turtle. - -“I guess we may as well forget about the race,” sighed Connie, deeply -discouraged. - -“And not win ten dollars for our troop? Why, Connie Williams!” - -“I’d like to win a race. But how can we ever find Cabell’s pond?” - -Vevi had sighted Barney Fulsom far down the beach near Starfish Cottage. - -“Let’s ask _him_,” she proposed. “He’s much more friendly than Mr. -Curry. I’m sure he’ll tell us how to reach the turtle pond.” - - - - -CHAPTER 3 - -FOG - - -Barney Fulsom was raking papers and seaweed from the beach when Vevi -and Connie hurried up. They were quite breathless from hurrying so fast. - -“Please, Mr. Lifeguard,” began Vevi, “can you tell us how to get a -turtle?” - -Barney leaned on his rake, smiling down at the girls. “What kind of -turtle?” he inquired. “A huge one that lives in the sea?” - -“Oh, no, we want a little turtle,” explained Connie, “One that won’t -bite. And one we can enter in the hotel beach race next Saturday.” - -“If you want to win you probably will need a fast-moving snapper,” the -life guard replied. “You never can make a pet of it though. The same is -true of a pancake, musk or mud turtle. Other kinds of pond turtles are -more friendly.” - -“How do we reach Cabell’s pond?” Vevi questioned eagerly. - -Barney told the girls to take the main paved road leading away from the -beach. When they reached Bus Stop 23, they were to turn off onto a dirt -road and keep walking until they came to the pond. - -“Is it far?” Connie asked. - -“Less than a half mile. It’s a pretty walk through the trees. Once you -reach the pond, you’ll see plenty of turtles.” - -Connie asked if the turtles were hard to catch. - -“Well, there’s a trick to it,” the lifeguard answered. “Turtles are -fast in the water. If they see you coming, they’ll duck down to the -bottom of the pond. I’ll lend you my net and that should make it -easier.” - -From the bathhouse Barney brought a long-handled net. He warned the -children to be very careful at the pond. - -“The water is shallow there,” he said, “but if you should tumble in, -you’d ruin your clothes.” - -“We won’t fall in,” laughed Vevi. “When we come back, we’ll have a lot -of racing turtles!” - -Carrying the net, the two girls went first to Starfish Cottage to tell -Mrs. Williams where they were going. They could not find her or Miss -Gordon, so they left a note saying they would be gone for an hour. - -“It looks sort of misty,” Connie said, glancing at the sky. “Do you -think we should go, Vevi?” - -“Oh, we’ll be back in an hour,” Vevi replied. “Come on.” - -They started off along the main highway. Cars whizzed past very fast. -One driver stopped for a moment, offering the girls a ride. Vevi and -Connie did not know him, so they turned down the offer. - -Presently, they came to Stop 23 and the winding dirt road. - -“It can’t be much farther now to the pond,” Vevi sighed. She was -feeling a little tired. - -The road wound through low ground, in among the tall, whispering trees. -Soon Vevi and Connie found their shoes coated with dust. The air seemed -chilly too for the sun had disappeared under a thickening blanket of -clouds. - -“Maybe we shouldn’t have come,” Connie said anxiously. “I didn’t think -it would be so far.” - -“Neither did I,” admitted Vevi. “We can’t turn back now though. We must -be almost there.” - -The children trudged on. And then, as they were becoming very -discouraged, they glimpsed an expanse of blue through the trees. - -“There’s the pond!” cried Vevi. “We’ll get our turtle yet, Connie!” - -Although small, the pond was very attractive. It was rimmed with trees -and shrubs and at one point had a tiny sand beach. An old boat was tied -to the end of a sagging dock. - -Vevi and Connie walked out on the planks, taking care not to slip -through any of the yawning holes. - -“Oh, look!” cried Connie. She stopped so suddenly that Vevi who was -directly behind, bumped into her. - -“What do you see, Connie? A turtle?” - -Connie shook her head. Without saying a word, she pointed toward a bird -with a striking feather pattern of orange-red, jet black and white. - -Amazingly, the little fellow was digging and pushing in the mud, -turning over small stones in a search for food. - -“Oh, I wish I knew the name of that bird,” Connie whispered. “I’d -report on it at our next Brownie Scout meeting.” - -“It looks like a dove with bright orange legs and feet,” added Vevi in -awe. - -Her words startled the bird. Frightened, it took wing. - -In the air, the colors merged, giving the bird the appearance of a -flying marble cake. - -“Oh, we must tell Miss Gordon about this place,” Connie declared -happily. “Why, it’s simply alive with birds!” - -Overhead, gulls were winging in graceful flight. Sandpipers twinkled at -the water’s edge on their fast-moving, tiny black legs. - -Vevi, however, was more interested in finding a turtle she could race. - -“I don’t think this old pond has any turtles,” she complained. “I don’t -see a single one.” - -“I do!” exclaimed Connie whose eyes were keen. - -“Where, Connie?” - -In her excitement, Vevi nearly fell off the dock. - -“Out there in the middle of the pond. See that log!” - -Vevi gazed where Connie pointed. Sure enough, a small spotted turtle -was perched on the log, drying his shell. - -“Let’s get him!” she cried. - -“How? We can’t wade out into the middle of the pond.” - -Vevi went quickly to inspect the old boat. There were no oars. Besides, -several inches of water had seeped in over the floor boards. - -“We can’t use that old boat either,” said Connie quickly. “It would be -too risky.” - -“There must be other turtles in this pond,” Vevi declared. “We’ll find -’em.” - -Leaving the sagging dock, the girls started around the pond. The water -was very still. Several times they saw bubbles rising to the surface. - -“Turtles must be down there,” Vevi declared. “But I can’t see a single -one.” - -The girls walked until they were tired. Finally they sat down on a -little bank to rest. - -“It’s getting late,” said Connie, glancing at the murky sky. “We ought -to be starting back to the cottage.” - -Vevi shivered, for the air had turned damp and chilly. She would not -admit, though, that she was the least bit cold. - -“Let’s not go just yet,” she pleaded. “I want to catch a turtle.” - -“So do I,” agreed Connie. “But since we aren’t having any luck--” - -Vevi at that moment grasped her friend’s arm. She pointed toward a -clump of reeds and lily pads directly below where they sat. - -A tiny head was peeping out of the water. For a minute, Vevi and Connie -both thought that the creature was a snake. Then, in the clear water, -they made out a round, curving body and four claws. - -“A turtle!” whispered Vevi. “Watch me get him.” - -“Be careful or you’ll scare him away,” Connie warned. - -Carrying the net in her right hand, Vevi slipped down the grassy bank. - -Just as she was about to reach out and scoop up the turtle, his head -disappeared from view. - -“Oh, he’s gone!” she wailed. “How mean!” - -A moment later, however, the turtle’s head popped up again farther from -shore. - -“I’ll get him yet!” Vevi announced grimly. - -She stripped off her shoes and stockings. Then, moving carefully so -that she would not splash, she stole toward the turtle. - -“Now!” whispered Connie. - -Vevi made a quick sweep with the fish net. She felt something heavy hit -the circular rim. - -“I’ve got him!” she declared triumphantly. - -“Where?” demanded Connie. - -Vevi had raised the net. The turtle had not been trapped. - -“I’ll get him next time!” Vevi said crossly. “He’ll stick his old head -up in a minute and then I’ll net him.” - -Patiently, the girls waited. But the minutes went by and not a glimpse -of the turtle did they obtain. - -Vevi began to feel very chilly without her shoes and stockings. - -“We can’t wait any longer,” Connie told her. “It’s late and the sky -looks funny.” - -“Sort of smoky,” Vevi agreed. - -Wisps of fog were filtering in over the treetops. The girls could feel -dampness everywhere. - -“Fog is coming in from the ocean,” Connie said uneasily. “We must leave -right away.” - -Vevi began to pull on her shoes and stockings. She had lost interest -in turtles. The heavy mist went through her light clothing making her -quite uncomfortable. - -“It won’t take us long to get back to Starfish Cottage,” she declared. -“My, I’m hungry!” - -The girls walked very fast along the dirt road. However, before they -had gone far, Vevi stopped short. A look of dismay came over her -freckled face. - -“Oh, Connie,” she wailed. “I left the fish net lying on the shore! -What’ll we do?” - -“We’ll have to go back,” Connie decided. “Barney wouldn’t like it if we -lost his net. Oh, Vevi, why didn’t you think about it?” - -“I--I just didn’t. Connie, you wait here. I’ll get the net. It won’t -take me long, if I run.” - -“All right, but hurry,” Connie agreed. “Fog is coming in fast. I’m cold -already.” - -Leaving her friend to wait along the roadside, Vevi hurried back to -the pond. It took her a long while to get the net. By the time she -returned, mist was swirling everywhere. - -“It took you an age,” Connie said. - -“I hurried as fast as I could,” Vevi puffed. - -Hand in hand, the girls hastened on down the road. Fog was settling -everywhere, blotting out all but the closest trees. - -“It’s like being in a forest fire--only colder,” Vevi murmured -uneasily. “Oh, Connie, what if we couldn’t find our way home?” - -Connie had been afraid of the same thing. But she spoke bravely. - -“We’ll come to the main road any minute now,” she said to encourage -Vevi. “After that it will be easy. We’re not far from Starfish Cottage.” - -The dirt road dipped down into a small, winding valley. Here the fog -had gathered even heavier. Hurrying along, the girls could see only a -few yards in front of them. - -Presently, to their relief, they saw a ribbon of dark pavement ahead. - -“The highway!” Connie exclaimed. “Well be all right now.” - -At the exit to the dirt road, the girls paused. Landmarks did not look -familiar. - -“Do we turn right or left?” Connie asked in perplexity. “Which way is -toward Starfish Cottage?” - -“I remember passing a large white house,” Vevi recalled. “We should be -able to see it from here.” - -“The trouble is we can’t see anything in this fog, Vevi. Nothing looks -right.” - -Connie’s voice quavered. Cold and tired, she longed to be snug at -Starfish Cottage. Even now, the other Brownies would be preparing for a -warm supper. - -“I guess we turn left,” Vevi said after a moment. - -“Left? Why, I’m sure the ocean is the other way.” - -Connie and Vevi stared at each other, truly alarmed. - -The fog was settling about them like a damp rain cloak. Nothing looked -familiar. - -“We can’t be far from home,” Connie murmured. “But this mist is getting -worse.” - -“And we’re lost,” Vevi added in a frightened voice. “Oh, Connie, -what’ll we do?” - - - - -CHAPTER 4 - -THE SHIP HOUSE - - -Now Connie was as worried as she could be, but she tried not to show -it. She remembered that a Brownie Scout always must be calm in an -emergency. - -“We can’t really be lost,” she told the frightened Vevi. “Not as long -as we stay on the main road.” - -“We can turn the wrong direction though,” Vevi insisted. “If we do, -we’ll be hours getting home.” - -With the mist settling more closely about them, the girls stood for a -moment trying to get their bearings. - -In either direction, the road ahead was like a gray, dim tunnel. - -“Listen!” commanded Vevi. “What was that?” - -She had heard a strange, deep-throated sound which seemed to come from -a long distance away. - -“The fog horn out on the bay!” Connie exclaimed. “That means it’s -really getting bad. Ships are being warned so they won’t run into the -rocks along shore.” - -The girls could not decide which direction to walk. Connie thought they -should go one way, while Vevi was in favor of the other. - -As they debated, Connie heard a car coming from far up the road. - -“Oh, we can stop the driver and ask directions!” she exclaimed, greatly -relieved. “Maybe too, we can catch a ride to Starfish Cottage.” - -Soon the children caught a glimpse of headlights boring through the -mist. - -Stepping out into the roadway, Connie and Vevi shouted for the driver -to stop. In the thick fog they scarcely could be seen. Their voices -apparently did not carry. - -Without glancing toward the girls, the driver of the car went on. -A moment later the red taillight of his automobile had completely -vanished. - -Vevi and Connie were too discouraged to say a word. They stood at the -roadside a moment, cold and miserable. - -“Another car will come along in a minute,” Connie said at last. - -Huddling together, the girls waited and waited. Finally, because they -didn’t know what else to do, they started walking along the paved road. -To find their way, they had to watch closely lest they wander off the -pavement. - -“Connie, I’m sure we didn’t come this way,” Vevi murmured after they -had gone a short distance. “Didn’t we pass a house just before we -turned off onto the dirt road?” - -“I think so, Vevi. I’m not sure. We didn’t pay enough attention.” - -The girls trudged over a little hill. Ahead, the fog seemed a trifle -lighter. Instead of being dense and thick, it rolled in clouds. - -“I think I see something over there to the right,” Vevi declared -hopefully. “It looks like a house!” - -Soft wisps of mist enfolded the shadowy building, giving it an eerie, -almost ghostly appearance. - -“It’s a house of some sort,” Connie admitted. “But I don’t see any -light. It--it doesn’t look lived in, Vevi.” - -“Let’s find out, Connie.” - -Hand in hand, the girls left the pavement and stumbled up a gravel -path. The fog was lighter and they could trace the outline of a low, -rambling shingle and timber building. - -“Why, it’s not a house at all!” Connie exclaimed. - -“It’s a little ship! But how could a ship be here on dry land?” - -Vevi squeezed her friend’s hand nervously. Through the mist the -building had a most unreal appearance. Was her imagination playing -tricks? - -“Pinch me, Connie,” she whispered. - -Connie obeyed, nipping Vevi’s arm so hard she squealed. - -“It’s real, all right,” Vevi said, satisfied that she was wide awake. - -Cautiously, the girls inched closer. Now they could see that the -building really was a house. It had been built though, to resemble an -old ship. - -The windows were round like portholes. Just inside a picket fence stood -a huge anchor, painted white. An old ship’s lantern dangled by the -cottage door. Just above it was a battered sign. - -Moving in close, the children were able to read the lettering on the -carved piece of board. It said: “WELCOME.” - -“Friendly people must live here,” declared Vevi, feeling less afraid. - -Connie looked carefully about the yard. Weeds had grown very high and -flower beds were untended. - -“This old ship house looks deserted to me,” she said in awe. “Another -thing--I’m sure we never came this way before, Vevi.” - -“That’s so. We must have turned the wrong direction when we left the -dirt road. What’ll we do?” - -“Let’s knock,” Connie suggested. “Someone might live here, but I don’t -think so.” - -The front door was made of heavy wood and appeared to have been removed -bodily from an old sea vessel. Door knob and hinges were of iron. - -Raising her hand to knock, Connie made a startling discovery. - -“Why, the door’s unlocked!” she exclaimed. “See, it’s partly open!” - -Vevi saw that Connie was right. The door stood slightly ajar. - -“Then someone must live here after all!” she cried. - -Connie knocked twice and waited. The girls thought they heard a flurry -of footsteps inside. But no one came to let them in. - -“Try again, Connie.” - -Once more Connie rapped on the door, this time so hard that it opened a -trifle wider. But still no one came. - -“Someone must live here,” Vevi reasoned. “Otherwise, the door wouldn’t -be unlocked. Unless the place is owned by a ghost,” she added with a -nervous giggle. - -Connie rapped twice more. “It’s no use,” she said at last. - -“But I’m sure I heard someone inside, Connie. Let’s peek in for a -second.” - -“I don’t think we should, Vevi.” - -“Why not?” her companion argued. “The sign says ‘Welcome.’ That must -mean we’re to walk right in if no one answers.” - -“I hate to, Vevi.” - -“Well, I’m going to do it,” Vevi announced boldly. - -Before Connie could stop her, she gave the door a little push with her -foot. It swung back with a loud, screeching sound. - -“Just like on a radio serial,” Vevi giggled. “Come on! Who’s afraid? -Not I!” - -Connie followed her friend into the little ship house. In the front -hallway, they stood very still, listening. - -Not a whisper of sound disturbed the quiet. Yet Connie had a dreadful -feeling that they were not alone in the house. - -“Is--is anyone here?” she called. - -Her voice sounded so strange and weak that she scarcely recognized it -as her own. - -“No one is home,” Vevi declared, looking around. “I don’t think anyone -has lived here for a long, long while. Everything’s so dusty.” - -“But it’s a darling place,” Connie said, becoming a trifle excited. -“Just like a ship inside. Or a club house!” - -The girls had tiptoed from the hallway to a main living room. - -There were no rugs on the floor or curtains at the porthole windows. -The furniture was all built into the walls. At one end of the long room -there were two double-deck bunks. - -“Someone must live here!” cried Connie. “At least that lower bunk has -been slept in. See, the blanket is mussed!” - -A desk had been built into the opposite wall. Connie went over to -inspect it. - -Almost at once she came upon a dusty old Bible. She turned slowly -through the yellowing pages. Toward the back of the huge book, her -exploring fingers encountered a photograph. - -“It’s a picture of a young man,” she informed Vevi. “There’s writing on -the back of it.” - -Vevi quickly crossed the room to see what Connie had found. Taking the -picture to the window where a little light filtered through, they were -able to make out the writing. Connie read it aloud. - -“Jerry R. Tarwell, 19, lost at sea, Dec. 25, 1934.” - -“Why, that was on Christmas Day,” Vevi said, staring at the picture. -“He’s nice looking.” - -“This old Bible hasn’t been opened in a long while,” Connie added, -brushing dust from her hands. “It’s queer.” - -“What is, Connie?” - -“Why everything. This ship house. The open door. This picture. This -bunk that’s been slept in.” - -“That part is the queerest of all, Connie. This house looks deserted, -and yet someone appears to be living here. You don’t suppose--” - -“A ghost?” Connie interposed with a quick laugh. “Don’t be silly, Vevi. -You know there aren’t any such things.” - -“I know, but I was sure I heard footsteps--” - -Vevi broke off, listening hard. - -“What was that?” she whispered. - -“I--I didn’t hear anything. Yet, I do too!” - -Distinctly, both girls could hear a tiptoeing sound. They were certain -someone was moving about in the adjoining room. - -“I’m scared,” Vevi whispered. “Let’s get out of here!” - -Connie nodded. Clinging together, she and Vevi started toward the -hallway. - -The corridor connected with another room, apparently a kitchen. But the -girls had no desire to explore further. Their one thought was to leave -this strange old house and be on their way. - -As they reached the doorway opening into the hall, they stopped short. - -At the outside door they saw the flash of clothing. A boy in blue jeans -and a rough, cloth jacket turned toward them in a fleeting instant. He -uttered a choked cry as if sharing their fright. - -Then, he darted through the door and was gone. - -“Wait!” Connie called impulsively. “Don’t run away!” - -“We want to find out how to get to Starfish Cottage!” Vevi shouted. -“Wait!” - -But the boy did not turn back. Leaving the door wide open, he fled into -the fog and quickly was swallowed by the gray mist. - - - - -CHAPTER 5 - -AN OLD SEA CAPTAIN - - -Though Vevi and Connie called after the boy several times, he did not -return. - -“Do you think he was real?” Vevi asked anxiously. “We didn’t imagine we -saw him?” - -“Of course not,” replied Connie. “He was real enough.” - -“But why did he run away?” - -“We must have frightened him, Vevi. Maybe he had no right to be inside -this little house. So when we came in, he waited for a chance to sneak -away without being seen.” - -“Whoever he was, I wish he’d waited, Connie. Maybe he could have told -us how to get to Starfish Cottage.” - -Feeling that they had no more right to be in the little ship cottage -than the runaway boy, the girls decided to leave. Connie took care to -close the front door firmly behind them. - -“I wish we knew who owns this cute little place,” she remarked. -“Perhaps the owner doesn’t know that the door is unlocked.” - -The fog horn was tooting again as the two girls picked their way down -the path. Vevi shivered, for the damp air had chilled her through. - -“What’ll we do now?” she asked in a discouraged voice. “I can’t even -see the main road.” - -“Listen!” Connie commanded suddenly. - -Vevi stopped short. For a minute she thought her friend wanted her to -listen to the wail of the fog horn. Then, she too heard the sound that -Connie’s keen ears had detected--a crunch, crunch, crunch of gravel. - -“Someone’s coming,” whispered Connie. - -The girls huddled motionless by the trunk of a huge hard maple, peering -into the mist. Gradually they made out a shadowy, moving figure. - -“A man,” whispered Vevi, half afraid. - -Through the mist, the figure appeared very large, almost a giant. - -The man was very close to the little girls before he saw them. He -pulled up quickly, exclaiming with a hearty laugh: - -“Avast, there! Nearly ran you down in this pea-soup fog, didn’t I?” - -The elderly man had such a friendly voice that Connie and Vevi lost all -fear. He was tall, with broad, slightly stooped shoulders. - -Walking seemed hard for him, for he carried a stout cane. Perched -jauntily atop his head was a seaman’s cap. - -“Aren’t you young ladies afraid to be walking alone in this dense fog?” -he asked with concern. “You might get lost.” - -“We are already.” Connie gravely informed him. - -“We’re trying to get back to Starfish Cottage,” added Vevi. “We don’t -know which way to go. Please help us.” - -“Lost, eh?” chuckled the friendly old seaman. “This fog put me in -mind o’ the day we were running from Halifax to New York on the _John -Horner_. The fog was so thick you could have cut it with a knife.” - -“Are you a sea captain?” Connie asked. She had noticed that the old man -wore a uniform with gold braid. - -“Aye,” the stranger chuckled. “An old sea dog that’s coiled up his -cables. I’ve been in dry dock so many years all my hinges are rusty.” - -“Don’t you sail any more?” asked Vevi. - -“Haven’t set foot on a deck since my son was lost at sea. I’m an old -salt that’s quit the sea--swallowed the anchor, so to speak. But what -were you saying about looking for a starfish?” - -“Not a fish--a cottage by that name,” explained Connie. - -“Starfish Cottage?” the old man repeated. “Never heard of it, but it -must be one of those little places along the beach.” - -“We can’t even find the beach,” Vevi declared. “Everything is all mixed -up and nothing looks right.” - -“Now don’t you fret,” soothed the captain. “Just grab my hand, and I’ll -steer you through the shoals. We’ll be at Starfish Cottage before you -can say Davey Jones Locker.” - -Vevi and Connie felt quite safe now that they were with the captain. -They fell into step on either side. The captain noticed that Vevi was -shivering and made her put on his warm jacket. After that she felt very -comfortable. - -Tapping along the gravel walk with his cane, the captain led the -Brownies to the paved highway. - -“Now, we could follow this road to the beach,” he said. “But I know a -shorter way that cuts off a quarter of the distance.” - -The captain walked along the pavement only a short distance. Presently -he chose a path which wound in between clumps of tall trees. Vevi and -Connie never would have known that it was there. Their guide, however, -seemed familiar with every inch of the trail. - -“We’ll be at Starfish Cottage quick as the wind,” he encouraged the -girls. “Now tell me how it was that you lost your way.” - -Trudging along beside the old seaman, Vevi related how she and Connie -had started for the pond to find a racing turtle. She told also of -coming to the strange ship cottage and of seeing a boy run out of the -dwelling. - -“The door was open?” The captain seemed quite disturbed. “Are you sure?” - -“Oh, yes,” insisted Vevi. “Connie saw him too. We shouted to him to -wait, but he wouldn’t.” - -“Now how do you suppose that door came open?” the captain muttered, -talking to himself. “I must look into it right away.” - -The path had become very steep. Vevi and Connie had to step carefully -not to slide and fall. - -“Doesn’t anyone live at the little ship house?” Vevi asked as she -paused an instant to catch her breath. - -“Not any more.” - -“It’s such a darling little house,” sighed Connie. “I wish the Brownie -Scouts could hold meetings there.” - -“And who are the Brownie Scouts?” inquired the old captain. - -Vevi and Connie told him about the Rosedale Troop and of the good times -they were having at the beach. - -“We have Brownie songs and we do useful things,” Connie explained -proudly. “We have a secret slogan too--its initials are HOP.” - -Now Vevi and Connie both knew that the initials HOP stood for “Help -Other People.” Because it was a secret, they could not tell the captain. - -“I’ll show you the Brownie salute,” Connie offered. “It’s like this.” - -She raised her right hand smartly to the temple, the first two fingers -straight. The ring finger and little finger were held down by the thumb. - -“The two straight fingers stand for the two parts of the Brownie -Promise,” Vevi told the captain. “Want to hear the Promise?” - -The captain said he did, so she recited it. - -“‘I promise to do my best to love God and my country, to help other -people every day, especially those at home.’” - -The captain said it was a very nice promise indeed. He reminded the -girls that they had told him almost everything about themselves except -their names. - -“I’m Vevi McGuire, and this is Connie Williams. At Rosedale we live -next door to each other.” - -“Now tell us _your_ name,” urged Connie. - -“Why, I’m Cap’n Tarwell. Just an old sea dog that’s lost his bite. I -like to walk in the fog.” - -“Tarwell?” Connie repeated the name thoughtfully. “Why, that same name -was in the old Bible at the ship cabin.” - -“Jerry R. Tarwell,” recalled Vevi. “He died at sea.” - -She wanted to ask the old captain if he were related to the young man -mentioned in the Bible. From the odd way he looked, she thought he must -know all about the ship cottage. - -Before she could ask a question however, they came within the sound of -the breakers. - -“Hear ’em roar?” asked the captain, pausing to listen. “We’re almost at -the beach now, and the fog’s lifting a bit. By tomorrow it’ll burn off -and we’ll have a nice day.” - -A little farther on, Captain Tarwell showed the girls a group of -cottages through the mist. - -“Oh, I know where I am now!” Connie cried. “I can see Starfish Cottage -from here!” - -Even though the girls were sure they would not lose their way again, -Captain Tarwell walked with them to the cottage. - -Connie’s mother, Miss Gordon, and all the Brownies had gathered on the -porch. They were ready to start off in search of the two missing girls. - -“Oh, here you are!” Mrs. Williams exclaimed as Connie and Vevi dashed -up the steps. “We’ve been so worried.” - -“The fog came in so fast,” added Miss Gordon. “I couldn’t find you -anywhere.” - -Feeling ashamed to have caused so much trouble, Connie and Vevi -explained once more about their search for a racing turtle. Then they -introduced Captain Tarwell and told how he had brought them safely to -the beach. - -“’Twas nothing,” insisted the captain when Mrs. Williams and Miss -Gordon tried to thank him. “The children weren’t lost really. The fog -only confused them.” - -Captain Tarwell turned to leave. Vevi took off the jacket he had given -her and politely returned it. - -“So you’d like to have a racing turtle?” the old man asked. - -“Oh, yes!” - -“Tell you what! If your troop leader says the word, I’ll take all the -Brownies to the pond to hunt for turtles. Blast my barnacles, I will!” - -“Oh, may we go?” cried Vevi. - -“Tomorrow?” demanded Connie. - -Miss Gordon laughed and said she would think the matter over. - -That night, the Brownies sat around a fire at Starfish Cottage, singing -songs and telling stories. - -The walls fairly rocked as the girls warbled: - - “We’re the Brownies, here’s our aim, - Lend a hand and play the game!” - -Everyone plied Vevi and Connie with questions about their adventure in -the fog. They tried very hard to describe the strange little house they -had discovered beside the road. - -“I never heard of a house built like a ship!” exclaimed Rosemary in awe. - -“You say no one appeared to be living there, and yet the door was -open!” added Jane. - -“And a boy ran out while you were there!” commented Sunny Davidson. -“Maybe you imagined it.” - -Vevi and Connie became indignant at such a suggestion. - -“We did not imagine it!” they declared together. “The captain was real -enough, wasn’t he?” - -“Oh, he was real,” Jane agreed with a shrug. “But he didn’t say -anything about a little ship house. Fog, they say, gives rise to -strange fancies.” - -Now Vevi and Connie were very annoyed. Jane, they felt, was putting -on airs. She wanted the other Brownies to believe that they had been -confused. - -“Another thing,” Jane went on, “it seems funny to me that Captain -Tarwell would have the same name as the one written in the Bible.” - -“Well, it’s so!” Vevi declared. “At least the last name was the same. -You heard him tell Mrs. Williams he was Captain Tarwell.” - -“Oh, yes,” agreed Jane. She flashed a very wise smile. “But did anyone -hear him mention a little house?” - -“One with ‘Welcome’ over the door?” giggled Sunny. - -“He didn’t have a chance,” retorted Vevi hotly. - -“Oh, yes, he did,” insisted Jane. “He was here quite a while. You -mentioned the little house once, Vevi, and he gave you a very odd look. -I think he knew you had imagined the whole thing!” - -“Oh,” gasped Vevi. “Connie and I will prove to you that the little -house is as real as Starfish Cottage!” - -“And that it’s built to look like a ship,” added Connie. - -“How?” - -“We’ll take you there,” Connie offered. “We’ll take all the Brownies. -That is, if Miss Gordon says we may.” - -The Brownie Scout leader, who had been listening to the heated debate, -smiled and nodded. - -“What better way to settle the question?” she laughed. “As soon as the -fog disappears, we’ll all go together to see what we can learn.” - - - - -CHAPTER 6 - -HOUSE IN THE MIST - - -Wispy fog still hung over Silver Beach when Connie and Vevi awoke next -morning. - -The mist, though, had started to burn off by the time they had finished -breakfast. Eagerly they ran next door to see how many Brownies were -awake at Oriole Cottage. - -“Let’s start for the little ship house right away!” urged Vevi, -bursting in upon the group. - -However, Miss Gordon and Mrs. Williams had made other plans. A picnic -had been scheduled at the hotel beach. - -Observing Vevi’s disappointment at the announcement, Miss Gordon -promised her that later in the day they would try to hike to the -cottage. - -Quickly the girls made their own beds and helped with the dishes. -Before they were through, Miss Gordon and Mrs. Williams had the lunches -packed. - -By the time the Brownies reached the hotel beach the sun was shining -quite bravely. Nevertheless, Miss Gordon decided it was a little too -cold for comfortable swimming. - -“We’ll have our bird session first,” she announced. “Who will make the -first report?” - -Sunny Davidson wanted to be the first to offer her talk. That was -because she had switched from a tern to a gull. She was afraid Connie -would get ahead of her if she delayed the report. - -“I’m going to tell about the herring gull,” she announced quickly. “He -sits on piers, rocks and buoys when he isn’t flying around looking for -food. He’s a noisy bird too.” - -“We knew all that before,” said Vevi. She was a bit rude because she -had wanted to tell about a gull herself. - -“Sometimes one sees brown or speckled gulls,” went on Sunny, paying no -attention to Vevi. “They’re the young gulls. When they become adults -they turn white. Some of them have a little gray, black or blue in -their plumage.” - -“And did you notice the color of the gull’s legs?” questioned Miss -Gordon. “That is most important in identifying a herring gull.” - -Sunny had failed to notice the gull’s legs. But at that moment one of -the big fat birds flew lazily overhead. “Why, they’re real pale!” -Sunny exclaimed. “Sort of flesh colored.” - -“That’s exactly right,” approved the Brownie Scout leader. “Your report -was excellent, Sunny. I’ll reward you by giving you a few crumbs to -toss out on the water.” - -Sunny broke up a slice of bread the teacher gave her. She tossed -several of the small pieces far out into the waves. - -The next instant the Brownies heard a loud “squawk, squawk.” Down dived -the big white gull, flapping its wings as it seized the bread. - -“Oh, let me throw the next piece!” pleaded Vevi. - -Miss Gordon gave her a chunk which she hurled into the waves. This -time, not one gull, but two came after the food. - -The loud squawking of the birds also brought Raymond Curry, the life -guard. - -“You’re not supposed to feed the gulls here,” he scolded the children. - -“It was my fault for I gave them the bread,” Miss Gordon apologized. -“I’m very sorry.” - -The Brownies gathered in a semi-circle again to resume their bird talks. - -Jane’s turn came next. She told about the tern, describing it as one -of the most graceful birds she had ever seen. - -“They look like large black-capped swallows,” she told the Brownies. -“When they fish, they’re faster than a gull, plunging head-first into -the water.” - -Jane went on to describe the common type tern as a white bird with an -orange-red bill. It was much smaller and thinner than the average gull. - -Connie told about the turnstone she and Vevi had seen at the pond. -Rosemary gave a long talk on the habits of the spotted sandpiper. - -“Now it’s your turn, Vevi,” said Miss Gordon. “What bird will you tell -us about?” - -Vevi had made no preparation for the talk. She thought very fast. - -“I’ll tell about a blackbird,” she announced. - -The other Brownies hooted. - -“A blackbird isn’t a water bird,” Jane said, flipping her long braids. -“I guess you’ve been paying too much attention to turtles and little -houses to think of the assignment.” - -“No such thing,” Vevi defended herself. “I just didn’t have time, -that’s all.” - -“It really doesn’t matter,” said Miss Gordon quickly. “Vevi can make -her report at our next beach meeting. At any rate, I had planned today -to tell you how the ocean got its salt.” - -“Vevi’s a tail-ender, all the same,” Jane teased. “I’ll bet she won’t -have a report at the next meeting either.” - -“You just wait and see!” Vevi retorted. - -Miss Gordon began to tell the girls about the ocean. The Atlantic, she -said, had more salt than most large bodies of water. - -“Rivers are largely responsible,” she went on. “Can anyone guess why?” - -No one could answer so Miss Gordon told the girls that each year the -rivers carried large quantities of soluble mineral matter to the sea. - -“Salt doesn’t dissolve easily. Therefore, each year the amount in the -ocean keeps increasing.” - -“Some day will the entire ocean be a big bed of salt?” asked Rosemary -anxiously. - -“No, the rivers never could carry that much,” Miss Gordon smiled. - -Jane, who had noticed a jellyfish on the beach that morning, asked the -teacher to tell about them. - -“Their bodies consist of a jelly-like substance,” Miss Gordon -explained. “They have no skeleton. Some types have stinging cells.” “I -know because I stepped on one!” cried Connie. “How do they move through -the water when they have no legs or fins?” - -“By muscular tissue action. Oh, that reminds me! We’re to have a -jellyfish hunt this morning.” - -Jane looked troubled. “I don’t like jellyfish,” she announced. “I -wouldn’t pick up one for anything in the world.” - -“Neither would I,” shuddered Sunny. “I’d rather look for sand dollars.” - -“Wait until you see our jellyfish,” laughed Miss Gordon. - -Now, unknown to the Brownie Scouts, she and Connie’s mother had filled -balloons with water, tying them securely with string. The balloons were -every color of the rainbow. After Miss Gordon had dropped them into the -shallow water, they did gleam like real jellyfish. - -“A prize to the Brownie who finds the most jellyfish!” Miss Gordon -spurred the girls on. - -With shouts of laughter, the Brownies dashed into the water. The waves -were tossing the jellyfish about, and it wasn’t easy to find them. - -Rosemary got her hands on the first one, a yellow balloon. But when she -lifted it out of the water, it slipped from her fingers. A wave swept -it toward Jane, who grabbed it and held on. - -“It’s my jellyfish!” she cried. - -Vevi managed to get a balloon next and then Connie was able to seize -one. In getting it though, she pierced the rubber with her fingernail. -The water oozed out and she held only a flat piece of rubber. - -“Connie’s got an old dead jellyfish!” Sunny Davidson teased. “Does that -count, Miss Gordon?” - -Before the teacher could answer, the Brownies saw Raymond Curry, -the life guard striding down the sand. He looked very grim, as if -displeased. - -“What goes on here?” he demanded of the children. - -“We’re hunting jellyfish,” Jane informed him. “I’m the leader because I -just found another! That makes me two!” - -“Hunting jellyfish!” the lifeguard retorted. “Littering up the beach, -you mean. I don’t allow you to toss wet balloons around. We don’t -permit picnics here either.” - -Miss Gordon and Mrs. Williams had come up by this time. They apologized -to the guard, assuring him that they would pick up all the scattered -balloons. “We didn’t know about the rule against picnics,” Mrs. -Williams added. “We’ve been having them at the cottage beach. Barney -Fulsom, the guard there, never objected.” - -“Well, Barney doesn’t care if his beach looks like a garbage dump,” the -hotel guard replied. “We’re more particular here.” - -Miss Gordon, Mrs. Williams and the Brownies thought Raymond Curry was -being most unfair. They were willing to obey all the rules. However, -they had not scattered balloons or paper plates. - -“Mr. Fulsom’s beach is nice,” Vevi said. “It’s as clean as this one!” - -Mrs. Williams gave her a quick glance, so Vevi did not say any more. -But she and all the other girls were provoked that the hotel guard had -spoiled their morning’s fun. - -“Who wins the prize?” Jane asked as they began gathering up their -belongings. - -“I guess you do,” Miss Gordon said. From her beach kit, she removed a -curious object and gave it to Jane. - -“Oh, it’s a starfish!” Jane cried in delight. - -“I found it on the beach this morning,” Miss Gordon said. “If we have a -little exhibition of shells and sea animals, you can include it.” - -“Oh, I shall!” Jane’s eyes shone. “But after the exhibition, is it mine -to keep?” - -The Brownie leader assured her that it was. - -“Where will we have our exhibition?” Vevi inquired as the girls trudged -back to the cottage beach. - -“We’ll find a place,” Miss Gordon promised. - -Vevi had been thinking about the little ship cottage. She remarked that -it would be nice to have the exhibition there. - -“I don’t believe you and Connie ever saw such a place!” Jane challenged -again. - -“We did too!” Vevi retorted. “What’s more, we’ll prove it, if Miss -Gordon will let us!” - -The girls began to tease the Brownie leader to take them on the -promised hike into the hills. - -“This morning?” she asked dubiously. - -“Just as soon as we’ve eaten our lunch,” Rosemary pleaded. - -The teacher allowed herself to be persuaded. At the cottage beach, the -children spread out the lunch. After the meal, they carefully gathered -up all the paper plates, disposing of them in a trash can. - -“I like this beach much better than the one at the hotel,” Vevi -announced. “And I like Barney better than Mr. Curry too!” - -All the Brownies said they felt the same way. - -“I’m sure Mr. Curry doesn’t mean to be unkind,” Mrs. Williams declared. -“He’s had trouble with his son, I understand. The boy ran away for a -day or so. I believe he came back again though.” - -Lunch over, the Brownies dressed in hiking clothes and stout shoes. -With Vevi and Connie leading the party, they all set off at a brisk -pace along the paved highway. - -“Wouldn’t it be dreadful if we couldn’t find the little house again?” -Vevi whispered to Connie. “We’d never live it down!” - -“Without the mist, everything looks different,” Connie replied uneasily. - -Soon the girls came to the dirt road which turned off toward the pond. - -Vevi and Connie paused, uncertain which way to go. - -“I think we keep on walking straight down the highway,” Connie decided -at last. - -“Don’t you know?” demanded Jane, who had overheard. “I’m not sure,” -Connie admitted. “In the fog, we couldn’t tell where we were walking.” - -She and Vevi went on, looking hard along both sides of the road. Tall -trees loomed as far ahead as they could see. - -“We may as well turn back,” Jane said impatiently. “I guess this proves -who was right.” - -“We haven’t walked far yet,” Miss Gordon remarked. “Besides, I think I -see something that looks like a house set back among the trees on the -left hand side of the road.” - -“That’s it!” cried Vevi. “The little ship house!” - -The Brownies hadn’t believed that the cottage could be real. Now that -they saw it was, they became very excited. - -With Vevi and Connie leading the way, they all started to run up the -gravel path. Miss Gordon and Mrs. Williams were hard pressed to keep up -with the girls. - -“Now who was right?” Vevi demanded of the crestfallen Jane. - -“Oh, I guess the cottage is real enough,” Jane admitted grudgingly. “I -was only teasing.” - -“It looks as if it had come from the pages of a picture book!” declared -Sunny. “How wonderful if no one owns it! Then we could use the place -for our shell exhibitions.” - -“And sleep here overnight,” Connie added. “It has bunks and everything.” - -“Wait until you see the inside!” Vevi laughed. - -Eager to show the other Brownies, she raced on ahead. - -At the entrance, she halted suddenly. The door remained closed as she -and Connie had left it the previous afternoon. - -But there had been a change. - -Across the crack of the door had been placed a metal bar. With a -sinking heart, Vevi realized she never would be able to show the -Brownies the inside of the cottage. For attached to the metal bar was a -huge padlock which had been snapped shut. - - - - -CHAPTER 7 - -THE LOCKED DOOR - - -“Why, it’s locked!” Vevi exclaimed, rattling the padlock. “We can’t get -in.” - -“The owner must have been here since yesterday,” agreed Connie. She too -was disappointed. “He must have found the door open and locked it.” - -The Brownies circled the little house several times, peeping through -the porthole windows. Plainly, the cottage was deserted. - -“This place would be ideal for our shell exhibition,” declared -Rosemary. “And what grand cook-outs we could have here!” - -Miss Gordon reminded the Brownies that the cottage did not belong to -them. - -“Since we don’t even know the owner, we may as well forget it,” she -advised. - -The Brownies did not want to forget the ship cottage. Reluctant to -leave, they wandered about the grounds for a while. The back yard -sloped down to the cliffs which overlooked the ocean. - -“Why, one can see Starfish Cottage from here!” exclaimed Connie. - -“The beach too, and the docks,” agreed Sunny. “Looking down from here -is like being in an airplane.” - -The little girl never had been in one. She imagined though that scenery -would look much the same if one were high in the sky. - -After the girls had left the cliff, Vevi pleaded with Miss Gordon to -let the Brownies hike on to Cabell’s pond. - -“Turtles?” asked the teacher, smiling. - -“To see the birds,” Vevi answered quickly. - -Both Miss Gordon and Mrs. Williams thought the hike would be worth -while. The matter was put to a vote. Everyone was in favor of making -the trip on to the pond. - -Vevi and Connie knew the way well now that there was no fog to confuse -them. Without once hesitating, they led the troop to the tiny body of -water off the winding, dirt road. - -“Oh, someone’s here ahead of us!” exclaimed Vevi. - -A boatman was fishing in the center of the pond. Apparently, he was -having no luck. At any rate, upon seeing the children, he rowed in. - -“Catch anything?” Vevi demanded, running up to peer into the bottom of -the boat. - -“Nothing except turtles,” the fisherman replied in disgust. “They’re a -nuisance in this pond. Always taking your bait.” - -“I wish I could catch one,” Vevi said quickly. “I’d give anything in -the world if I could. You know what I’d do with him? I’d race him at -the hotel beach!” - -The fisherman smiled. He seemed to like Vevi for after asking her -several questions about the race, he said: - -“It’s easy enough to get a turtle. The trick when you’re fishing at -this pond, is not to get one. Jump into my boat and we’ll have a turtle -in nothing flat.” - -Vevi made a scramble for the boat and so did all the other Brownies. -The fisherman had to tell them to get out again. - -“I can’t take you all,” he said. “Only two may go. The little girl who -wants the turtle and you.” He pointed to Sunny. - -Sunny and Vevi jumped into the boat and the fisherman pushed off. He -did not row out very far. - -“Now you’ll have to be quiet, or we’ll never get a turtle,” he warned -the pair. - -Hardly moving the oars, the fisherman eased the boat into a little -reedy cove. Vevi and Sunny looked sharp, but they could not see a -single turtle. - -For awhile, the fisherman sat motionless in the boat, just watching the -water. Vevi and Sunny began to grow tired. They thought the man was -wasting a lot of time. - -“There’s one!” he whispered suddenly. - -“Where?” demanded Vevi. - -In her eagerness to see, she turned around fast and struck the oars. -They clattered loudly. - -“He’s gone now,” said the fisherman. “You’ll have to be quiet if you -want to catch one.” - -Vevi and Sunny kept as still as they could. The sun beat down on them -and they were rather uncomfortable. They began to think they never -would see another turtle. - -Then the fisherman without saying a word, pointed a few yards ahead of -them. At first Vevi and Sunny didn’t see anything unusual. Then they -noticed a black head peeping up amid the lily pads. - -The fisherman eased the boat forward. While it drifted, he picked up a -net from the bottom of the craft. - -So fast that Vevi and Sunny were astonished, he swished the net into -the water directly under the turtle. - -“Got him,” he announced triumphantly. - -Wrapped in the folds of the net was a spotted turtle. It clawed at the -netting trying to escape. - -“He’s not too likely a specimen,” declared the fisherman. “But at least -he’s a turtle you can enter in the race. Now we’ll get one for the -little girl with the big smile.” - -“Oh, I don’t want one, please,” said Sunny. She was afraid of turtles. -“I’d rather have a water lily.” - -The fisherman shoved the boat into the water lily pads. Sunny picked -her own flower. The stem was tough though and she had to pull very hard. - -Vevi was too busy looking after the turtle to think about flowers. The -fisherman showed her how to hold it so she would not be bitten. - -The turtle though, would not hold still. He kept squirming and -squirming. The shell was wet and slippery and Vevi finally dropped him -into the bottom of the boat. - -“Don’t you dare let him get near me!” squealed Sunny, edging away. - -The turtle had fallen upon his back. But he used his long neck to lift -himself up and flip over on his feet again. Vevi picked him up before -he could crawl toward Sunny. - -All the Brownies were waiting when the boat reached shore. - -“You don’t know what you missed!” Jane called out before Vevi could -show her turtle. - -“We saw a wonderful bird,” added Connie, her eyes shining. “It had long -legs like a stork.” - -Vevi thought at first that the girls were only teasing her. Then she -realized that they really were excited. - -“Who cares about an old bird?” she replied. “I’d rather catch a turtle -any day.” - -Miss Gordon told the girls that the bird the Brownies had seen was a -great blue heron, rarely observed in the area. - -“It had a neck like a flat ‘S’ loop,” Jane described the bird. “And a -funny long tailpiece on its head. When we saw it, it was standing in -the edge of the water looking for crayfish.” - -Miss Gordon told the girls that herons belonged to a group of birds -called waders. For that reason, she explained, they had long legs, and -long necks and sharp bills with which to search for food. - -“Want to see my turtle?” Vevi offered. “I’d rather look for another -heron,” declared Jane, running off. - -The other Brownies followed her. - -Miss Gordon and Mrs. Williams both admired the spotted turtle. But they -warned Vevi it would require a great deal of work to look after it -properly. - -“I don’t mind,” replied Vevi. “I’ll make a little pen and feed and -water my turtle every day. I’m going to name him ‘Lightning.’ He’ll win -the race for the Brownies!” - -Vevi dropped her turtle lightly on the ground to see how fast he would -go. He crawled very slowly, then faster and faster toward the water. - -“Oh, no you don’t,” Vevi laughed, running after him. “You don’t get -away from me!” - -She recaptured the turtle and held him for awhile. By this time the -other Brownies were having fun exploring along shore. Vevi would have -liked to join them, but was afraid to leave the turtle for fear of -losing him. - -She decided to put Lightning in the boat for awhile. But the fisherman -already had overturned it on shore. As he started to leave the pond, he -warned the girls never to use the boat in his absence. - -“We won’t,” Vevi promised. “Brownie Scouts are honor bright. They -never take property that doesn’t belong to them.” - -Sunny, who had come up behind Vevi, heard her remark. - -“Why, we didn’t even try to get into the little ship cottage,” she -added earnestly. “And we wanted to dreadfully.” - -The fisherman did not know what the children meant, so they told him -about the cottage built to resemble a ship. - -“Oh, you mean Captain Tarwell’s place!” he exclaimed. - -The name took Vevi by surprise. “Is that who owns it?” she asked -quickly. - -“Yes,” replied the fisherman. “He’s a retired sea captain. These days -he doesn’t do much except act as a caretaker and guard at the Yacht -Club docks. One occasionally sees him walking along the shore or -through the hills--always by himself.” - -“Connie and I met him in the fog,” Vevi said. “He didn’t tell us -though, that he owned the cute little house.” - -“Captain Tarwell isn’t one to talk about his personal affairs. He’s -never been quite as cheerful since his son was lost at sea.” - -The fisherman then went on to explain that since the cottage had been -built no one ever had lived there. Captain Tarwell had constructed it -with his own hands, intending it as a home for himself and his only -son, Jerry. After the boy’s drowning, he had locked the doors, refusing -even to rent the place. - -“Maybe Jerry isn’t really dead,” said Vevi. “Perhaps someday he’ll come -back.” - -The fisherman shook his head as he gathered up his fishing equipment. - -“Jerry never will return,” he said. “His drowning was well established. -Captain Tarwell ought to try to forget the past.” - -Now Vevi and Sunny felt very sorry for the kindly old sea captain. -Nevertheless, they considered it a shame that he would not allow anyone -to live in the little cottage. - -“Captain Tarwell must have put up the padlock after Connie and I told -him about the door being unlocked,” Vevi said thoughtfully. “I suppose -he doesn’t want us going there any more.” - -Very shortly after the fisherman had left the pond, Mrs. Williams and -Miss Gordon announced that it was time for the Brownies to leave also. - -Vevi was ready to go, because she was having trouble with the turtle. -Whenever she would put him down, even for a minute, off he would start -for the water. - -Lightning would be plenty of work, Vevi realized. Not only would she -have to make him a pen, but she would need to feed him each day. - -“What do turtles eat?” she asked Connie’s mother. - -Mrs. Williams told her she could buy turtle food at the store, if she -wished. Or she might feed her pet bits of raw meat, fish and lettuce -leaves. - -A half hour later, back at Starfish Cottage again, Vevi looked around -to see what she could use for a turtle pen. Not finding anything that -would do, she wandered down to the beach to ask Barney Fulsom if he had -any ideas. - -The lifeguard was busy giving a swimming lesson and did not have time -to help her. - -“Ask Jamie Curry,” he suggested, pointing to a boy who was digging with -a stick in the sand. “He’s an expert on turtles.” - -The name startled Vevi. She knew that Jamie must be the son of Raymond -Curry, the hotel lifeguard. But she thought he had run away. - -“Jamie’s back again,” Barney said, as if reading Vevi’s mind. “Better -not say anything to him about being a runaway because I hear his father -gave him a licking. Hey, Jamie!” At the lifeguard’s call, the boy came -over. He was barely thirteen, but very muscular and strong for his age. -His nose was blotched with hundreds of freckles. Vevi liked him because -she had lots of freckles too. - -Barney introduced the youngsters and then said: “Jamie, Vevi has a -turtle and needs help in fixing up a place where she can keep him.” - -Jamie looked at the turtle. He didn’t seem to think very much of it. - -“What d’you want a sluggish old turtle like that for?” he asked. “He’s -no good.” - -“He is too,” Vevi insisted. “I call him Lightning. I’m going to enter -him in the race Saturday. Maybe I’ll win for the Brownies.” - -“You won’t win with that old slow poke,” Jamie scoffed. “I’d toss him -in the water.” - -“No,” Vevi answered firmly. She was so hurt and disappointed she felt -like crying. - -Jamie seemed to be ashamed of himself for making fun of the turtle. At -any rate, he said quickly: - -“Oh, he’s not too bad. And you never can tell about turtles. Sometimes -the fast ones won’t start up right, or maybe they get scared and stop -just before they reach the finish line.” - -“Then you think he might win?” Vevi demanded eagerly. - -“Might,” Jamie shrugged. - -“You’ll help me fix a pen for him?” - -Jamie told her that she wouldn’t need a pen. “An old dish pan will do,” -he said. “I can get you one, I guess.” - -The boy took her across the beach to the big hotel. On the way he -pointed out a little beach house where he lived with his father during -the summer. - -Jamie didn’t say much about his father, or explain why he had run away. -Vevi wanted to question him, but she was afraid he might be offended if -she acted curious. - -She couldn’t help thinking though, that he was exactly the same size as -the boy she and Connie had seen in the fog. Had he hidden in the little -ship house? And had she and Connie frightened him away? - -Jamie took Vevi around the big summer hotel. In the courtyard, near the -trash barrel, they found an old dishpan. - -“It’s rusty,” the boy said, giving it a crack with his stick, “but it -will hold water.” - -They took the pan back to the beach. Jamie found several rocks and -built up an island in the center of the pan. Then he poured in a pail -of fresh water. - -“That will make a first-rate turtle pond,” Jamie declared. “Now where’s -Lightning? Stick him in.” - -An odd expression came over Vevi’s face. She tried to answer and -couldn’t say a word. - -“Don’t tell me he got away?” Jamie demanded. - -Vevi nodded miserably. She hadn’t meant to be careless. But she had -been so interested in watching Jamie build the rock island, that she -had forgotten all about the turtle. Just for a second she had put him -down on the sand. Now he was gone. - -“You’ll never see that turtle again,” said Jamie in disgust. “Oh, well, -he never would have made a good racer anyhow.” - -Two big tears rolled down Vevi’s face. - -“Don’t start bawling,” Jamie said quickly. “Turtles are a dime a dozen. -There’s only one I know of that would be worth keeping.” - -“What one is that?” Vevi asked him. - -“A young snapper that won every race here last summer. His name was -Clover and it was painted in yellow on his shell. If you had _him_ you -might win.” - -“What became of the turtle, Jamie?” - -“He was tossed back into the pond.” - -“He’s still there then?” - -“Might be. Turtles live for years and years.” - -Already Vevi had lost interest in Lightning. Clover, she decided, would -be a much better turtle to own. - -“Oh, Jamie,” she said, catching her breath. “I’d give anything to own -Clover. Couldn’t you find him for me?” - -“I’d like to find him for myself,” Jamie admitted with a laugh. “Not -much chance though. There are thousands of turtles in Cabell’s pond.” - -“They come out on the logs to sun themselves. If Clover has a name -painted on his shell, couldn’t one spot him?” - -“Maybe, if you were there at just the right time.” - -“Won’t you try to get Clover for me?” Vevi pleaded. “I do so want to -win the race for the Brownies.” - -Jamie seemed to be thinking over the request. - -“I don’t like to promise,” he said after a long silence. “My dad keeps -me close to the beach since--well, lately. I might be able to get you a -turtle, but not Clover.” - -“Any will do,” Vevi said. “I’d rather have Clover though. Will you -please get me a turtle right away?” - -“If I get one at all, it will be right away,” Jamie answered soberly. -He looked out across the waves. “I’m not figuring on being around here -much longer.” - -“You’re not going to run away again?” Vevi asked. - -Jamie did not appear offended by her question. - -“Maybe I will. And next time, I won’t come back! I’ll go so far my dad -never will find me.” - -Vevi was very troubled by the boy’s threat to leave home. - -“Oh, Jamie, you mustn’t run away,” she said quickly. “Silver Beach is -wonderful! I shouldn’t think you’d want to leave. Don’t you like your -father?” - -Jamie hung his head and didn’t answer the question. He dug the sand -with the toe of his beach sandal. - -“You wouldn’t like it here either, if you knew what I do,” he said -finally. - -Having spoken, he turned and ran off down the beach. - - - - -CHAPTER 8 - -HIGH TIDE - - -Vevi had hoped to return soon to Cabell’s pond to search for Clover. - -However, she had no chance to do so the next day, for Miss Gordon told -the Brownie Scouts they were to have an outing at Brant’s Point. - -“We’ll picnic there and gather shells for our collection,” she outlined -plans. “Vevi will have a chance too to give her bird report.” - -Vevi said nothing, but she felt rather queer inside. She had been too -busy to give the required report a single thought. - -“I’ll bet Vevi won’t have one ready!” teased Jane. - -“Oh, yes, I will,” Vevi insisted. “Just you wait and see.” - -After the breakfast dishes had been washed and the beds made, the girls -all piled into Mrs. William’s big sedan. The tide was low, so it was -possible to drive along the beach without the tires sinking in. - -Before long, the Brownies sighted the tall lighthouse directly ahead. -Often at night the girls had observed its revolving ray blink on and -off. - -“Brant’s Point light has saved many a ship at sea,” Miss Gordon told -the troop. “And the lives of countless birds.” - -Rosemary asked her how a lighthouse could save birds. - -“Some of the older lighthouses have beacons that burn steadily,” Miss -Gordon explained. “Such a light always seems to attract birds. Some -circle the light towers until from sheer exhaustion they drop into the -sea. Others fly against the windows and batter their wings.” - -The teacher went on to say that birds were much less likely to be -attracted by Brant Light, which blinked off at intervals. Also, the -tower had projections or shelves where a tired bird might rest in its -long flight southward. - -“May we visit the lighthouse?” Connie asked as the girls unloaded the -lunch hampers at the point. - -“Federal regulations prohibit visitors,” the teacher replied -regretfully. “Anyhow, we’ll not have too much time here. After we’ve -had our lunch and gathered a few shells, it will be time to leave.” - -Mrs. Williams remarked that they must under no circumstance over-stay -their time. “I’ve been told that the tide comes in very strong and fast -here by the lighthouse,” she said. “By late afternoon, this beach will -be almost entirely covered with water.” - -“Is it safe to be here?” asked Sunny anxiously. - -Mrs. Williams assured her that it always would be possible to scamper -to higher ground. - -“But if we should stay too long, my car might be trapped,” she -explained, “for there is no roadway out. We’ll leave very soon. Then -there will be no danger.” - -The Brownies helped unload the lunch baskets and set the table with -paper plates. Then, with Miss Gordon’s permission, they peeled off -shoes and stockings and started to look for shells. - -“Don’t wade far out into the water,” the teacher warned. “The surf is -strong here now that the tide has turned. There’s a tricky undertow.” - -Waves came in with a great roar, nibbling greedily at the sand. The -Brownies had no desire to wade out more than a few feet. - -“See what I’ve found!” cried Connie. She held up a very attractive -shell with a half-moon opening. “It’s not like the others we have.” - -When she showed it to Miss Gordon, the teacher told her that it was a -moon snail shell. - -The Brownies never had seen the waves bring up so many nice shells. -Soon Jane dug up a yellowish-white whelk marked by spiral ribs. The -other girls found unbroken clam shells and a brown one which not even -Miss Gordon could identify. - -After the Brownies had wearied of searching, Miss Gordon and Mrs. -Williams set out the food. - -“It will soon be time for Vevi’s bird report,” Jane reminded the group. -“I’ll bet she doesn’t have it ready.” - -Vevi pretended not to hear. She had boasted that she would be able to -tell about a special bird. Actually, the only ones she had seen were -those on which the other girls already had reported. - -She ate her sandwich very fast. While the others were finishing their -cake, she slipped off behind one of the sand dunes. Vevi thought she -would walk toward the lighthouse. Perhaps she would see a special sea -bird on which she could report. But if not, she would be so late in -getting back that Miss Gordon and the Brownies might decide to postpone -asking for her talk. Meanwhile, Miss Gordon began to tell the Brownies -about some of the strange habits of birds. She said no one knew why -they migrated from one part of the country to another, or how they -found their way. - -“Year after year they’ll return to the same place, often the same -nest,” she declared. “A bird is guided by keen eyesight, but also -apparently by instinct.” - -Miss Gordon advised the girls to observe birds carefully, taking note -of points that would help in making an identification. - -“Always notice a bird’s size,” she instructed. “Remember that male and -female birds vary in color and marking. Notice wing motion too and -whether the bird walks, runs or hops on the ground.” - -By this time waves were breaking higher and higher on the beach. Mrs. -Williams remarked uneasily that the tide seemed to be coming in faster -than she had expected. - -“Perhaps we should start back to the cottages,” she suggested. - -As the girls began to gather up their belongings, Miss Gordon noticed -Vevi’s absence. - -“Now where has she gone?” she inquired. “She was here only a moment -ago.” - -“She went off so she wouldn’t have to give her bird report,” Jane -declared. “I see her wandering around over there behind the lighthouse.” - -“I’ll go after her,” offered Connie. - -“Call to her instead,” advised Mrs. Williams. “We really have no time -to waste.” - -Connie shouted Vevi’s name several times. “Hurry up!” she yelled. “The -tide is rolling in, and we want to start home.” - -“Coming,” Vevi answered. - -Despite the urging to hurry however, she kept loitering by a large sand -dune. She seemed to be examining something she had found there. - -“That old slow poke!” Jane exclaimed. “I’ll get her!” - -“No, she’s coming now,” Mrs. Williams said. “I want everyone to stay -here. Gather up everything and bring it to the car.” - -Connie’s mother regretted now that she had not turned her car around -before parking it on the sand. - -She had not realized that the hard, firm beach which had provided her -with a safe roadway could disappear so fast. - -Although ample space remained along shore for the return drive, not -much area was left in which to turn the car around. - -“I’m going ahead to move the car,” Mrs. Williams said. - -Connie and Sunny went along with her. When they reached the car they -noticed that the larger waves were breaking only a short distance from -the rear car wheels. - -“Oh, the tide is coming in so fast!” Connie exclaimed. “Will we make -it, Mother?” - -“We’ll be all right once we turn around,” Mrs. Williams replied. She -was more worried though, than she cared to have the children know. - -Quickly she started the car and swung the steering wheel. The -automobile moved slightly uphill into loose sand. - -Now Mrs. Williams had not intended to swing in such a wide arc. Nor had -she realized that the sand was quite so soft. - -Slower and slower crept the car, its engine laboring. - -“Keep going, Mother!” shouted Connie. She could see that the auto was -about ready to stop in the deep sand. - -Mrs. Williams shifted into another gear, but the car would not pull. -With a gasping chug, it came to a standstill. The rear wheels kept -spinning, but there was no traction. - -The car would not budge. They were stuck fast in the sand with the tide -rolling in! - - - - -CHAPTER 9 - -STUCK IN THE SAND - - -The tires of Mrs. Williams’ car kept spinning faster and faster in the -loose sand. They dug in deeply until the wheel was mired to its hub cap. - -“Oh, dear, by trying to get out, I’m only making it worse.” Mrs. -Williams gasped. “What shall we do?” - -Switching off the engine, she sprang out of the car to look at the rear -wheels. - -By this time, Miss Gordon and all the Brownies except Vevi had come -running across the beach with the lunch hampers. They were very worried. - -“Are we really stuck?” demanded Jane breathlessly. - -“Will the tide wash the car away?” questioned Sunny. - -“Let’s all push,” suggested Connie. - -“We’ll have to if we are to get out,” Mrs. Williams said. She gazed -nervously at the waves. Each one was chewing away a larger and larger -bite of sand. - -By noticing the rim of dried seaweed along shore, the Brownies could -tell that the ocean came exactly that far at high tide. The waves would -be certain to sweep over the floor boards of the car. - -“Salt water ruins a car very easily,” declared Miss Gordon. “We must -get out somehow.” - -She glanced hopefully toward the lighthouse. Connie offered to run -there and ask for help. But Miss Gordon told her it would be useless as -the lone attendant never was allowed to leave his post. - -Jane found several large blocks of wood which she placed under the rear -tires. It did no good. When Mrs. Williams tried to pull forward again, -the pieces of wood were thrown aside. - -“Let’s all push,” urged Rosemary. “I’m real strong.” - -Miss Gordon agreed that the girls might try to shove the car out. She -warned them however, not to strain hard. - -At a given signal, everyone stood ready. All the Brownies, that is -except Vevi. She was walking slowly from the lighthouse, not even aware -that anything was wrong. - -“Now girls, together!” - -As Miss Gordon spoke, Mrs. Williams let out the clutch of the car. -Again the rear wheels began to spin, slowly at first, then faster and -faster. - -Miss Gordon applied all her strength. The Brownies pushed too, but they -were not very strong. Their feet kept slipping in the sand. - -“It’s no use, no use at all,” the teacher finally gasped. - -She signaled for Mrs. Williams to turn off the motor again. The -Brownies could smell rubber. By turning so rapidly in the sand, the -rear wheels had generated a great deal of heat. - -“Can’t we send for a garageman to tow us out?” suggested Rosemary. -“That’s what my mother always does when our car won’t run.” - -“Dear, there isn’t time,” Mrs. Williams replied. “The tide will be -washing against the car in another ten or fifteen minutes.” - -Miss Gordon and Connie’s mother looked up and down the beach. Usually -any number of cars were in view. Not one was in sight when help was so -badly needed. - -Connie glanced out across the tumbling water. Not far from shore she -saw a small motor boat chugging along. The operator was Raymond Curry, -the hotel lifeguard. - -“Maybe he’ll help us!” she exclaimed. - -Mrs. Williams and Miss Gordon had noticed the boat at the same moment. - -“If we had a strong man to push, I think we might get out!” exclaimed -Mrs. Williams. “Let’s call to him.” - -“He’s a lifeguard,” laughed Sunny. “He ought to help us rescue a car!” - -The Brownies shouted as loudly as they could and waved. Mr. Curry heard -them, for he throttled down the engine and turned to gaze toward shore. - -“Help us!” yelled Connie. “Our car’s stuck in the sand.” - -“And the tide’s coming in fast!” screamed Jane. She cupped her hands to -her mouth to make the words carry. - -Now the Brownies were certain that the lifeguard understood their -request. Even if he couldn’t hear, how could he fail to see that they -were in trouble? - -The lifeguard didn’t even wave his hand in friendly greeting. He stared -toward shore for a minute, and then turned his head away. Speeding up -the motor again, he cruised on past. - -Miss Gordon and Mrs. Williams made no comment. But they looked at each -other in a most peculiar way. - -“He saw us!” Jane declared in a shrill voice. “How mean of him not to -help!” - -“We’ll never get out now,” Mrs. Williams said. She was deeply -discouraged. - -Each huge wave that swept in came a little closer to the car. Finally a -big one actually lapped at one of the rear tires. - -“We may as well take our belongings and climb back on one of the -dunes,” Miss Gordon said. “The sea will not rise higher than the rim of -seaweed.” - -“Wait a minute!” exclaimed Connie. “I see someone coming down the -beach!” - -She had noticed a man with a cane, strolling along the sand toward the -lighthouse. - -“Why, it’s Captain Tarwell,” she recognized him. - -The old seaman came closer, gazing toward the group of Brownies. -Observing how near their car was to the foaming sea, he began to walk -faster. - -“Ahoy,” he greeted the girls. “What’s wrong here? Aground, eh, and with -a strong tide running.” - -The Brownies, all talking at once, tried to explain what had happened. - -Captain Tarwell didn’t bother to listen for he could see for himself -what was wrong. He knew too, that he would have to work fast to beat -the tide. - -“I’m not as strong as I was in the old days when I was master of the -_Gorchester_,” he remarked after inspecting the mired wheels. “But with -all hands to help, I think we can heave ’er free. Lay to!” - -Rosemary, Jane and Miss Gordon got on one side of the car. Connie and -Sunny stood by the other, to help the captain. Mrs. Williams started -the engine again. - -“Heave-ho!” shouted the captain. “All together now! Push, maties, push!” - -The Brownies exerted all their strength. Slowly the car began to move. -One tire caught firmly in the sand and then the other. - -Suddenly the car spurted forward so fast that Connie and Jane went -sprawling in the sand. It did not hurt them. They were laughing as they -scrambled to their feet. - -“We’re out!” cried Connie. “Just in time too!” - -Mrs. Williams swung the car in as narrow an arc as possible. Another -moment and all four wheels were on firm sand again. Best of all, the -car now was headed toward the cottage beach. - -“Oh, Captain, we’re so grateful!” Miss Gordon thanked him. “I hope you -didn’t strain yourself pushing so hard.” - -“Not a bit,” he chuckled, picking up his cane. “Always glad to answer -an SOS distress call.” - -“Can’t we give you ride to town?” Mrs. Williams offered. - -“I am a mite tuckered from my walk,” the captain admitted. “Aye, if you -have room, I’ll ride along.” - -By this time the Brownies had piled into the back seat, leaving the -front for Mrs. Williams, Miss Gordon and the captain. - -“Where’s Vevi?” demanded Mrs. Williams. - -Everyone looked toward the lighthouse. Vevi was coming, but very -slowly. She seemed to be holding something in her arms, beneath her -brown sweater. - -“Vevi!” shouted Jane. “You hurry up!” - -Mrs. Williams tooted the car horn sharply three times. - -Vevi began to walk faster. But despite urging by the Brownies, she -would not hurry. - -“What’s she got?” Jane demanded suspiciously. “She doesn’t want us to -see it.” - -Vevi, unaware of the danger the Brownies had been in, grinned from ear -to ear as she sauntered up. - -“Where’ve you been so long?” Jane demanded. “And what are you hiding -under that sweater?” - -Vevi answered not a word. She kept grinning and looking very wise. -Whatever she held beneath the sweater was alive, for the girls could -see the woolen cloth twitch. - -“Jump into the car, Vevi!” Mrs. Williams ordered impatiently. “We’ve -lost too much time now.” - -Thus urged, Vevi leaped into the back seat. But she kept tight hold of -the sweater. - -“You went off because you didn’t want to give the bird report,” Jane -accused her. - -“Maybe I did,” Vevi admitted. “But let me tell you a thing or two. I’ve -got something better than an old stupid report. I’ve got a real live -bird!” - - - - -CHAPTER 10 - -A BIRD REPORT - - -“I’ve got a beautiful gull,” Vevi announced proudly. “See!” - -Pulling aside the sweater, she showed the Brownies a white pigeon with -arched wings and well-formed tail. - -One of the wings though, appeared to have been injured, for it hung -limp. - -“Vevi calls that a gull!” scoffed Jane. - -“It’s a carrier pigeon and it’s been hurt!” exclaimed Sunny. - -By this time the car was moving swiftly along the narrow stretch of -beach. Mrs. Williams and Miss Gordon no longer were worried for the -sand was hard and firm. As they neared the cottages at Silver Beach, -the roadway also became much wider. - -Captain Tarwell was very much interested in Vevi’s bird. He examined -the wing, which he said was only bruised, not broken. Then he looked at -a metal band fastened to the pigeon’s leg. - -The band bore the number 68971. - -“Is the bird carrying a message?” Connie asked eagerly. - -“No, only this identification number,” Captain Tarwell replied. “With -kind treatment, the pigeon should fly again soon.” - -“Where did you find him, Vevi?” Rosemary questioned, eager for all the -details. - -“In the dunes near the lighthouse. I think I’ll call my bird Snow -White. Snow White tried to get away, but he couldn’t fly because of his -wing. Is he really a messenger pigeon?” - -“Aye,” the seaman assured her. “A young one though. It may have run -into trouble on its first flight.” - -“Maybe it came from across the ocean,” Vevi speculated. - -“Hardly that far,” answered the captain. “From the number, I’d judge -this pigeon may belong to Harmon Green’s loft.” - -Vevi had never heard of Harmon Green. She asked where his place was -situated. - -“About a quarter of a mile from Silver Beach,” Captain Tarwell replied. -“Mr. Green breeds and races pigeons. If this isn’t his pigeon, at -least he’ll know how to find and notify the owner.” - -Vevi stroked the pigeon’s plumage, not saying anything. She had hoped -that the bird could belong to her. But she knew now that she must try -to find its owner. - -“Snow White is a stupid name for a racing pigeon,” spoke up Jane. -“Especially for one that isn’t a girl.” - -“I like it,” Vevi said. “Captain Tarwell, how far can a pigeon fly?” - -“Oh, that depends on the bird,” he returned. “The best racing homers -have been known to wing home a thousand miles. But not young, untrained -birds.” - -“I’ll bet Snow White could fly a long way if he hadn’t hurt his wing,” -Vevi declared proudly. - -Soon the car approached Starfish and Oriole Cottages. As everyone -alighted at the bathhouse, Mrs. Williams remarked that she didn’t know -what to do about Vevi’s pigeon. - -“Tell you what,” offered the captain. “If you like, I’ll take the -pigeon to Harmon Green.” - -Vevi spoke up quickly. “I want to go along,” she insisted. “So do I,” -Connie added. - -All the other Brownies then wanted to go. However, Miss Gordon thought -it would be unfair for Captain Tarwell to look after so many children. -So it was decided that Vevi and Connie, having spoken first, should -make the trip. - -Taking Snow White with them, the two girls walked with Captain Tarwell -into the hills. A shady, winding street finally brought them to a gray -shingle house. Off to one side was a small building which looked like a -garage with a flat roof. - -“That’s the pigeon cote,” Captain Tarwell told the girls. “Hey, what’s -coming off here?” - -From the direction of the flat-roofed building the girls heard a -strange commotion. Birds were making a fearful clatter. They could hear -a man talking very angrily. - -As Captain Tarwell and the children walked toward the pigeon cote, the -door swung suddenly open. - -Out came a young man in dirty overalls and grimy white cap. His face -was very grim. - -“Don’t ever come back here looking for a job,” another man in the -doorway called after him. “You don’t know how to handle birds.” - -The man in the doorway, who was Mr. Green, saw Captain Tarwell and the -two girls. He knew the seaman well, calling him by name. - -“Having your troubles, I see,” observed Captain Tarwell. - -“Operating a pigeon loft with hired help is no fun,” Mr. Green replied. -“I had to fire young Gradbrough just now. He excites the birds and -doesn’t handle them skillfully. He neglects to clean the cages too.” - -“Lose any birds?” Captain Tarwell questioned him. - -“I lost three in the last flight test. That looks like one of my birds.” - -Mr. Green’s gaze had fastened upon Snow White, snuggled in Vevi’s arms. - -Vevi told him where she had found the pigeon. Mr. Green briefly -examined the leg band and confirmed that the bird belonged to him. - -“Frankly, I don’t think the pigeon is worth its feed,” he added. “In -two different tests it failed miserably.” - -“But Snow White’s wing was hurt,” Vevi said, coming quickly to the -bird’s defense. “How could he fly back home?” - -“The pigeon isn’t as strong as it should be,” Mr. Green explained. -“I breed for profit. If a bird fails repeatedly in tests, it must be -culled out.” - -The cote owner examined the pigeon very carefully and put it into one -of the wire cages. - -“It will be all right in a few days,” he said. “Then I’ll make one more -test. If the bird fails another time, out it goes.” - -The pigeon cote had been divided into sections set apart by mesh wire -fence. Old birds were separated from young ones. Those that were sick -were housed in a special pen. - -Mr. Green filled the water pans and placed grain in long feeding -troughs. The birds could not crowd each other because a six-inch space -was provided for each one. - -Adjoining the cote was an exercise cage. The building itself was set in -an open place, facing south so that more sunshine would filter in. - -Mr. Green told the Brownies that in training pigeons one had to be very -patient. - -“Food is the key to success,” he declared. “A pigeon always will return -to the place where it has been fed.” - -The cote owner explained that in training racers he began by whistling -for the birds just before he fed them. - -After a week, he would place the pigeon on a landing platform outside -the loft. When another training period had elapsed, he would start -leaving the birds a short distance away but in view of the loft. - -“They’ll always return to the landing platform in search of food,” Mr. -Green said. “The first real test comes when I take the pigeons in a -basket some distance away and release them in a group. After that test, -I try them singly at one mile, then five and perhaps ten miles. The -pigeon you girls returned failed both the five and the ten-mile test.” - -“I hope you give Snow White another chance,” Vevi said. - -“In the first test I thought the pigeon might have been confused by the -fog,” Mr. Green said. “This last time, the bird may have run into other -trouble. The others came back though. So I’m about through bothering -with it.” - -As Captain Tarwell and the Brownies were ready to leave, Mr. Green -asked the seaman if he knew of any young man who would like a job at -the pigeon cote. - -“Not off hand, I don’t,” Captain Tarwell answered. “I’ll keep it in -mind though.” - -“I pay good wages,” Mr. Green said. “The work is exacting though. I -need a dependable person, one who can be trusted to handle the birds -when my back is turned.” - -Vevi was a little worried about what would be done with Snow White. - -“You really think he’ll get well?” she asked the cote owner anxiously. - -“Oh, he’ll be all right in a day or two,” Mr. Green replied. “The wing -isn’t broken. But as I said, I doubt the pigeon ever will be any good -for racing.” - -“You will give him one more chance?” Vevi pleaded again. - -“I promised, didn’t I?” Mr. Green asked a trifle impatiently. “I’m -testing a basketful of birds Wednesday. If your pigeon is well enough, -I’ll include him in the lot.” - -“May all the Brownies watch the test?” Connie asked. “I’m sure they’d -like to see the birds fly home.” - -Mr. Green said he had no objection. - -“We’ll be here!” Vevi declared, her eyes bright. “And I know Snow White -will do splendidly next time. He’ll make all the Brownies very proud.” - - - - -CHAPTER 11 - -A TEST FOR SNOW WHITE - - -The hours at Silver Beach were all too short for the Brownie Scouts. It -seemed to them that they never had time to accomplish half the things -they wanted to do. - -Most intriguing of all was the sea itself. Each morning it coaxed them -in for a swim. By the time the girls had taken their sun baths and -searched for shells it was nearly lunch time. - -“The days are just flying,” Connie sighed. “Before we know it, we’ll be -returning to Rosedale.” - -“We haven’t learned anything more about that little ship house either,” -Vevi replied soberly. “So many things are undone. We haven’t even found -Miss Gordon’s wrist watch.” - -Now the teacher long ago had given up all thought of recovering the -missing timepiece. The Brownies, however, kept hoping that the watch -would be found in the sand. Nearly every day when they were on the -beach, they would dig around, hoping to find it. - -Since Vevi and Connie had visited the pigeon cote, all of the Brownies -wanted to go there. Whenever the troop went on a hike, the girls -usually walked in the direction of Mr. Green’s loft. - -The pigeon breeder would not allow the Brownies inside the building -lest they disturb the birds. It was fun though, to stand outside, -watching the pigeons drop into the roof traps after long flights. - -The racers would alight on the building and walk along the eaves. When -they stepped into one of the traps, Mr. Green could reach up and grab -them by the legs. Then he would feed them and put them in their cages. - -Some of the pigeons had gray and blue plumage with black bars on each -wing. Others had feathers in a salt and pepper effect. The less common -birds were black, red, yellow and silver. Vevi did not see a single one -that appeared as white as the pigeon she had found near the lighthouse. - -She asked Mr. Green why he did not have more white racers. - -“White birds are more prone to attack by hawks,” he explained. “By the -way, your bird has recovered its strength again.” - -“Then it’s ready to race?” the little girl asked eagerly. - -“It’s as ready as it will ever be. As I said, I doubt the bird ever -will be much good.” - -“But you promised to give it one more chance.” - -“So I did,” Mr. Green agreed. “I’m testing out a dozen birds today. -I’ll include your pigeon in the lot.” - -All the Brownies wanted to watch the test and Mr. Green agreed that -they might. He told Mrs. Williams and Miss Gordon that he would release -the birds at a point five miles away from the pigeon cote. - -Everyone drove there in Mrs. William’s car. By the time they arrived, -Mr. Green already had unloaded several wicker baskets of pigeons which -he planned to release. - -Vevi went over to talk to Snow White. The pigeon was in a basket by -himself. His feathers were smooth and glossy and he looked as if he -were in good condition for racing. At least Vevi thought so. - -“Now you must do your very best today,” she said to the pigeon. “When -Mr. Green tosses you into the air, fly straight home! Fly faster than -any of the other birds!” - -“You’re goofy, talking to a pigeon!” Jane teased, coming up behind her. -“He can’t understand you.” - -“Maybe he can,” Vevi insisted. “Anyway, you just wait! Snow White will -do fine this time.” - -The Brownies gathered around as Mr. Green prepared to release the -pigeons. - -“The birds are hungry, so they should fly directly to the loft,” he -declared. “As soon as I’ve set them free, I’ll drive back. I want to be -on hand to check their time as they arrive at the cote.” - -Mr. Green tossed all of the birds into the air. They rose and circled -once or twice. Then one by one they flew off in the direction of the -pigeon loft. - -“Snow White went with the others!” Vevi cried in delight. “I’ll bet -he’s the first to reach the roost!” - -Having released the birds, Mr. Green did not waste any time. He drove -off home immediately. Mrs. Williams, Miss Gordon and the Brownies -followed, but at a more leisurely rate. - -“Can’t we drive faster?” Vevi urged impatiently. - -“Not on this curving road,” Mrs. Williams replied. “We’ll be there soon -enough.” - -The pigeons had started to arrive by the time the Brownies finally -reached Mr. Green’s place. - -As the girls alighted from the car, they saw a gray-blue bird winging -in to alight on the rooftop. - -Vevi watched it fall into the trap and disappear. Then she ran to the -door of the dove cote. - -“Has Snow White come yet?” she shouted to the loft owner. - -“Not yet,” Mr. Green replied. “Only three of the birds have come so -far. I’m very busy now. Don’t bother me.” - -Through the windows, the Brownies could see the loft owner seizing each -bird as it arrived. He would record its number and exact time in a -little book. - -“Where is Snow White?” Vevi fretted as one after another of the pigeons -arrived. - -“Your old bird isn’t any good,” teased Jane. - -“Wait and see,” Vevi retorted. “I think he’s coming now!” - -She was wrong though. The bird which had settled on the roof was a -light colored pigeon which from a distance had appeared almost white. - -Mr. Green fed the bird and put it back in its cage. Then he appeared in -the doorway of the pigeon cote. - -“Well, they’re all in now except one,” he told the Brownies. “No use -waiting for it, because it won’t show up.” - -Vevi knew he meant Snow White. She was so disappointed she felt like -crying. - -“I’m sure it wasn’t Snow White’s fault,” she told Mr. Green. “Maybe his -wing wasn’t entirely healed.” - -“That could be,” agreed the pigeon breeder. “But I only tested the bird -to please you. I’m through bothering with him even if he does show up -later.” - -All the Brownies, even Jane, had wanted the bird to make a satisfactory -test. They were sorry that Snow White would never be given another -chance. - -So that the Brownies would not think too much about the lost bird, Miss -Gordon proposed that everyone return to the beach for a swim. - -Vevi only waded through the sand while the others took their lesson -from Barney Fulsom. Spying Jamie Curry walking along in a maroon sweat -shirt and brown shorts, she went over to tell him about Snow White’s -misfortune. - -“Say, I’d like to work for Mr. Green!” Jamie exclaimed. “I wonder how -much he would pay?” - -Without waiting for Vevi to answer, he went on quickly: “My father -wouldn’t let me work there though. He doesn’t let me do anything I -like. One of these days--soon too--I’ll run away again. Next time he -won’t find me.” - -Jamie had made the same remark before. So Vevi did not think he really -meant it. - -“Oh, Jamie,” she protested, “why would you want to do such a foolish -thing?” - -“You’d want to run away too if you knew what I do,” the boy hinted -again. - -Then he quickly changed the subject by asking Vevi if she had found a -turtle for the Saturday race. - -“Not yet,” she admitted. “I don’t know how to get one either.” - -“It’s easy as falling off a log,” Jamie said. “Why don’t you try the -pond again? Maybe you’ll catch that snapper I told you about.” - -The boy added that if Vevi hoped to win a prize for the Brownies, she -would have to enter the Saturday race. - -“That will be the last one this season,” he told her. “My father said -yesterday he’s going to give up his job and go west.” - -“You’ll leave with him, Jamie?” - -“Maybe. Maybe not.” - -Vevi could not understand the boy’s strange attitude toward his father. -Because he didn’t seem to care to talk about it, she spoke again of the -turtle pond. - -“Want me to take you there?” the boy offered. “I’ll catch you a dandy -turtle.” - -Vevi knew that Miss Gordon would not want her to go to the pond without -an older person along. She realized too, that the other Brownies would -not favor an outing there, for they were enjoying their swimming lesson. - -“I guess I can’t go,” she said, her face downcast. - -Just then, old Captain Tarwell strolled up to talk to the children. -Hearing mention of the pond, he offered to take Jamie and Vevi. - -“I want to stop at the cottage on the way,” he remarked. “I’ll be glad -to have company. That is, if you’ll promise not to walk too fast.” - -Miss Gordon said that Vevi might go. So off the three went, idling -along so that the old seaman would not tire himself. - -On their way to the pond, Captain Tarwell stopped briefly at the little -ship cottage. He went inside for a moment to make certain no one had -broken in since his last visit. - -After snapping shut the padlock again, Captain Tarwell slipped the key -under a loose shingle on the side of the house. - -“Now you know my secret,” he said, “but I’ll trust you both not to tell -where I keep the key.” - -Vevi remarked wistfully that she wished the Brownie Scouts might hold -their shell exhibition at the cottage. - -“We wouldn’t damage anything,” she promised. - -Captain Tarwell acted as if he had not heard the request. Telling the -youngsters to come along, he started on down the road toward the pond. - -The captain could not walk fast on his lame leg. Out of politeness, -Vevi and Jamie kept exact pace. - -“Hunting pond turtles puts me in mind of the days when I’d see giant -tortoises roaming island beaches in the Pacific,” he remarked. “It’s -fun to watch the big leatherbacks come out of the sea on moonlight -nights to lay their eggs.” - -“I’d like to run off to sea,” Jamie said. - -Captain Tarwell gave the boy a quick, sidelong glance. “Better forget -that idea, lad,” he said. - -Then he went on to tell how the giant turtles would come out of the -ocean on moonlight nights to dig holes for their eggs. He explained -that the reptiles would cover the eggs with sand and return to the -sea. Vevi hadn’t known that turtles laid eggs. Or that they left them -for the sun to hatch. She asked what became of the turtle babies. - -“As soon as they hatch, they creep down to the water,” Captain Tarwell -explained. “There they feed on tadpoles, snails and insects.” - -He told the children that one could guess a turtle’s age by the rims on -its shell. “If a shell has six rims, then the turtle is six years old,” -he said. “But after many years, the rims wear away, so then one can -only estimate the age.” - -By this time, the three had reached Cabell’s pond. Captain Tarwell sat -down on the beach to smoke his pipe and rest. He said he would wait -there and watch while the children caught turtles. - -Stripping off shoes and stockings, Jamie boldly waded in. - -Moving quietly into a patch of rushes, he soon caught a pancake turtle -in his bare hands. But after he had examined it, he threw it back into -the water. - -“You don’t want this old fellow,” he called to Vevi. “He’s sickly. -You’d never win a race with him.” - -Jamie kept looking for other turtles. Soon he had caught three. But -he let each one go. One had a broken shell and the other two were not -active. - -“I’d like ANY turtle,” Vevi declared. - -Jamie paid no attention to her. He kept diving into the water with his -hands. Now that he had stirred up the pond, the turtles were harder to -catch. He waded farther and farther out into the pond trying to find -them. - -“Be careful,” warned Vevi. - -“Oh, I can swim,” Jamie replied carelessly. “My father taught me how.” - -Just as he spoke, he stepped into a deep hole. Falling forward, the boy -made a terrific splash. As he scrambled to his feet his clothes were -all wet. - -Captain Tarwell walked down to the edge of the water. - -“Avast, there!” he called to Jamie. “Time we start for home, son. You -need some dry clothes.” - -Jamie reluctantly waded back toward shore. - -“Oh, dear,” murmured Vevi. “We have to leave, and after all our work, -we have no turtle.” - -“After all my work, you mean,” corrected Jamie. He grinned though, as -he said it. Turtle hunting had been fun. - -The boy suddenly stopped short, gazing toward a rotted log which stuck -up out of the water. - -He did not say a word for a moment. Then he whispered excitedly: - -“Look over there!” - -Vevi gazed at the log. At first she didn’t notice anything unusual. -But as she kept looking, something moved. She caught a little flash of -yellow. - -Sunning itself on the log was a big snapping turtle. On its shell had -been printed a name in yellow paint. - -“That’s HIM!” whispered Jamie, moving stealthily through the water. -“That’s Clover! Hold your breath, Vevi. I’m going to nail that old -boy!” - - - - -CHAPTER 12 - -FOUND IN THE REEDS - - -While Vevi stood perfectly still, Jamie sneaked up on the turtle. -Clover was sunning himself on the log, barely moving his claws. - -Closer and closer Jamie crept, taking care not to splash in the water. -He was almost on the turtle when it stretched its neck sideways. -Apparently it saw the boy, for quick as a flash it flopped into the -water. - -“Oh, dear, there goes my chance of winning the race Saturday,” sighed -Vevi. “We’ll never get him now.” - -Jamie watched but the turtle did not reappear on the surface of the -pond. - -“Time to go,” shouted Captain Tarwell. “Shake a leg, you kids.” - -Vevi and Jamie teased to stay a few minutes longer, but the seaman had -grown tired of waiting. Besides, he had promised he would have them -back at the beach by an early hour. - -Jamie started to wade in. He was nearly ashore when he halted again. An -object in the reeds had drawn his attention. - -“Avast, there!” called the captain. “None o’ that restin’ on the oars! -Come along with you!” - -“But I see something fluttering in the reeds!” Jamie exclaimed. “It’s -not a turtle either! It’s something alive and it’s white!” - -“I see it too!” cried Vevi. “It looks like a duck!” - -Jamie started to wade over toward the reeds. Captain Tarwell let him -go, because he wondered too what it was the boy had seen. - -By this time Jamie had reached the reed patch. He scooped in his hand -and pulled a white bird from the water. - -“It’s a pigeon! A carrier pigeon!” he called to those on shore. - -Vevi became very excited. - -“Maybe it’s Snow White!” she exclaimed. “Is there a leg band with a -number, Jamie?” - -Carrying the pigeon, the boy waded ashore. “It has a number, but it’s -smeared with oil and I can’t read the figures,” he announced. “The -bird’s feathers are soaked with oil. I’m getting it all over me.” - -Vevi was certain the moment she saw the bird that it was the missing -Snow White. Captain Tarwell wiped oil from the pigeon’s wings and the -leg band. With the metal plate clean again, he could read the numerals. -They were 68971. - -“It’s the same pigeon all right,” the captain confirmed. “Dash my -binnacles, if it isn’t!” - -“The bird’s been in a fight, maybe with a hawk,” guessed Jamie. “See, -there’s a bloody mark on his head. He doesn’t seem much hurt though.” - -Captain Tarwell examined the pigeon carefully. Except for a slight head -wound, he could find no injury. - -“It was the oil on his feathers that kept him from rising into the air -again,” he told the children. “When he fell or lighted on the pond, he -must have settled into a patch of oil. He’d have starved to death if we -hadn’t come along.” - -Vevi was very pleased to have found Snow White again. She wanted to -take the pigeon to Starfish Cottage. - -Captain Tarwell said they would carry the bird instead to Mr. Green’s -loft. “It won’t be much out of our way,” he declared. - -When the children and Captain Tarwell arrived at the pigeon loft twenty -minutes later, Mr. Green was very busy. He was working on his records -which he said were not being kept up properly. - -“I need a likely boy to help me,” he told Captain Tarwell. “Know of -anyone who would like a job?” - -“How about Jamie here?” asked the captain, half seriously and half in -jest. - -“I’d like to work with pigeons!” exclaimed Jamie. “How much will you -pay, Mr. Green?” - -The pigeon cote owner did not answer the question. He looked Jamie over -carefully. - -“You’re too young,” he said finally. Then, seeing how disappointed -Jamie looked, he added: “But I’ll think it over. Come around in a day -or two.” - -Mr. Green had not seemed very pleased to have the lost carrier pigeon -returned to the loft. - -“That bird is worthless,” he declared impatiently. “I’m through -bothering with it. Or feeding it either!” - -“Won’t you give Snow White another chance?” Vevi pleaded. “He couldn’t -rise from the water no matter how hard he tried. His wings were all -coated with oil when Jamie rescued him.” - -“I know,” agreed Mr. Green. “But if it isn’t one thing, its another. -White birds are more subject to attack than pigeons of another color. -This bird isn’t strong enough to be a valuable racer. So I’ll cull it -out.” - -“Don’t do that,” pleaded Vevi quickly. “Give the bird to me.” - -“You’re welcome to it. But where will you keep the pigeon?” - -Vevi knew that Mrs. Williams and Miss Gordon would not want her to have -it at the cottage. - -“I can give you a cage for it,” Mr. Green offered. “And enough feed to -last a week. I’m warning you though, a bird is a lot of work.” - -Captain Tarwell told Vevi that she might keep the cage in the yard of -the ship cottage. - -“For a few days, that is,” he added. “By that time you’ll tire of -looking after the pigeon and be willing to let it fly away.” - -“Oh, no!” protested Vevi. “I’ll never want to give up Snow White.” - -“If you decide to let the bird go, I hope it doesn’t fly back here,” -spoke up Mr. Green. - -After watching the pigeon cote owner feed some of his birds, Captain -Tarwell and the children walked back to the ship cottage. - -They found a sheltered place for the cage, and after feeding and -watering the bird, left it there. - -“I’m afraid Snow White will be lonesome,” Vevi said anxiously. - -“I come here often,” the captain reassured her. “I’ll look in now -and then to see how he’s doing. I’m not worried about the bird being -lonesome. I’m more afraid he’ll be chilled. Pigeons need a warm, snug -nest.” - -The trio walked on down the road toward the beach. A breeze was blowing -off the sea, sending in long, rolling waves. - -“Lots of white horses today,” remarked the captain. - -Vevi didn’t know what he meant until he told her that whitecaps on the -waves were called white horses in seamen’s slang. - -“A large wave is a smokehouse,” he explained. “The long rolling ones -are beachcombers. That little wave over by the pier is a white nose.” - -Vevi turned her head to see the wave the captain had pointed out. The -little “white nose” snubbed itself against the post of the pier and -vanished even as she watched. - -At the shore end of the pier where a long line of cars had been parked, -a crowd had gathered. Amid the throng, Vevi saw Miss Gordon and -several of the Brownies. - -“Why, what is everyone doing there?” she asked quickly. “Maybe there’s -been an accident!” - -“Something does seem to be wrong,” agreed the captain. - -Vevi and Jamie raced on ahead of him to learn why such a large crowd -had gathered. - -Nearing the pier, they met Jane and Connie coming along the beach. - -“Has there been an accident?” Vevi asked the two Brownies. - -“That’s what we want to find out,” Connie answered. - -The four children hastened on, reaching the end of the pier where so -many grownups had gathered. In the center of the crowd they saw a -middle-aged woman in a white suit talking excitedly to the lifeguard, -Barney Fulsom. - -“It happened while I was in the little curio shop,” she told the guard. -“Why, I wasn’t gone ten minutes. When I came out, I saw a man walking -away from the car. I thought nothing of it until I discovered that the -glove compartment had been opened.” - -“What was taken, Mrs. Allison?” the guard asked her. - -“My coin purse. I shouldn’t have left it there with the car -unlocked--that I realize. But I barely turned my back.” - -“How much did you lose, Mrs. Allison?” - -“A ten dollar bill and odd change. The little purse was brown leather -set off with gold initials A.W.A.” - -By this time Vevi, Connie, Jane and Jamie had drawn in close to hear -what was being said. Also in the crowd were Mrs. Williams, Miss Gordon, -Sunny and Rosemary. - -“I’m certain it was a man in black bathing trunks and light brown sweat -shirt who took the purse,” Mrs. Allison continued. “At least I saw him -walking away from the car. He mingled with the other bathers and I lost -sight of him.” - -The life guard was quite disturbed about the theft. Even though Mrs. -Allison had left her car unlocked, he felt partly responsible. - -“I watch as carefully as I can,” he said. “Lately several persons have -reported losses. We can’t seem to snare the thief.” - -“After this, I’ll park my car elsewhere,” Mrs. Allison declared. “I’ll -swim at the hotel beach too. I’ve heard others say that one can’t sea -bathe here without running the risk of losing anything left loose on -the beach. It’s true, apparently.” - -Very annoyed by the loss of her purse, the woman climbed into her car -and drove away. - -Barney walked among the bathers, searching for a man in black trunks -and brown sweat shirt. - -“It’s no use,” he told Miss Gordon and the Brownies a little later. -“Even if I found the fellow, I couldn’t accuse him, having no proof. -But unless I can put an end to these thefts, the beach will lose all -its customers.” - -“It’s not your fault,” Mrs. Williams commented. - -“No, but the management holds me responsible. I have an idea who may be -breaking into the cars, but it’s only a theory. A wild one at that.” - -“Is it anyone you know?” asked Connie, who had been listening hard. - -“Some one I know very well,” replied the lifeguard. “I can’t convince -myself that my suspicion could be true. And yet, Mrs. Allison’s remark -about the black trunks and brown sweat shirt set me to thinking. Many -bathers wear black trunks. But I know of only one hereabouts who has a -brown sweat shirt.” - -“Who is he?” demanded Vevi, fairly overcome by curiosity. - -Barney however, would not mention a name. - -“I’m not sure that I have the right slant on the situation,” he -replied. “It would be unfair and unwise to accuse anyone without -absolute proof. What I must do is keep closer watch than ever of this -beach.” - -“The thief may over-step himself,” remarked Miss Gordon. - -“The Brownies will help you watch the beach,” eagerly offered Vevi. -“Jamie will too, won’t you?” - -Now Barney Fulsom had forgotten that the little boy was standing close -by. He turned quickly toward him as did all the Brownies. Everyone was -surprised to see that the youngster appeared very disturbed. - -“You’ll help, won’t you, Jamie?” Vevi repeated her question. - -The boy stared at her a moment as if he had not heard. - -“I--I won’t be here much longer,” he mumbled at last. “I’m going to run -away. I’ve made up my mind!” - -And with that, he turned and ran off down the beach. - - - - -CHAPTER 13 - -JAMIE’S PRESENT - - -Next morning after the Brownies had swept the cottages and washed the -dishes, Miss Gordon announced that she had a delightful surprise. - -“Another beach picnic?” guessed Rosemary. - -“A treasure hunt?” laughed Sunny. - -Miss Gordon smiled and shook her head. Both guesses had been incorrect. - -“I know!” cried Vevi. “We’re all going to the pond to search for -Clover, the turtle!” - -“We’re hiking in that direction, but not to the pond. Captain Tarwell -has given us permission to visit the ship cabin. We’ll have lunch -there, using the outdoor grill for cooking.” - -“I’ve been there a lot of times already,” said Vevi, a trifle -disappointed by the announcement. “Now if he would only give us the -key--” - -“But he has,” explained the Brownie Scout leader. “I was very much -surprised. Captain Tarwell came to see me last night. He said he’d -been thinking matters over and had decided that he was being selfish -never to allow anyone to use the cottage. We’re to have use of it as -long as we’re at Silver Beach.” - -“May we hold our exhibition of sea shells there?” asked Connie eagerly. - -“Yes, indeed. If we like, we may stay overnight too, using the bunks. -Of course that would mean taking in considerable bedding.” - -“I wouldn’t mind!” declared Jane. “I think it would be fun!” - -“Captain Tarwell made one stipulation,” Miss Gordon warned the girls. -“We must be very careful not to damage anything in the cottage. Or to -disturb any of the possessions there.” - -“The Bible?” asked Connie. - -“The captain didn’t mention that specifically. But he probably had it -in mind.” - -“We won’t hurt anything,” Sunny declared, speaking for all the Brownies. - -Jane demanded to know how soon they could start for the cottage. - -“As soon as we can assemble the makings of a lunch. If everyone -works fast, it shouldn’t take long.” Each Brownie was assigned to a -particular task. Connie buttered rolls. Miss Gordon looked after the -things which would be needed to cook outdoors. Jane and Sunny filled -the thermos bottles with milk. Vevi was sent to the corner grocery -store to buy an additional supply of paper plates and napkins. - -“Do hurry dear,” Mrs. Williams advised her. “Everything will be ready -by the time you return.” - -“Don’t poke along as you sometimes do,” Jane called from the kitchen. -“Get a move on!” - -Vevi made up her mind not to keep anyone waiting. So she walked as fast -she could to the store. She bought the paper plates and napkins, and -remembered to pick up the change. - -On the way back to the cottage she decided to take a short cut along -the beach. As she walked, she kept looking down at the sand, hoping -she’d find a pretty shell for the exhibition the Brownies were to have. - -She was so intent upon the search that she did not see a man in black -bathing trunks coming toward her. When she glanced up she was nearly -face to face with the lifeguard, Raymond Curry. - -Vevi would have walked past him without saying a word had he not -stopped her with a question. - -“Have you seen my son anywhere this morning?” he asked. - -“Jamie?” Vevi shook her head. “I haven’t been up very long though.” - -“When did you see him last?” - -Vevi thought it odd that the lifeguard should ask so many questions. - -“Why, I saw Jamie late yesterday afternoon,” she replied, thinking -hard. “He ran off after a car was broken into.” - -“Did Jamie--say anything? About running away, that is?” - -“Why, yes he did. But I don’t think he meant it.” - -“He meant it,” the lifeguard replied. “Jamie never came home at all -last night. I got in late myself and didn’t look in his bed until this -morning when it was time to call him to get up. The bed wasn’t slept -in.” - -Vevi was shocked to hear that Jamie actually had carried out his -threat. Mr. Curry, she thought, had never shown much interest in his -son. - -“My mother always tucks me into bed at night. That is, when I’m home,” -she said. “Don’t you even say good night to Jamie before you go to -sleep?” - -“Jamie’s too old to be tucked into bed,” answered the guard. “I’m not -worried that he won’t come back in a day or so. The thing is, I’d -intended to leave town and take him with me. Now I’m in a spot.” - -Mr. Curry seemed to be thinking aloud, scarcely aware of Vevi’s -presence. In a moment he started on down the beach. - -“If you see Jamie anywhere, let me know,” he flung over his shoulder. - -By the time Vevi reached Starfish Cottage all the lunch baskets had -been packed. The Brownies were in the yard, impatiently waiting. - -“It took you long enough!” Jane greeted her. “Did you bring the paper -plates?” - -Vevi held up the package. “I hurried as fast as I could,” she said -breathlessly. “Mr. Curry stopped me for a minute to ask me about his -son.” - -“What about him?” Jane demanded. - -“He’s run away again.” - -All the Brownies gathered close to hear what had happened. Mrs. -Williams and Miss Gordon were especially disturbed by the news. - -“Jamie seems so unhappy and upset,” remarked Connie’s mother. “I knew -yesterday that something was dreadfully wrong.” - -“He and his father seem to have no understanding of each other,” agreed -the Brownie leader. “I do hope the boy is found soon.” Jamie slipped -from everyone’s thoughts as a start was made for the ship cabin in -the hills. Miss Gordon drove slowly so that the girls might enjoy the -beautiful view of the ocean front from the higher level. - -Presently, the car came within view of the little cottage. Miss Gordon -parked just off the highway and the girls walked the remainder of the -way, carrying the lunch baskets. - -“It’s really almost the same as our cottage now!” declared Vevi, -prancing up the path. “I guess it was lucky Connie and I lost ourselves -that day in the fog!” - -Miss Gordon unlocked the front door with the key Captain Tarwell had -given her. - -“Now remember,” she cautioned the Brownies. “We mustn’t disturb -anything. But we’re free to use this cottage as a meeting place while -we’re at Silver Beach. We can have our exhibition of shells here too.” - -The girls moved from room to room, admiring the clever carpenter work. -Rosemary noticed that the floors were all pegged instead of having been -nailed together. - -“Want to see the old Bible?” Connie asked the other Brownies. “With -the notation about Captain Tarwell’s son?” - -The girls all were eager to read what had been written so many years -before. However, when Connie searched for the Bible she could not find -it. - -“I guess Captain Tarwell must have taken it away,” she said at last. -“He probably didn’t want strangers reading about his son being lost at -sea.” - -Miss Gordon, Vevi and Jane had wandered on into the tiny kitchen. It -had been built very neatly with high shelves on three of the walls. The -stove was an old fashioned wood burner. - -The Brownie Scout leader noticed at once that wood had been burned -there recently. When she touched one of the stove lids it was faintly -warm. - -“Captain Tarwell may have been here last night,” she remarked. “He -likely burned a little wood to take off the chill.” - -“Someone slept here again too,” Connie declared. She had noticed a -mussed blanket lying on a bunk in an adjoining room. - -“That’s odd,” remarked Miss Gordon. “Captain Tarwell has a very -comfortable room at Silver Beach. I shouldn’t think he would care to -stay here at night.” “Especially when the cottage is so dusty,” added -Vevi. “I don’t think it was Captain Tarwell at all!” - -“It may have been the same person who was in the cottage that day of -the fog!” added Connie. “But who was he?” - -As the Brownies went from room to room they found other evidence that -someone had been there ahead of them. - -Dried bread crumbs had been left on the top of the kitchen table. On -the floor near the wall bunk Connie discovered muddy shoe tracks. - -“Why, these prints are no larger than if I’d made them myself!” she -exclaimed. “They’re much too small to have been made by Captain -Tarwell’s shoes!” - -Miss Gordon and Mrs. Williams were inclined to agree with Vevi and -Connie that someone other than the captain had been making use of the -cabin. - -“Whoever the person is, I hope he does no damage here,” Miss Gordon -said anxiously. “If Captain Tarwell is unaware his cottage is being -used, he might blame the Brownies for anything amiss.” - -Although the cottage had been kept locked, an extra key had been left -hidden beneath the shingle by the front door. Vevi and Connie thought -Captain Tarwell was taking risks in leaving it there. - -“This place is too dirty,” declared Rosemary. “Let’s clean it up for -Captain Tarwell.” - -“I had intended to suggest that very thing,” said Miss Gordon. “In -fact, you’ll find a broom, dustpan and dusting cloths in the car. I -also brought window cleaning spray if anyone feels industrious.” - -“I’ll help dust!” Sunny offered quickly. - -“I’ll sweep,” volunteered Connie. - -Jane said she would dust also, which left Rosemary and Vevi to -volunteer for the window washing job. - -“I have to see about my pigeon,” Vevi suddenly recalled. “I’ll bet he -hasn’t had anything to eat or drink yet today.” - -“You thought that up to get out of work!” Jane accused. “You don’t want -to wash windows.” - -“Vevi will have time to feed the pigeon while Mrs. Williams is bringing -the cleaning things from the car,” Miss Gordon said. “Let’s all see how -Vevi’s bird is getting along.” - -The Brownies trooped out of the cottage into the yard. Vevi was -relieved to see the pigeon cage where it had been left in a sheltered -place. - -“Why, someone already has fed Snow White!” she exclaimed. - -“This morning too,” agreed Connie, noticing the uneaten grain in the -pigeon’s basket. - -“It must have been Captain Tarwell,” declared Sunny. “He probably was -afraid you’d forget to look after the bird, Vevi.” - -Now Miss Gordon knew that Captain Tarwell had not been at the ship -cottage that morning. She had talked with him on the beach shortly -after breakfast. However, she did not mention this to the Brownies. - -Vevi removed Snow White from his wicker cage, gently stroking his -glossy feathers. - -“He needs exercise,” she remarked. “But if I let him fly free, he might -return to Mr. Green’s loft.” - -“No chance of that!” teased Jane. “He’d just get lost again.” - -Miss Gordon remarked that she did not know what to do about Vevi’s -bird. The Brownies soon would be leaving Silver Beach to return to -their homes at Rosedale. She did not think Vevi’s mother would want the -little girl to bring a carrier pigeon with her. - -“We must try to find a good home for the bird,” she declared. “We can’t -keep it here at the cottage more than another day. The pigeon shouldn’t -be so closely confined. Besides, it needs a warmer place.” - -“Couldn’t we keep it inside the cottage?” Vevi suggested. “It would be -warm there.” - -“No, dear,” Miss Gordon replied firmly. “Captain Tarwell would not want -a pigeon flying around in his house. Of that I am certain. If Mr. Green -won’t take the bird back, we must find a new home for it or let it go -free.” - -“A hawk might get him,” Vevi said, close to tears. “I want to keep Snow -White.” - -Miss Gordon merely shook her head and said no more. Vevi understood -though, that when the time came she would have to let the pigeon go. - -“Don’t you mind, Snow White,” she whispered to the bird. “I’ll find -someone who will want you. I promise.” - -“Say, what’s this over here in the bucket?” Connie suddenly demanded. - -She had wandered over to the back of the ship cottage, noticing a tin -pail which someone had placed there. A board half-covered the top. - -As Connie curiously lifted off the board, a piece of paper fell from -it to the ground. Seeing that something had been written on the torn -sheet, she dropped the board and picked up the paper. “Why, it’s -addressed to Vevi!” she cried. “A note!” - -“A note for me?” demanded Vevi very much surprised. - -Forgetting Snow White, she hastily thrust the pigeon back in his basket. - -“What does it say?” she questioned, running over to where Connie stood. - -“It’s very poor writing,” Connie replied, trying hard to make out -the words. “All it says is, ‘For Vevi and the Brownies.’ It’s signed -‘Jamie.’” - -“What has he left for us?” Vevi asked. “Is the present in that pail?” - -“It’s something alive,” declared Rosemary, joining the group of -Brownies. - -The girls peered down into the pail which was three-quarters filled -with water. A turtle was swimming slowly around. - -“Jamie calls that a present!” scoffed Jane in disappointment. - -“But it is!” cried Vevi. “It’s a wonderful gift! Just look at that old -turtle’s shell. See what’s painted on it!” - -“C-L-O-V-E-R,” Rosemary spelled out the yellow letters. - -“The fastest turtle at Silver Beach!” Vevi laughed in sheer delight. -“Now the Brownies will be able to enter the race at the hotel Saturday! -With Clover we can’t lose!” - - - - -CHAPTER 14 - -HIDDEN IN THE SAND - - -Vevi lifted the snapping turtle out of water and set him on the ground. - -He started off as fast as he could toward the road. - -“Look at him go!” shouted Vevi. “Why, he must be the fastest turtle in -the world!” - -“He’ll be gone if you don’t catch him,” Connie warned. - -Vevi quickly ran after Clover. When she tried to pick him up he snapped -at her. - -“Do be careful, Vevi,” Miss Gordon warned anxiously. “He seems to be a -very lively fellow.” - -“I know how to handle him. He can’t bite if I hold him right.” - -Vevi pretended that she wasn’t a bit afraid of the turtle. -Nevertheless, she dropped him as quickly as she could back into the -pail of water. - -“Isn’t Jamie the little boy who ran away from home?” remarked Miss -Gordon thoughtfully. “He must have been here since his father -discovered him missing.” - -“Maybe he slept in the bunk last night,” suggested Connie. “And ate his -sandwiches on the kitchen table.” - -“The boy certainly has been here,” Miss Gordon agreed. “He may return. -His father must be notified as soon as we return to Silver Beach.” - -Vevi felt sorry that Jamie would get into trouble because of the -turtle. She realized though, that he had made a serious mistake in -running away from home. - -“Let’s forget pets for awhile and clean up the cottage,” Miss Gordon -proposed briskly. “After that we’ll cook lunch.” - -The girls went to work with a will. Vevi and Rosemary washed the -windows, polishing them until they shone like diamonds. By the time -they had finished, the other Brownies had made the inside of the -cottage spic and span. - -“How nice everything looks now!” exclaimed Rosemary, gazing about -proudly. “I should think Captain Tarwell would want to live here -instead of in a stuffy old room.” - -With work out of the way, Miss Gordon built a fire in the outdoor -fireplace overlooking the cliffs. Soon the air became fragrant with -the odor of sizzling hamburgers. - -“I’m starved,” Vevi announced, hovering over the frying pan. “I could -eat six of ’em myself.” - -Lunch finally was ready. The girls made their own sandwiches and sat -down on the grass to eat them. From the high cliff, they could see the -ocean, the beach and the yacht club basin. - -Presently, it was time to leave. Vevi took a last look at her pigeon -and turtle while Miss Gordon locked up the cottage. - -“We must tell Captain Tarwell that someone besides ourselves has been -here,” the Brownie Scout leader remarked. - -As soon as the group reached Starfish Cottage, Miss Gordon took Vevi, -Connie and Sunny with her and went in search of both Mr. Curry and the -old sea captain. - -At the hotel where the lifeguard worked, the teacher was informed that -he had not been seen that day. Although he regularly was assigned to -guard the bathing beach, he had failed to appear for work. - -Nor could Miss Gordon find Captain Tarwell. However, later in the -day as she searched with Connie for shells, Vevi spied the elderly -gentleman taking his daily stroll along the beach. - -“Captain Tarwell!” she shouted, running toward him. - -“Blow me down!” he greeted her with a friendly chuckle. - -“Captain Tarwell, the Brownies were at your cottage today!” Vevi -informed him breathlessly. “We cleaned it for you.” - -“Why, that’s fine, splendid, Vevi.” - -“Someone had fed my pigeon, Captain Tarwell. Was it you?” - -“Not I,” returned the captain. “Fact is, I haven’t been up to the -cottage this day. On my way now.” - -“Did you know someone slept in the cottage last night?” - -“What makes you think that, Vevi?” - -“Because the bunk had been used. And there were crumbs on the kitchen -table. If you weren’t at the cabin, then it must have been--” - -“Don’t give it any thought,” broke in the captain before Vevi could -finish what she had intended to say. “Let me worry about the house.” - -“Then you knew someone was staying there?” Vevi asked quickly. “You -told him he could?” - -“No! No!” exclaimed the captain. He spoke rather impatiently. “Please -don’t worry about it, Vevi. And please don’t talk about it--to others, -I mean.” - -“About anyone staying at the cabin, you mean?” Vevi could not -understand why the captain seemed so annoyed. - -“There are some things I can’t tell you about,” Captain Tarwell said. -“You wouldn’t understand, and other folks might not either. Just enjoy -the use of the cottage.” - -Then, as if afraid that Vevi might ask other questions, the old seaman -walked on down the beach. - -It was time for the Brownies’ swimming lesson, so Vevi ran home to -Starfish Cottage to change into her bathing suit. - -“You’re late,” Connie greeted her as she ran across the sand. “Mr. -Fulsom started in early and we’re all through now.” - -“It’s getting too cold to swim anyhow,” said Vevi. “I’d rather play in -the sand. I’m going to hunt for Miss Gordon’s lost wrist watch.” - -“You’re silly,” said Jane, who came splashing out of the waves in time -to hear the remark. “You know very well that Miss Gordon’s watch was -stolen. So how could you hope to find it in the sand?” - -“Maybe it wasn’t stolen. We don’t know that it was. Anyhow, it won’t do -any harm to look for it.” - -Vevi sat down and began to dig sand into her pail. - -“You’re not even sitting where Miss Gordon lost her watch,” Jane went -on. “You’ll never find anything there--or anywhere.” - -“Oh, won’t I?” - -With a shriek of triumph Vevi pounced upon something in the sand. - -“What did you find?” Jane demanded coming quickly over to see. - -“A penny!” - -“And you get excited over that!” scoffed Jane. - -“Maybe I’ll find more money.” Vevi began throwing up sand at a furious -rate. - -Seeing her so hard at work, the other Brownies came hurrying up to -learn why she was so excited. - -“You’re wasting your time, Vevi,” Jane insisted. “One could hunt all -day and never find any more money.” - -“Oh, is that so?” Laughing gleefully, Vevi held up another copper she -had discovered in the sand. - -This second discovery fired all the Brownies with a fever to search for -coins. Miss Gordon and Mrs. Williams stood nearby, smiling as they -watched the children. - -Only a short time before they had observed Captain Tarwell place a few -coins along the beach where he knew the Brownies would play. He had -thought that a treasure hunt would be good fun for the girls. - -“Here’s a nickel!” suddenly cried Sunny. “I’m rich!” - -Connie found a penny. By now, everyone was digging, even Jane. - -Then a long while went by without any of the Brownies turning up a -coin. The beach became dotted with little holes and mounds of sand. - -“I’m getting tired,” sighed Rosemary. “I don’t think we’ll find any -more money.” - -Miss Gordon told the girls that they must level off the holes before -leaving the beach. Jane, Connie and Rosemary began to smooth out the -sand immediately. Vevi and Sunny kept digging, hoping to find another -coin or two. - -“Was it Captain Tarwell who hid the money for us?” guessed Vevi. - -“Yes, dear,” Miss Gordon replied. “He’s enjoyed watching the Brownies -and talking to them since they’ve been at Silver Beach.” - -“Are there any more coins?” inquired Sunny. - -“I think you’ve found most of them now. There may be another penny or -two.” - -“I’m quitting,” announced Sunny, brushing sand from her hands. - -“So am I,” agreed Vevi with a tired sigh. “Anyway, I have two pennies. -And it was fun.” - -“Don’t forget to smooth out all the holes you have made,” the Brownie -Scout leader reminded her. “We owe it to Mr. Fulsom to keep the beach -looking nice.” - -Vevi began to shovel sand back into the holes. It was nearly as much -fun filling them up as it had been searching for the coins. The others -finished ahead of her. - -“Hurry up, pokey,” Jane urged her. “It’s time to get dressed.” - -“I’m hurrying,” sighed Vevi. - -She had one more hole to fill. She shoveled sand into it, patting it -down with her hands. Then because the hole still wasn’t quite filled, -she reached for a little more sand. - -As she dug down with her shovel, the edge struck a soft object. - -Vevi thought she had uncovered a wadded up handkerchief or a piece of -cloth. But as she pulled the article out of the sand, she saw that it -was neither. - -“See what I’ve found now!” she shouted. “An old faded purse! One with -gold initials on it!” - - - - -CHAPTER 15 - -A FACE AT THE WINDOW - - -Hearing Vevi shout that she had found something in the sand, the other -Brownies quickly gathered about her. - -“Why it _is_ a purse!” exclaimed Connie in astonishment. “It’s been on -the beach several days too, because it’s water stained!” - -“What are the initials on it?” Sunny asked, trying to make them out. - -“A-W-A,” Vevi read the letters. “Or maybe its A-M-A.” - -“No, it’s A-W-A,” Jane decided. “Say! This pocketbook must belong to -Mrs. Allison!” - -“That’s right,” agreed Rosemary. “I think her first name is Alice. She -lost a purse. Or at least it was stolen from her car.” - -By this time, Mrs. Williams and Miss Gordon had joined the group. They -too, were very much interested in the purse and agreed that it might -indeed belong to Mrs. Allison. - -“Maybe the money she lost is still here!” Vevi declared. She felt quite -pleased with herself for having made such an important discovery. - -“Open it and see,” urged Jane impatiently. “Or hand it over to me.” - -Vevi unfastened the zipper which was clogged with sand. Inside was a -smaller coin purse, a comb and a vanity case. In addition, there were -four keys on a metal ring. - -“There’s no money here,” Vevi reported, opening the coin container. -“Not a penny.” - -“Mrs. Allison lost ten dollars,” Connie recalled. “But the purse was -taken from her car. How did it get here in the sand?” - -Miss Gordon told the Brownies it was her theory that the thief had -discarded the pocketbook. After taking it from Mrs. Allison’s car, he -had kept the money, throwing the purse away. - -“I’d return it to the lady, Vevi,” Mrs. Williams suggested. “Even -though the purse is ruined, the vanity case isn’t tarnished. Besides, -the keys will be needed.” - -“I’ll take it to her just as soon as I get dressed,” Vevi promised. -“My, I’m good at finding things! I wish I could find your wristwatch, -Miss Gordon!” - -“I wish you could too, dear,” smiled the Brownie leader. “However, I -never expect to see the watch again. I’m sure it was stolen by the same -person who’s been breaking into cars. Even if the watch were found in -the sand, it would be ruined after all this time.” - -The Brownies soon ran to the beach house to take showers and dress. -Vevi and Connie were the first ones to finish wringing out their suits. - -“Let’s take the purse to Mrs. Allison now,” Vevi proposed to her little -friend. “I know where she lives.” - -“So do I,” agreed Connie. “She has a place right on the water.” - -Miss Gordon and Mrs. Williams told the girls they might go, but not to -be gone long. - -Mrs. Allison’s rented house was on Flower Street overlooking the bay. -All along the wharf sailboats and cruisers had been tied up. Gulls and -terns were flying about, now and then alighting on the water or diving -into it in search of food. - -“That’s Mrs. Allison’s house,” Connie said, pointing to a two-story -building which extended out a short distance into the water. - -“And it must be her boat tied up beside it!” added Vevi. - -The craft which had drawn her gaze was a large cabin cruiser of -mahogany. In the sunlight the brasswork gleamed like pure gold. - -“My I’d like to take a ride in that boat!” Vevi said wistfully, -“wouldn’t it be fun?” - -“I wish all the Brownies could go for a spin,” Connie replied. - -A plank walk led from shore out over the water to the side of the -house. A railing guarded it so that one could not fall. - -Before knocking on the door, the children paused to gaze again at the -beautiful cruiser. The name “Adventurer” had been painted on it in gold -letters. As the waves lolloped gently against the wharf, the boat rose -up and down as if it were breathing. - -“Let’s climb down there and look at it,” Vevi proposed. “I’d like to -see the inside of the cabin.” - -“Oh, no!” Connie protested firmly. “It wouldn’t be polite.” - -She rapped on the door. Almost at once it was opened by the same lady -the children had seen many times on the beach. She was wearing a -housedress this time and looked different. - -“We’ve found your purse,” Connie told her quickly. “Or rather, Vevi -did.” - -“But the money’s gone,” Vevi added. - -“Why, that is the pocketbook that was taken from my parked car!” Mrs. -Allison exclaimed as she saw the faded cloth. - -Vevi and Connie told her how they had chanced to come upon the purse -buried in the sand. - -“It doesn’t matter about the money,” the lady assured them. “I’m happy -though, to recover my keys. Wait here, please.” - -Leaving the door open, Mrs. Allison went back into the house. When she -returned a moment later, she had another pocketbook in her hand. - -“I can’t thank you enough for finding my keys,” she said. “Please -accept this for your trouble.” - -She offered the girls a dollar bill. - -“Oh, no!” exclaimed Connie, moving back a step. “We couldn’t take it.” - -“We’re Brownie Scouts,” explained Vevi. “Our motto is ‘HOP.’” - -“That means, ‘Help Other People,’” explained Connie. “We were glad to -help you.” - -“I see,” smiled Mrs. Allison, putting away her money. “Well, I -certainly appreciate the trouble you’ve gone to in bringing my purse -here. Won’t you come in for awhile?” - -“Miss Gordon told us not to stay,” Connie replied reluctantly. - -“It must be fun living right on the water,” Vevi remarked, unwilling to -leave so soon. - -“One always has a cool breeze here,” Mrs. Allison returned. - -“And you can step right into your boat,” added Vevi. “I’ll bet that -would be exciting. If I lived here, I’d go for a boat ride every day.” - -Mrs. Allison seemed to guess that Vevi was hinting she would like to go -for a spin in the _Adventure_, for she asked: - -“Would you children care to ride in my boat sometime?” - -“Oh, yes!” cried Vevi. “When?” - -“Not this afternoon, I’m afraid,” the lady replied regretfully. “My -husband isn’t here and I hesitate to take the boat out alone. Perhaps -we could make it Saturday.” - -“Saturday would be fine!” exclaimed Vevi. “Only we’re entering our -turtle in the race that day.” - -“And the Brownie Scouts may go on a hike in the afternoon,” added -Connie. - -Mrs. Allison said that Monday or Tuesday would be equally satisfactory. - -“We may not be here then,” Vevi told her. “Our vacation is almost over. -All the Brownies must return to Rosedale soon. I think we’re starting -back Monday.” - -“And we do want to ride in your beautiful boat,” Connie declared -earnestly. “It would be more fun than anything we’ve done.” - -Mrs. Allison asked the children about the time of the turtle race and -the hike. - -“I know!” she exclaimed. “If you can get up early, we’ll go for a -before-breakfast spin. My husband and I will serve breakfast on the -boat.” - -“Oh, grand!” laughed Connie. “What time shall we come?” - -Mrs. Allison asked if seven o’clock would be too early. - -“We can get here even earlier,” Connie promised. - -“Seven will be early enough,” Mrs. Allison smiled. “You may bring your -other friends too, if you like.” - -“All the Brownies?” Vevi questioned. - -“Yes, and your leaders. We’ll make a party of it.” - -“We’ll all be here,” Connie promised. - -“By the way, on Saturday the boat probably will be tied up near the -pier,” Mrs. Allison said. “So instead of coming here, come to Wharf 5. -Do you know where it is?” - -“Oh, yes,” Vevi assured her. “Anyway, we know the boat and its name. -We’ll be there.” - -“Seven o’clock,” Mrs. Allison reminded them again. - -Thrilled by the invitation, Vevi and Connie ran back to the cottage to -tell the other Brownies of the wonderful outing awaiting them. - -“Why, that will make a very nice climax to our vacation,” Miss Gordon -declared. “We’ll enjoy the boat ride in the morning. In the afternoon -we’ll watch the turtle race. Sunday we’ll have an all-day exhibition of -our shells at the ship cottage. Then Monday morning we start for home.” - -“Don’t mention that part,” groaned Sunny. “We never want to leave -Silver Beach.” - -“Not without catching that thief who took your wrist watch,” added -Jane. “Can’t we stay just a few days longer?” - -“I’m afraid not,” Miss Gordon smiled. “All good things come to an end, -you know. But let’s enjoy to the full these last few days.” - -“I know one thing I’m going to do before we leave,” Vevi announced -mysteriously. “What?” demanded Jane. - -“I’m not telling,” Vevi laughed. “It has something to do with turtles -though.” - -Now the little girl had been very much interested in Captain Tarwell’s -story of how huge sea turtles came up on the beach to lay their eggs. -Before she left Silver Beach, she very much wanted to see one of the -huge creatures. She had made up her mind that on Friday night, when the -moon was full, she would slip out of the cottage and watch. But she did -not tell anyone what she intended to do. - -The next morning after breakfast while the other Brownies gathered -shells, Vevi and Connie walked to the ship cottage to feed the pets. - -“Animals and birds are a lot of work,” Vevi sighed. “After tomorrow -I’ll let Snow White fly away. And as soon as Clover wins the race for -the Brownies I’ll put him back in the pond.” - -“Maybe Clover won’t come in first,” Connie replied. “I hear some of -those hotel boys and girls have some fast turtles. Besides, Clover has -been cooped up too long.” - -“He should have more exercise,” agreed Vevi, frowning. “It’s hard to -look after him properly when he’s here, and I’m at the cottage. But -I’ll give him a good work-out today.” - -The little girl removed the cover from the dish pan. Clover was sitting -on a pile of wooden blocks which had been fixed for him. He stuck out -his head and snapped at Vevi when she poked a stick at him. - -“He still has plenty of pep, Connie. I think he will win first place in -the race, don’t you?” - -“I don’t know,” returned Connie. “But I’m sure of one thing.” - -“What’s that?” - -“Someone has been taking care of him for you. See! The water has been -changed and he’s been fed too.” - -“That’s so, Connie! Do you suppose Captain Tarwell did it?” - -“Maybe, but I wouldn’t think he would want to walk so far uphill just -to feed a turtle or a pigeon.” - -“Let’s look at Snow White,” Vevi proposed quickly. - -The pigeon was in his wicker cage, pecking at a scattering of grain. - -“See!” Connie exclaimed. “Snow White has been fed too.” - -“Not very long ago either.” - -“Then maybe Captain Tarwell is still here.” - -Vevi glanced quickly toward the cottage. The front door was closed. - -However, as she gazed toward one of the tiny porthole windows which -overlooked the back yard, she was startled to see someone standing -there inside the house. - -For a moment a face was pressed against the thick pane of glass. - -Even as Vevi stared, it was withdrawn. For a second, she was a little -confused. Had she really seen a face or had she imagined it? - -“Someone’s watching us from the house!” Connie exclaimed. She too had -seen the shadowy face. - -“It wasn’t Captain Tarwell,” whispered Vevi. “It was someone else.” - -“Someone we both know,” added Connie. She had seen the face quite -plainly. “I don’t think he has any right to be here either. Let’s find -out about it, Vevi!” - - - - -CHAPTER 16 - -A MOONLIGHT SWIM - - -Connie started directly for the front door of the ship cabin. Vevi -followed close behind, though she was a trifle nervous. - -“Aren’t you afraid to walk in there?” she whispered. “We don’t know who -may be hiding inside.” - -“I know!” Connie answered. “At least I think I do. Captain Tarwell gave -us permission to be here. So we have a right to go inside if the door -is unlocked.” - -At the front entrance to the cottage the two children paused to listen. -The door was slightly ajar. But they could not hear anyone moving about -inside. - -Vevi pounded on the door and called: “Is that you, Captain Tarwell?” - -There was no answer. But the girls were certain they heard someone -tiptoeing away from the front room. - -“Someone is hiding in there!” Connie said grimly. - -“Let’s not go inside,” Vevi murmured, holding back. - -“You may stay here if you like,” Connie answered. “I’m going in. -Captain Tarwell would want us to find out who is sneaking in and out of -his cottage.” - -“Maybe he already knows, Connie. He acted funny when I tried to tell -him about it.” - -Connie paid no heed to Vevi’s protests. She turned the knob, slowly -pushing open the door. - -“Who’s there?” she called. - -Her own voice echoed through the empty house, but there was no answer. - -“I’ll go one way and you go the other,” she directed Vevi. “Then we’ll -be sure to catch him.” - -Vevi did not want to set foot inside the cottage. She was unwilling, -though, to admit to Connie that she was afraid, so she reluctantly -followed her friend over the threshold. - -“You go to the left and I’ll go to the right,” Connie instructed in a -whisper. “We’ll meet in the kitchen.” - -Vevi’s heart began to pound as she tiptoed across the empty living -room. She reached the corridor opening into the kitchen just as Connie -entered it from the opposite direction. - -“Ha!” cried Connie. “Just as I thought!” - -Jamie Curry stood there in his faded jeans, fairly trapped. His hair -had not been combed and his eyes were red from lack of sleep. - -“So you’re the one who has been sneaking into Captain Tarwell’s -cottage!” accused Vevi. - -“I am not either a sneak,” the boy denied. - -“You were in here the day of the heavy fog,” Connie insisted. “When we -came in, you ran away.” - -“All right, maybe I was here that day without permission. But that was -because the door was open.” - -“Captain Tarwell put a new lock on,” Vevi reminded him. - -“And he knows I’m sleeping here too,” Jamie insisted stubbornly. “It’s -the only place I have to stay.” - -Jamie’s face puckered up and the girls thought he was going to cry. He -fought back the tears and said defiantly: - -“Girls are tattle tales. I suppose you’ll run to my father and tell him -you saw me here.” - -“You shouldn’t have run away,” Connie replied severely. “Your father -has been trying to find you. You must go back home.” - -Jamie thrust his feet apart, glaring at the two girls. - -“Not on your life!” he announced. “I’ll never go back--not even if I -starve.” - -“Does your father make you work too hard?” asked Vevi. “Is that why you -don’t want to go home?” - -“No,” Jamie answered sullenly. “That’s not the reason.” - -“Is he mean to you?” - -“No-o,” Jamie replied, dragging out the word. “He treats me all right -most of the time.” - -“Then what is wrong?” - -“I can’t tell you,” the boy muttered. “Don’t ask me. Go away and leave -me alone.” - -“We have a perfect right to be here,” Connie told him firmly. “Captain -Tarwell gave the Brownies permission to hold a shell exhibition here -Sunday. We’re going to fix up the cottage and invite a lot of people.” - -“Then everyone will be coming here.” Jamie was aghast. “I won’t be able -to stay?” - -“Not unless you want to be seen,” Connie informed him. - -Jamie was silent awhile, thinking matters over. - -“I won’t go back home,” he announced. “Mr. Green has promised me a job -at his pigeon loft. I start in there tomorrow morning. Maybe he will -let me sleep at his house.” - -“Your father won’t like it,” Connie said severely. “We can’t promise -not to tell him we’ve seen you either.” - -“Tell if you want to,” Jamie shrugged. “He can’t make me go back -because I know--” - -The boy broke off quickly, acting as if he had said too much. - -As Jamie started to leave, Vevi remembered to thank him for finding -Clover. - -“It was nothing,” the boy answered. “I caught him easy. He ought to win -the race Saturday for the Brownies. Just be careful you don’t scare him -when you start him off.” - -“I’ve never raced a turtle,” Vevi said anxiously. “Why don’t you come -and show me how?” - -Jamie shook his head. “Turtle races are old stuff to me,” he said. -“Besides, I’m not going back. Goodbye.” - -He moved off again, intending to leave. - -“Jamie, it was you, wasn’t it, who fed Clover and Snow White?” - -“Sure,” the boy admitted. “You didn’t want ’em to die, did you? I’ll -give you a tip. I won’t be here tonight, and it’s too cold outside for -your pigeon. Unless you want him to get sick, you’d better take him -somewhere that’s warm.” - -Then, although Connie and Vevi tried to persuade Jamie to stay, he -sauntered off. The girls locked the cottage, hiding the key under the -shingle. - -“We’ll have to take Snow White and Clover with us,” Vevi decided. - -“I’ll carry Snow White’s cage,” Connie said quickly. “You look after -Clover.” - -Vevi was a little afraid of the turtle, but she drained off all the -water in the pan and carried him in that. Clover did not like it very -well. He kept clawing at the sides of the container, trying to crawl -out. - -At Starfish Cottage, Miss Gordon and Mrs. Williams were none too happy -to see the pets arrive. However, they said Vevi might keep the pigeon -over-night and the turtle until after the Saturday race. - -“I hope Clover wins,” Vevi declared. “Just think of winning ten dollars -for the Brownies!” - -“You haven’t won it yet,” Jane reminded her. “What time is the race?” - -“Two o’clock.” - -“How can you enter Clover in the race if the Brownies are going for a -ride in Mrs. Allison’s boat?” - -“Oh, we’ll be back in plenty of time,” Vevi said. “The boat ride is at -seven.” - -The Brownies’ vacation at Silver Beach fast was drawing to a close. -Everyone hated to leave, even Mrs. Williams and Miss Gordon. Vevi -especially, had a million things she wanted to do. And one in -particular. - -Ever since the little girl had been told that giant turtles sometimes -came up on the beach at night to lay their eggs, she had wanted to view -the strange sight. - -Starfish Cottage was only a few steps from the beach, so close that -Vevi could hear the roar of the surf. Often at night she would lie -awake in her bed, listening to the pounding of each wave on the sand. -Several times, when she was not too sleepy, she looked out the bedroom -window. But she never had seen even one of the huge turtles. - -Now Vevi knew that if ever the big loggerheads came out of the sea it -would be on a moonlight night. On this particular evening the moon -would rise early. It would be a full one too, for she had heard Mrs. -Williams tell Sunny so. - -As the afternoon wore on, Vevi became more and more quiet, thinking -over her plans. - -“You’re not ill, are you, dear?” inquired Mrs. Williams. - -“Oh, no! I feel fine!” - -Vevi had made up her mind not to tell anyone of her plan to watch for -the big turtles. - -After dinner, the Brownies all gathered for a songfest at Starfish -Cottage. Later, they arranged shells, printing cards for each one. - -Vevi began to squirm restlessly. - -“How long before we go to bed?” she asked, looking at the clock. - -“Why, it’s only ten minutes after eight,” Rosemary protested. “You -don’t look a bit sleepy either, Vevi McGuire!” - -“We have to get up early tomorrow for the boat ride,” Vevi answered -quickly. - -“Yes, seven o’clock will be tapping on our door almost before we know -it,” Mrs. Williams agreed. “‘Early to bed, early to rise.’” - -“This is the first time I ever heard Vevi ask to go to bed early,” -grumbled Jane. - -Vevi paid no attention to the teasing of the other Brownies. After Mrs. -Williams had taken Jane, Rosemary and Sunny to Oriole Cottage, Vevi -undressed as fast as she could. Before she leaped into bed though, she -folded her clothes carefully, leaving them where they could be found -easily even in the dark. - -It took Connie a long while to get ready for bed. She spent ten minutes -brushing her hair. Finally though, the light was turned out. - -Vevi lay perfectly still, pretending to be asleep. At first she felt -very wide awake. The bed covers were pleasantly warm. The little girl -snuggled deeper into them, closing her eyes. - -When she opened them again with a start, Vevi knew she had fallen -asleep by mistake. The bedroom she shared with Connie was very quiet. -In the next room Mrs. Williams was sleeping soundly. It was late, for -moonlight streamed in the open window. - -Dismayed to have slept so long, Vevi crept from bed. Connie stirred but -did not awaken. - -The bedroom floor was cold and a chill wind came in from the sea. - -Her teeth chattering, Vevi put on all her clothes except her shoes. -Then she took a blanket from the bed, and wrapping it around her, -sat down by the window. From where she watched, Vevi could see a -long stretch of deserted beach. The sand gleamed ghostly white in the -moonlight. Not a person was astir. - -“I wish the turtles would hurry and come,” Vevi thought. “I don’t want -to sit and wait all night.” - -The little girl did not have a watch but she thought it must be at -least midnight. Only a few automobiles were parked along the beach -beside some of the cottages. Often renters who had no garages, left -them there all night. - -Vevi kept her gaze on the roaring surf, watching the fringe of foam. -She began to feel very drowsy. Finally a shoe which she held in her -hand, slipped from her fingers. It struck the floor with a loud thump. - -Hearing the noise, Connie sat up in bed. She rubbed her eyes. As the -cobwebs of sleep cleared away, she saw Vevi huddled in her blanket. - -“Why, Vevi!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing out of bed?” - -“Sh!” warned Vevi. “Don’t wake anyone. I’m watching for turtles.” - -Connie threw off the covers and came over to the window. - -“Vevi McGuire! You’re walking in your sleep!” - -“I am not,” Vevi whispered hotly. “I’m not even sitting in my sleep. -I’m just watching.” - -“You won’t be able to get up in time for the boat ride tomorrow,” -Connie predicted. “Get back into bed this minute.” - -“But I want to see a big turtle lay its eggs on the beach.” - -“You might watch all night and not see one, Vevi.” - -“I s’pose so,” Vevi admitted unwillingly. Already she had grown tired -of sitting so long in a chair. “I’ll come to bed--say! What’s that?” - -Greatly excited, she reached out in the darkness to grasp Connie’s hand. - -Vevi’s sharp eyes had detected movement on the beach. A dark object had -emerged from the sea. - -Connie began to giggle, smothering the sound with her hand. - -“You think that’s a turtle?” she teased. “Why, it’s only a man swimming -in the ocean.” - -By this time Vevi too was able to see that the dark object was a -bather. The man had come from the direction of the pier and now was -moving across the sand toward the row of cars. - -“It’s Raymond Curry,” Connie recognized him. “Why does he swim so late -at night?” - -“And on our beach instead of his own,” whispered Vevi. “He’s acting -awfully queer. Let’s watch and see where he goes.” - - - - -CHAPTER 17 - -MRS. ALLISON’S CRUISER - - -From the bedroom window, the children saw Raymond Curry walk directly -across the sand toward the roadway. His black bathing trunks were -dripping wet, but he did not seem to mind the chill air. - -“What a funny time to swim,” Connie whispered. “It must be long after -midnight.” - -“Everyone has gone from the beach too,” added Vevi. - -The lifeguard had paused at the roadside where three or four cars had -been parked for the night. Vevi and Connie saw him glance up and down -the beach as if to see if anyone were watching. - -Then, one by one, he began trying the car door handles to see if they -were unlocked. - -“I guess he’s just checking the automobiles,” Connie said, losing -interest. She stiffled a yawn. “I’m going back to bed.” - -“Wait!” Vevi commanded. “Why would Mr. Curry check automobiles at this -time of night?” - -“It does seem queer, Vevi.” - -“On Mr. Fulsom’s beach too. I think he’s trying to break in.” - -“Mr. Curry?” Connie exclaimed in disbelief. - -“Then maybe he’s trying to find his son,” Vevi speculated. “He may -think Jamie is sleeping in one of the parked cars.” - -“That must be it,” Connie agreed, her mind relieved. “But he won’t find -Jamie here at the beach. If he didn’t go to Mr. Green’s place, he’s -still at the captain’s cottage.” - -“We ought to tell Mr. Curry where he can find his son.” - -“You mean now?” - -“We may not see him tomorrow, Connie. We go boat riding so early. After -that, there’s the turtle race.” - -“Maybe you’re right,” Connie agreed unwillingly. - -“I’ll tell him now,” Vevi decided. “It will take only a minute. I hate -to go outdoors alone though.” - -“I’ll dress and go with you,” Connie offered. “Help me find my shoes.” - -In the dark bedroom the girls had to search for a minute or two before -they found all of Connie’s clothes. She dressed as fast as she could. -“Hurry!” Vevi urged. “Mr. Curry’s still trying car doors, but he’s -almost out of sight up the beach.” - -“I’m hurrying as fast as I can,” Connie gasped. “My shoe strings are -all tied in knots.” - -“Don’t bother about that. Unless we catch him right away, he’ll be -gone.” - -“Shouldn’t we tell Mother we’re leaving the cottage?” - -“No time,” Vevi insisted. “We’ll be back in a minute anyway. Come on.” - -The two girls groped their way to the front door. It was locked. -However, the key was in the lock. - -Vevi turned it as far as she could, but it seemed to be stuck. - -“It won’t open, Connie.” - -“Let me try, Vevi.” - -Connie pushed hard on the key. At first she could not make it turn far -enough either. Then she gave the door a quick shove with her hip. The -jolt made the key click all the way over. - -“There, it’s unlocked!” Connie exclaimed. - -Shoving open the door, the girls stepped outside. The beach, bathed in -soft moonlight, looked ghostly and unreal. - -“It’s c-cold,” Vevi shivered. “And I’m scared.” - -Connie felt rather frightened too though she could not have explained -why. - -“Maybe we should wait--” she began, but Vevi cut her short. - -“No, let’s tell him now,” she urged. “Come on, before he gets too far -away.” - -Already Mr. Curry was some distance from the cottage. He was standing -beside a parked sedan, checking to see if one of the glass windows -could be pushed down from the top. - -“Oh, Mr. Curry!” called Vevi. - -In the still night air her voice carried very clearly. - -The lifeguard heard, for he turned around quickly. Then he did an -odd thing. Instead of answering Vevi, or waiting for the girls, he -deliberately walked away from them. - -They saw him dash into the surf. Wading out to shoulder depth, he swam -off toward his own beach. - -“Now, why did he do that!” Vevi exclaimed in disappointment. “He didn’t -give us a chance to tell him about Jamie.” - -“He acted as if he didn’t want to talk to us,” agreed Connie. - -The girls had not taken time to put on sweaters or jackets. Teeth -chattering, they crept back into the cottage and into their beds. They -had lost all interest in lifeguards and turtles. - -Vevi was awakened next morning by the clatter of an alarm clock. - -She rubbed her eyes drowsily. Then realizing that it was six o’clock, -she leaped out of bed. - -“Time to get up!” she aroused Connie, giving her a hard shake. “We want -to beat the girls at Oriole Cottage. If we don’t hurry, we’ll be late -for the motorboat ride.” - -Connie mumbled drowsily and burrowed deeper into the covers. Vevi -jerked them off. - -“Get up, sleepy head!” she ordered. “We want to be the first to get to -the wharf.” - -As Vevi gave her another hard shake, Connie really came awake. She -leaped out of bed and dressed so fast she was ahead of everyone. - -For a while all was hubbub in the cottage as the girls from Oriole -Cottage began to arrive. Connie and Vevi though, were the first to get -their beds made and have their room straightened. - -“We’ll go on ahead to the wharf,” Vevi told Miss Gordon. - -“Isn’t it rather early?” asked the teacher. “Mrs. Allison doesn’t plan -to leave the dock before seven-thirty.” - -“It won’t do any harm to be there a little early,” Vevi said. “That -way, Mrs. Allison will be sure the Brownies haven’t forgotten.” - -Miss Gordon smiled and told the two girls they might walk on ahead if -they liked. “We’ll come as quickly as we can,” she promised. - -In leaving the cottage, Vevi recalled that she had not fed her pets -that morning. - -“I must keep up Clover’s strength, or he won’t win the race this -afternoon,” she declared. - -Vevi fed the turtle, and then dropped a little grain in Snow White’s -cage. - -“Your pigeon needs exercise,” Connie said. “Why not let him fly away, -Vevi? You know you can’t take him home when we leave here Monday.” - -“Maybe Miss Gordon will let me.” - -“You know she won’t, Vevi. Besides, you have no place where you could -keep a bird except for a few days. Let him go now, Vevi.” - -“He might get lost again.” - -“You’ll have to let him go by tomorrow at the latest,” Connie said -severely. “So why not now?” - -Vevi stubbornly shook her head. “Maybe I will find a good home for -him.” - -“Where?” - -“Captain Tarwell might take Snow White.” - -“He can’t be bothered with a bird and you know it.” - -“Jamie would like to have my pigeon.” - -“We don’t know what has become of Jamie. So you know he can’t look -after the bird.” - -“Maybe Mrs. Allison would like Snow White,” Vevi said hopefully. “She -could keep him at her house on the water and he’d be happy there. I -know! I’ll take him along this morning and ask her!” - -“He’ll be in the way,” Connie said, trying to discourage her friend. - -“I don’t care,” Vevi insisted. “I want Snow White to have a nice boat -ride. Anyway, we won’t have much longer to be together.” - -Connie said no more. So Vevi picked up the cage. On the way to the -wharf, she carried it very carefully so as not to jar the pigeon. - -“There’s the boat!” Connie exclaimed a few minutes later as they came -within view of the _Adventurer_, tied up at the wharf. - -“But where is Mrs. Allison and her husband?” asked Vevi. “I guess we -are here too early.” - -The cabin cruiser was completely deserted. Dew lay heavy on its decks -and the canvas covers had not been removed. - -“I hope Mrs. Allison didn’t forget,” Vevi said anxiously as she and -Connie walked out on the dock. - -“Oh, she’ll be along. It’s early. We’re the only persons anywhere -around.” - -“Let’s go aboard,” proposed Vevi. - -Connie hung back. “Oh, should we? Maybe Mrs. Allison wouldn’t like it.” - -“She won’t care, Connie. We won’t hurt anything. I want to peek inside -the cabin before the other Brownies get here.” - -“Oh, all right,” Connie consented reluctantly. “We’ll get on for just a -minute. Then we’ll get right off and wait for Mrs. Allison.” - -Still carrying the pigeon cage, Vevi scrambled aboard. The boat was -rocking gently up and down on the waves. - -“I’m tired of carrying this basket around,” Vevi announced as Connie -joined her on deck. “I’m going to leave it in the cabin.” - -“Mrs. Allison may not like it, Vevi.” - -“Oh, she won’t mind. We aren’t hurting anything. Aren’t the seats -grand?” - -Vevi plumped herself down in one, bouncing up and down. - -“Vevi, let’s get off,” Connie said anxiously. “We might damage -something.” - -“I’m not hurting this seat one bit.” - -“I don’t like to be here unless Mrs. Allison says it’s all right.” - -“We aren’t doing any harm,” Vevi insisted. - -“I’m going to get off.” - -“Oh, all right, so will I,” Vevi grumbled. “But first I’m going to put -Snow White inside.” - -She disappeared into the cabin with the pigeon cage. A moment later, -Connie heard her call for her to come in too. - -“It’s darling inside, Connie! You ought to see!” - -Connie could not resist taking a quick look at the cabin’s interior. -The room had been made very attractive with red draperies at the -portholes. Bunks lined one side of the wall. A galley or kitchen unit -filled the other side. The third wall was taken up by a leather seat. - -“Why, one could live on this boat!” Vevi cried. “See! The cupboard is -stocked with groceries!” - -“We’re staying aboard too long,” Connie said uneasily. “Let’s go before -Mrs. Allison finds us here.” - -Even as she spoke, the girls heard soft footsteps on the dock. - -“Someone’s coming now!” Connie declared, moving quickly to the window. -“It’s probably Mrs. Allison or her husband.” - -Peering out the porthole window, the girls tried to see who approached. -At first they could see no one, although they kept hearing the soft -tread of bare feet. - -But as they watched, a man came into view. He wore only black bathing -trunks and evidently had been swimming for his suit was wet. - -“It’s Mr. Curry again,” said Vevi in a whisper. “Why does he swim so -often? And so early in the morning?” - -“At our beach too,” added Connie. “He’s coming here, I think.” - -Now, although the girls had done nothing wrong they felt very uneasy. -Not saying a word, they remained by the window, watching. - -The lifeguard had not seen them. He came on down the dock toward the -_Adventurer_ and the other cruisers tied up alongside. - -Vevi and Connie saw him pause beside a mahogany craft which bore the -name _Miss Lady_. It was one of the most expensive boats at Silver -Beach, owned by a very wealthy man. - -Mr. Curry glanced quickly around to be certain no one was watching. -Then he leaped lightly aboard the vessel. - -“Let’s tell him about seeing Jamie,” Vevi suggested. - -She started to leave the cabin. Connie caught her by the hand, drawing -her back to the porthole. - -“Don’t make a sound,” she advised. “Just watch! He’s up to something!” - -Vevi could not imagine why Connie had become so excited. - -Then, peering through the window, she understood the reason. Although -no one appeared to be aboard _Miss Lady_, the lifeguard was trying to -force open the cabin door! - - - - -CHAPTER 18 - -ADRIFT - - -At first, Connie and Vevi could not guess what the lifeguard was trying -to do. They saw him push hard against the cabin door. - -When it did not open, he brought forth a small metal tool from inside -his bathing trunks. - -“Why, he must have a deep pocket inside his bathing suit!” Vevi -exclaimed in amazement. “How funny!” - -“Imagine trying to swim with a heavy piece of metal,” added Connie. “I -never heard of such a thing before!” - -As the girls watched from behind the curtains, they were shocked to see -the lifeguard deliberately break the door lock of the nearby cruiser. - -“He shouldn’t have done that!” Vevi declared. “The owner of _Miss Lady_ -won’t like it.” - -Connie gave the Brownie sign for complete silence. - -Vevi realized then that something was dreadfully wrong. Connie, she -noticed, looked rather frightened. - -Unaware that anyone was near, Raymond Curry had entered the cabin of -_Miss Lady_. - -Vevi and Connie could see him going hurriedly through drawers and -boxes. Most articles he threw on the floor. But the girls saw him stuff -two small items into the inner pocket of his bathing trunks. - -Vevi no longer could remain silent. - -“Connie, he’s a thief!” she whispered tensely. “He’s taking something -that doesn’t belong to him!” - -“And last night we saw him trying car doors,” added Connie. “He must -have been trying to get in.” - -“He’s been doing his stealing at our beach, so no one would suspect -him! Oh, Connie, I’ll bet he was the one who took Miss Gordon’s wrist -watch!” - -“We saw him swimming on our beach that day! He may have been the one -who took Mrs. Allison’s purse too!” - -By this time the girls were so excited they scarcely could contain -themselves. In trying to see, Vevi accidentally scratched her hand -against the window glass. - -Though the noise was slight, it was heard on the next boat. Mr. Curry -whirled around, seeing the children watching him from the cabin of the -_Adventurer_. - -The lifeguard came quickly out of the cruiser, closing the door behind -him. - -“He’s going to go away with all that stuff he took!” Vevi cried. “Let’s -stop him, Connie.” - -Both girls remembered that once at the circus when a pickpocket had -tried to get away, all the Brownie Scouts had surrounded him. But now -there was no one to help them. - -Without stopping to think, Vevi ran out of the cabin. - -“Stop!” she shouted at Mr. Curry, who had leaped off the _Lady_. -“You’re a thief! We saw you take something from that boat.” - -Mr. Curry paused. He looked up and down the waterfront, not seeing -anyone. Then he came over to where the _Adventurer_ was tied up. He was -smiling, but not in a friendly way. - -“So I’m a thief, am I?” he asked pleasantly. “You saw everything?” - -“Yes, we did!” Vevi retorted. “You put back what you stole or we’ll -tell the police! You took Miss Gordon’s watch too!” - -“Well, well, what clever little girls you are!” Mr. Curry said. “So -you saw everything? And you’ll run straight to the police with it?” - -As the lifeguard talked, he bent down by the dock post. Vevi and Connie -did not realize what he was doing until it was too late. - -Then they saw that the man deliberately had untied the rope which held -the _Adventurer_ fast. - -“You’ll not tell the police anything for an hour or so,” said Mr. -Curry. “You’re taking a little ride out into the bay.” - -As he spoke, he gave the cruiser a hard shove. It shot several feet -away from the wharf, barely clearing another boat tied on the other -side. - -“You’ll not be carried too far out,” Mr. Curry called. “The drifting -boat will be sighted eventually by the lighthouse keeper or from shore. -So relax and have a nice time, kiddies. You’ll not be seeing me again!” - -Mr. Curry stood a moment, watching the boat drift slowly away. Then he -turned and was lost to view behind another cruiser. - -Connie and Vevi were so frightened that for a moment or two they could -not speak. - -Already the cruiser was so far from the wharf that they could not leap -ashore. The water was much too deep for them to jump off and try to -wade in. - -“What’ll we do?” Vevi wailed. - -“Scream for help!” Connie advised. “Yell as loudly as you can.” - -Both girls called for help, over and over again. Although it now was -nearly seven o’clock, no one seemed to be on the beach. Captain Tarwell -was not in sight either, nor were any of the Brownies. - -“Oh, Connie, we’re being carried out to sea!” Vevi gasped. - -“And Mr. Curry will get away from Silver Beach with everything he’s -stolen,” added Connie in despair. “That’s why he cut our boat loose! So -we wouldn’t be able to tell anyone what we saw, until after he’s safely -away!” - -“Oh, we’ve got to do something--quick! Let’s yell for help again.” - -Cupping hands to their lips, the girls shouted until they were nearly -hoarse. Although the cruiser had not as yet drifted far from shore, no -one was abroad to hear or see them. - -“It’s no use,” moaned Vevi, grasping the _Adventurer’s_ railing for -support. “We’re going to be carried way out into the ocean. I’m -getting seasick too! I feel just awful.” - -Big tears splashed down the little girl’s cheeks. Running into the -cabin, she flung herself on the cushioned seat and buried her head in a -pillow. - - - - -CHAPTER 19 - -SNOW WHITE WINGS HOME - - -Now Vevi was more frightened than ill. The _Adventurer_ was bobbing up -and down on the waves. But the motion was a gentle one, and the girls -had not been aboard long enough to really become seasick. - -It was the fear of being carried out to sea that worried Vevi and -Connie more than anything else. They were troubled too, lest the -drifting cruiser crash into one of the other boats which had been tied -up to buoys in the bay. - -Connie followed her little friend inside the _Adventurer’s_ cabin. - -“Don’t cry, Vevi,” she comforted her. “We’re still in the bay. Mr. -Curry said we’ll be sighted before we drift very far out.” - -“Mr. Curry doesn’t care what becomes of us,” Vevi said, lifting her -head out of the pillow. “He was mean and deceitful!” - -“Mr. Curry is afraid we’ll tell what we saw,” Connie declared. “Oh, I -wish we could get off this boat in time to catch him!” - -Far across the bay the girls heard the muffled roar of a motorboat -engine. - -Hopeful of a rescue, they darted out of the cabin. The boat they had -heard was a long distance away, moving not toward them, but in the -opposite direction. - -Nevertheless, Vevi and Connie screamed and screamed for help. - -Their cries were useless. The boat kept on, soon disappearing in the -direction of the distant lighthouse. - -“Why doesn’t someone see us?” whimpered Vevi. “Why doesn’t Mrs. Allison -come? Or the Brownies?” - -Connie was becoming more worried by the moment. The _Adventurer_, she -noted, was drifting faster and faster. - -No longer was it close to shore or other boats. If once it passed the -mouth of the bay, they would truly be at sea. - -“If only we’d drift past one of those red buoys, maybe we could grab -onto it,” she said. - -The buoys which marked the harbor channel ran almost in a straight line -out from shore. But the _Adventurer_ did not drift very close to any -of them. - -In reaching out, trying to grasp one of the markers, Connie lost her -brown Beanie cap. It fell into the water and was caught by a wave. For -a minute she could see it floating on the foamy crest. Then it was gone. - -Hopefully, the girls gazed toward shore. They could see the long rows -of cottages, the pier, the town dock and two church spires. - -“It’s almost seven o’clock,” Connie said. “Don’t worry, Vevi. Mrs. -Allison, my mother or Miss Gordon will be coming down to the beach soon -now. They’ll see that the boat is missing and send help.” - -“But they won’t know what’s become of the _Adventurer_, Connie. We’ve -drifted so you can’t see the dock where the boat was tied up.” - -“Let’s tie a white cloth to the railing,” Connie suggested. “Maybe -someone will see that and know we’re in trouble.” - -Going into the cabin, the children searched for a suitable object. -Finally they found a towel they were able to use. But they did not have -much hope it would attract anyone’s attention. - -Vevi’s gaze presently fell upon Snow White’s basket. The pigeon was -drowsing. - -“Say! Why didn’t we think of it before, Connie?” - -“Think of what?” - -“We can send a message for help by carrier pigeon!” - -“Send it where, Vevi?” - -“Why, to Mr. Green’s pigeon loft. Snow White would fly there.” - -“You mean he would if he didn’t get lost.” - -“Let’s try it anyhow,” Vevi urged. “It’s our only chance.” - -“All right,” Connie agreed quickly. - -Writing materials were found in the built-in desk inside the cabin. -Vevi urged Connie to print the message so it could be more easily read. - -Connie picked up the pen, thought hard for a moment and then wrote: - -“Carried out to sea on the _Adventurer_. Send help quick!” - -She signed the message, “Vevi and Connie.” - -“Underline that word ‘quick’ three times,” Vevi advised. - -Connie marked under the word and folded the paper until it was very -small. Removing Snow - -White from his basket, the girls then placed the message in the -carrying cartridge on his leg. - -“Oh, Snow White, do your best,” Vevi pleaded as she bore the pigeon to -the railing. “Fly straight home!” - -She stroked the pigeon’s glossy feathers for a bit. Then she tossed him -into the air. - -“He’s going to settle on that rock beyond the buoy!” Connie gasped. -“Oh, that Snow White! He’s just no good.” - -“Yes, he is too!” Vevi insisted logically. “He’s just getting his -bearings. Give him a minute or two to get started.” - -Snow White had circled the big black rock as if intending to settle on -it. Vevi and Connie watched anxiously. They knew if the pigeon stopped -to rest, he would never fly back to his home loft. - -“There he goes!” cried Vevi jubilantly. - -As if suddenly making up his mind, the pigeon winged off toward shore. -He flew in a dead straight line. - -“He’s going toward Mr. Green’s place!” Vevi shouted. “Oh, I knew Snow -White could do it.” - -“He isn’t there yet,” Connie reminded her. “He may meet a hawk on the -way and get into a fight.” - -“It isn’t far to Mr. Green’s place though. And Snow White’s flying -fast.” - -The girls watched at the railing until they no longer were able to see -the bird. Then as the cruiser began to wallow heavily in the waves, -they went back inside the cruiser. - -“At least we won’t starve even if we are carried out to sea,” said -Connie, looking around. - -The _Adventurer_ evidently had been stocked for a long cruise. In -addition to tins of meat, vegetables and miscellaneous items, there -were sacks of fresh fruit and cookies. - -“I’m awfully hungry,” said Connie, her mouth watering at sight of a big -juicy pear. “I don’t think we should eat any of Mrs. Allison’s food -though, unless we’re almost starving.” - -“I am now,” declared Vevi. “I’m thirsty too.” - -Though the girls looked everywhere they could not find any drinking -water. - -Time passed very slowly. Thinking that at least an hour had elapsed, -Connie went outside to try to learn what time it was. - -However, the _Adventurer_ had drifted so far that she could not see the -town clock. “It must be at least eight o’clock,” she declared. “And we -never were missed!” - -“What could have become of everyone?” speculated Vevi. “Why didn’t the -Brownies come down to the wharf? Don’t they care what becomes of us?” - -“Surely in all this time, they’d have missed us.” - -“Something must have happened,” Vevi said gloomily. “I’m really getting -scared, Connie.” - -Her face puckered up and she looked as if she were about to cry again. - -“Listen!” commanded Connie suddenly. - -In the distance, a clock had begun to strike. - -Anxiously, the girls counted the strokes. - -“Eight o’clock!” exclaimed Vevi. “Or was it nine? I got mixed up.” - -“I counted only seven. But can that be right?” - -“We’ve been drifting for hours, Connie.” - -Connie squinted at the rising sun and shook her head. - -“I don’t think so,” she said. “If it were eight o’clock, we’d be -farther out from shore. And people would be on the beach taking their -sun baths.” - -Vevi dropped a piece of paper into the water. A moment later the -cruiser had drifted past it. - -“We must be in a current,” Vevi said. “We’re moving awfully fast.” - -“Away from the lighthouse too. The waves are getting bigger and bigger.” - -The breeze which blew across the deck was rather cold. Spray from the -higher waves dampened the girls’ hair and made them feel chilly. - -“I’m going to stay inside,” Vevi said, her teeth chattering. “I don’t -think we’ll ever be picked up. We’ll be washed clear out to sea and -never see our folks or the Brownies again.” - -“Don’t talk like that,” Connie scolded her friend. “You’re a Brownie -Scout, aren’t you? Brownies are supposed to be cheerful and always look -at the bright side.” - -“I’m trying to be brave but--oh!” - -The cruiser had given a sudden lurch which nearly flung Vevi from her -feet. - -“Something hit us!” she wailed, clutching Connie’s hand. - -“It was only a big wave. When the boat engine isn’t on, you feel ’em -more. That one hit us broadside.” - -“I’m going inside,” Vevi repeated. “It’s not safe out here on deck. We -might be thrown overboard.” - -She dived into the cabin. Connie took another look around to see if -help might not be near. Seeing no one or any moving boat, she followed -her friend into the cabin. - -Vevi had huddled down on one of the bunks, wrapping a blanket about -herself. Connie joined her there, sharing the warmth of the cover. - -“I wish we’d never decided to go for a ride on this stupid old boat,” -Vevi murmured. - -“What I wish is that we hadn’t gone on ahead of the other Brownies,” -declared Connie. - -The two girls felt very miserable and discouraged. They were beginning -to fear they never would be missed. Although they were not really -seasick, the steady rolling of the boat made them feel uncomfortable. - -“I’m going to be sick,” announced Vevi, lying down on the bunk. - -Connie curled up beside her under the blanket. For a long while -they kept very quiet, listening to the slap of the waves on the -_Adventurer’s_ hull. - -“It’s hours since we started to drift,” Vevi whispered. “We must be way -out in the ocean now.” - -Connie arose and went to the porthole window. Looking out, she saw only -an empty stretch of water. - -Badly frightened, she moved across to the other side of the cabin. -From this window she was relieved to be able to see the shore. - -As she watched, the cruiser swung slightly, so that Connie saw a huge -mound of piled up rocks. She knew that it marked one side of the harbor -entrance. - -Once the cruiser passed that point, it really would be out at sea. - -“Where are we?” demanded Vevi, swinging her legs over the side of the -bunk. - -Before she could start across the cabin, she felt a hard jar as -something struck the _Adventurer_ amidship. - -“Was that a log?” she gasped. “Or another boat?” - -The girls were afraid to hope that anyone had come to their rescue. - -“Ship ahoy!” they heard someone call. “Anyone aboard?” - -Laughing in sheer joy, Vevi and Connie rushed out of the cabin. - -“We’re here!” they shouted. - -Captain Tarwell had come alongside in another cruiser. Aboard were Mrs. -Allison, Connie’s mother, Miss Gordon and all the Brownies. - -“Thank goodness, you’re both safe,” cried Mrs. Williams. Captain -Tarwell hooked the two boats together so that Mrs. Williams and Miss -Gordon could step aboard the _Adventurer_. - -Mrs. Williams held Connie tightly in her arms while the Brownie leader -gave Vevi an affectionate hug. - -“How did you find us?” Connie asked when she could catch her breath. -“Did you see our drifting boat?” - -“The report came from several places almost at the same time,” Miss -Gordon explained. “The Brownies were a little late getting to the -wharf. Before we arrived, a telephone call came to Captain Tarwell from -Mr. Green.” - -“From the pigeon loft?” Vevi demanded, her face lighted up. “Then Snow -White got through with our message!” - -“Yes, Jamie was feeding the pigeons when the carrier alighted on the -roof. He read the message and called Mr. Green.” - -“Mr. Green didn’t know what to make of it,” Mrs. Williams went on -with the story. “So he telephoned Captain Tarwell, asking him to -investigate.” - -“About that same time,” Miss Gordon resumed, “Mrs. Allison reached -the dock and couldn’t find her cruiser. While she was wondering if it -had been stolen, another telephone call came in from the lighthouse -keeper. He’d sighted the drifting boat.” - -“We really caused a lot of excitement, didn’t we?” grinned Vevi. - -“You certainly did,” agreed Miss Gordon. “You frightened us half out of -our wits. What in the world possessed you to untie the _Adventurer_?” - -The question astonished Vevi and Connie. - -“But we didn’t!” they cried together. - -“Then how did the boat get loose?” - -Vevi was so excited that her words came out in a rush. - -“It was Raymond Curry who set the boat adrift!” she informed the -startled adults. “We saw him steal from another cruiser. He didn’t want -us to tell so he untied the rope.” - -“He wanted to get away from Silver Beach before anyone caught him,” -added Connie earnestly. “Miss Gordon, he was the one who stole your -wrist watch! If you call the police right away, maybe you can get it -back!” - - - - -CHAPTER 20 - -BROWNIE OF THE DAY - - -Connie’s declaration that Raymond Curry should be arrested as a thief -astonished Miss Gordon and Mrs. Williams. - -However, after asking a few questions, they were convinced that there -was no mistake. Captain Tarwell also had heard Vevi and Connie make the -accusation. - -“It doesn’t surprise me--not one whit!” he announced. “I’ve had my eye -on that young fellow all season. If I could have dug up proof, he’d -have been thrown in irons long ago.” - -“But he’s a lifeguard at the hotel,” murmured Miss Gordon. “It hardly -seems possible he’d stoop to such a low thing.” - -“I’ve been watching him for quite a while but never could catch him at -it,” replied the captain. “Jamie himself gave me a clue, not meaning -to, of course. I’ve felt mighty sorry for that lad. That was why I let -him sleep in my cabin after he ran away.” - -“Then you knew it all the time!” exclaimed Vevi. - -“Aye, I guessed the lad was there. I’d have sent him packing back to -his father, but I couldn’t make up my mind Jamie ought to be returned -without Juvenile Court looking into the situation. So I arranged for -him to get a job for a few days with Mr. Green.” - -“What’s to be done about Raymond Curry?” asked Mrs. Williams. - -She told the captain she felt that even if it could not be proven he -had stolen anything, he should be severely punished for setting the -_Adventurer_ adrift. - -“Aye, and he shall be,” promised the captain grimly. “It’s plain he -figured by untying the boat, he’d gain time enough to get out of town.” - -In the glare of sunlight, the old seaman studied his watch. - -“It’s only 7:35,” he announced. “That gives him roughly forty-five -minutes start.” - -Now both Vevi and Connie were amazed to learn that so little time had -elapsed. They were certain they had spent hours in the drifting boat. -“Curry couldn’t catch a train out of Silver Beach at this hour,” went -on the captain. “He has no car. My guess is he’d head for the airport. -A westbound plane is due out at 7:55.” - -“Then we’ll never stop him!” gasped Mrs. Williams. - -“Maybe we can if we move fast,” replied the captain. “I’ll take -this little boat in and call police. The rest of you follow in Mrs. -Allison’s cruiser.” - -This plan suited everyone except Vevi and Connie. After their -unpleasant experience, they would have felt safer in the captain’s boat. - -The old seaman waited only long enough to make sure Mrs. Allison could -start the _Adventurer’s_ powerful motor. Then he headed for shore in -the smaller boat, traveling at top speed. - -Once the engine of the _Adventurer_ began to purr, the cruiser no -longer drifted. Mrs. Allison headed it so that the waves would not slap -so hard. - -“Shall we go on with our morning cruise or return to shore?” she asked -the Brownies. - -Jane was all for continuing the ride. The other Brownies, however, -voted to return to the wharf. - -“Never mind,” Mrs. Allison said to Jane. “Later in the day we’ll have -our cruise. Just now we’re anxious to learn what has become of Raymond -Curry.” - -Events moved very rapidly, once the Brownie Scouts were ashore. - -However, it was more than two hours later before the girls learned all -the details of what happened at the airport. - -Shortly before noon, Captain Tarwell reappeared on the beach to report -that police had arrested Mr. Curry as he prepared to board a plane west. - -“He denied everything,” the captain told the Brownies. “But in -searching his luggage, police came upon valuables taken from one of the -cruisers. They also found a pawnticket which has been redeemed.” - -The seaman then showed Miss Gordon the wristwatch she had lost on the -beach. - -“Mr. Curry pawned it for a trifling sum, along with several other -items,” Captain Tarwell explained. “You can identify the watch?” - -“Oh, yes, it is mine! I’m so happy to get it back again. But what of -Mr. Curry?” - -“He is under arrest. In searching his luggage police found his bathing -trunks. A deep inside pocket had been sewed into them. It provided a -pouch where Curry could carry small items. Sometimes, he swam off with -them. At other times, if carrying articles that might be damaged by -water, he merely walked back to the hotel.” - -“And because he was the lifeguard there, no one suspected him of wrong -doing!” - -“Connie and I did!” interposed Vevi quickly. “We saw him trying to -break into cars last night on the beach. Only then we weren’t sure what -he was doing.” - -Miss Gordon asked Captain Tarwell what was to become of Jamie. - -“The court will direct his future. For the time being, he’ll stay on -with Mr. Green, helping with the birds. By fall, when it’s time for the -lad to start school, I’m hoping the court will turn him over to me. I’d -like to adopt the boy and make a home for him at the cottage. Time I’m -opening that place and forgetting the past.” - -“I guess Mr. Curry never would have been caught if it hadn’t been for -Snow White,” Vevi declared proudly. “I guess that bird proved he was -some good after all!” - -“He certainly did,” agreed the captain heartily. “Oh, yes, Vevi, I have -a message for you from Mr. Green.” - -“For me?” - -“Aye, he said to tell you not to worry about Snow White anymore. He’ll -keep him at the loft with his other pigeons. Even if he never proves to -be a fast racer, he’ll always give him a home.” - -“He’ll be known as a hero pigeon, won’t he?” Vevi laughed. “That’s a -lot more important than winning a race.” - -Her mention of a race reminded the Brownies of the turtle contest which -had been scheduled for that afternoon. With Mr. Curry under arrest, -they were quite certain it never would be held. - -“I guess the Brownies won’t have their chance to win prize money,” -sighed Sunny. “We need cash badly in our treasury too.” - -Directly after lunch, Mrs. Allison took the Brownies for a long ride -in her cabin cruiser. While they were aboard, she showed them a fine -collection of shells she had gathered the previous winter in Florida. - -The shells were larger and more beautiful than any the Brownies had in -their collection. - -“I want you girls to have them for your exhibition tomorrow at the -cottage,” Mrs. Allison declared. “Furthermore, you may keep them after -the show is over.” - -Now it seemed to the Brownies that everyone was trying to help them. - -“It’s our motto ‘Help Other People,’ working for us!” Rosemary laughed. -“I guess that was because we helped other folks first.” - -When the Brownies returned from the cruise, another pleasant surprise -awaited them. - -Mr. Fulsom told the girls that the turtle race was to be held on the -hotel lawn just as scheduled. - -“The hotel people have asked me to run it off for them,” he added. -“From now on I’m to work there as a lifeguard. I’ll take Raymond -Curry’s place and make a much better salary.” - -The Brownies were sorry to know that their friend no longer would be -at the cottage beach. Of course, it did not really matter, for after -Sunday they would be in Rosedale again. They were happy that he was to -have a better job, and especially pleased that the turtle race was to -be run. - -“How soon does it start?” Vevi demanded, fairly beside herself with -excitement. - -“Sharp at two o’clock.” - -“It’s almost that now,” Vevi gasped. “I must get Clover right away. I -hope he’s feeling well.” - -All the Brownies ran with her to the cottage to fetch the turtle. When -they lifted Clover out of the pan, he snapped and tried to get away. - -“He’s feeling well, all right!” laughed Vevi. - -By the time the Brownies reached the hotel lawn, many other children -had gathered there. Nearly everyone had a turtle to race. - -A large white circle had been drawn on the grass. Mr. Fulsom explained -the rules. He said the turtles would start from the center of the ring. -The one which first crossed the chalk line would be declared the winner. - -All the children, including Vevi, carried their entries to the center -of the ring. After the turtles were set down on the grass, Mr. Fulsom -told the children to step back. - -“You may cheer your favorite,” he said, “but no one must frighten a -turtle.” - -Now a turtle race was much slower than the Brownies had expected. The -entries did not start off very fast. Some of the turtles didn’t seem to -know they were in a race. A few failed to move. - -“Come on Clover!” shouted Connie. - -The snapper started to crawl very fast toward the sea. - -At the same time, several other turtles moved in other directions -toward the chalk line. A turtle with the name “Elmer” painted on its -shell, crawled even faster than Clover. - -“Look at him go,” said Jane anxiously. “He’s going to win!” - -“Come on, Clover!” pleaded Vevi. “Come on!” - -In her excitement she jumped up and down, clapping her hands. So much -noise seemed to frighten Clover. He halted and twisted his long neck, -looking at the crowd. - -“Oh, he’s stopped,” groaned Connie. “Now we’ll never win!” - -“I’ll give him a push!” cried Jane. - -Vevi seized her hand, holding her back. “No! That’s against the rules! -He’ll be put out of the race entirely if you do.” - -“Anyway, Elmer has stopped too!” exclaimed Rosemary. “That other turtle -called Pete is ahead now.” - -For the next few minutes, it was hard to tell which turtle was winning. -First one would crawl and then another. Sometimes they would go very -fast toward the finish line and then slow down. - -“Clover never will win,” Jane said in despair. “He’s too lazy.” - -“He is not,” Vevi defended her entry. “Look at him go now! Why, he’s -almost running!” It was true. Clover had suddenly come to life again. -He crawled faster and faster toward the finish line. - -On the opposite side of the circle, Elmer also was moving rapidly. No -one could tell which turtle would reach the chalk line first. - -“Elmer wins--” the lifeguard started to say, and then he corrected -himself. The turtle had stopped short just a half inch from the finish -line. - -“Clover is the winner!” Mr. Fulsom shouted. “An entry by the Brownie -Scouts of Rosedale!” - -Vevi ran to recapture Clover before he reached the water. He did not -want to be picked up and tried to snap at her. - -“Let him go, Vevi,” urged Connie, running up. “He wants to be free.” - -“And you can’t take him with you to Rosedale,” added Rosemary, joining -the girls. - -Vevi held Clover for a minute, hating to let him go. She knew though, -that Connie and Rosemary were right. - -Without a word, she set the turtle on the grass. He crawled very fast -down the slope, across the sand and into the water. - -“Goodbye, Clover,” Vevi said then. “Maybe next summer, if the Brownies -come here again, we’ll find you once more.” - -Mr. Fulsom gave Miss Gordon a ten dollar bill for the Brownie -organization. She promised the girls to keep it safe until it could be -put in the bank at Rosedale. - -After the turtle race the Brownie Scouts had a great deal of work to -do. Not only was it necessary to pack their suitcases, but they also -had to fix their shell exhibition at the ship cottage. - -“The Brownies aren’t too well known at Silver Beach,” Connie said -anxiously to her mother. “Do you think anyone will come to our show -tomorrow?” - -“I’m sure they will,” replied Mrs. Williams. “Besides, the Brownies are -better known than you think. You see, the newspapers carried stories of -your adventure and Vevi’s aboard the cruiser.” - -Early Sunday morning after church, the girls were at the cottage ready -for visitors. Their shells all had been neatly classified and arranged -in attractive patterns on tables. - -“It will be awful if we’ve gone to so much trouble and no one comes,” -sighed Sunny. “I couldn’t bear it.” - -Just then a car drove up. Mrs. Allison was at the wheel, but with her -were several ladies. - -“At least we’ll have someone!” laughed Sunny, greatly relieved. - -After that a number of friends Miss Gordon had made at the beach began -to arrive. Mr. Fulsom came, bringing two other men. Then there followed -a steady stream of visitors, persons the Brownies never before had seen -or knew only slightly. - -“I guess everyone at Silver Beach heard about our exhibition!” Jane -declared happily. - -“Everyone except Captain Tarwell,” said Vevi. “I thought he would -surely come.” - -The afternoon wore on and still the old seaman did not appear. All the -Brownies were disappointed, for more than anyone else, they wanted him -to see their shells. - -“We may as well put everything away,” Jane said at last. “It’s getting -late.” - -“Let’s wait just a few more minutes,” pleaded Vevi. “I’m sure Captain -Tarwell will come.” - -“I think he will too,” agreed Miss Gordon. “We can’t wait too long -though. Now, does the organization have any unfinished business, -anything to be done before we leave Silver Beach?” - -“Vevi never gave her bird report,” Jane reminded the group. - -“You would bring that up,” muttered Vevi. - -She felt rather annoyed at Jane. That was because she had forgotten all -about making a report, and did not know of a bird she could tell about. - -“Vevi’s worse than a tail-ender!” Jane teased. “She doesn’t have any -report. Today’s the last chance to make it too.” - -“Who says I haven’t a report?” Vevi retorted. “Just wait!” - -“That’s what you always say!” twitted Jane. - -“I’ll give my report in just a minute,” Vevi said, stalling for time. -“First, I want to see if Captain Tarwell is coming.” - -Quickly, she ran out of the cottage. Now Vevi hoped that outdoors she -might see a bird upon which she could report. - -Not a bird was to be seen. As luck would have it though, Captain -Tarwell came walking up the path. - -“Am I too late for the big show?” he inquired. - -“Oh, no, you’re just in time,” Vevi told him. - -Captain Tarwell noticed the little girl’s downcast face. - -“Storm clouds?” he chuckled. “What’s the trouble, Vevi? Have you lost -one of your pets?” - -Vevi told him then how Jane was teasing her because she had been -unable to make her bird report. - -“I’ve thought and thought and I can’t think of a single one the other -girls haven’t told about,” she said sadly. “I guess I’m just no good.” - -“Now if I were a little girl with a report to make, I’d use my eyes,” -chuckled the captain. “I’d tell about a bird that lives in this very -cottage.” - -“Here?” Vevi asked in disbelief. “Oh, I’m sure you must be mistaken, -Captain Tarwell. No bird except Snow White ever lived here.” - -“No?” inquired the old seaman. - -Without saying more, he raised his eyes to gaze up into the sky. Vevi -saw then that he was watching a short, fat bird that was wheeling -overhead. - -Its wings were beating swiftly and in such stiff fashion that the -creature appeared to be a mechanical toy rather than living. - -As Vevi watched, the bird dived down into the chimney of the cottage. - -“Oh, won’t it be killed?” Vevi asked anxiously. - -“Not that bird,” answered the captain. “A chimney swift always builds -its nest in a chimney. I’ll tell you all about it.” - -The old seaman recounted everything he knew about the bird, which was a -great deal, indeed. - -“Oh, thank you!” Vevi said gratefully. “Now I’ll be able to make my -report!” - -She raced into the cottage ahead of the captain to tell the Brownies -what she had learned. - -“My bird lives right here in the chimney!” she declared. “He’s soot -colored. He’s called a swift because he’s so fast on the wing. When he -eats insects he keeps his mouth wide open, snapping at them as he flies -through the air.” - -“Where did you learn all that so fast?” Jane demanded suspiciously. - -“The chimney swift is the most active in cloudy weather and in the -evening,” Vevi recited. “Their nests are cup-shaped, made of tiny -twigs. There’s one in the chimney now!” - -“Why, Vevi, that’s a fine report,” praised Miss Gordon. - -“But it’s not about a water bird,” Jane insisted. “It doesn’t count.” - -Vevi did not know what to say. Captain Tarwell came to her rescue. - -“Many’s the time I’ve seen a swift dip down into the surface of the -water in full flight,” he informed the group. “The creature feeds on -the wing, drinks on the wing and bathes that way too.” - -“So I guess that makes it a water bird!” Vevi declared triumphantly. -“Doesn’t it, Miss Gordon?” - -“I’m inclined to accept the report,” smiled the teacher. “Besides, Vevi -has produced two live birds, one on the beach, and now another in our -chimney.” - -“Vevi helped the Brownie Scouts win ten dollars too,” Connie reminded -the girls. - -“She found a home for Snow White when his owner didn’t think he wanted -to keep the pigeon,” added Rosemary. - -“And she found a son for me,” said Captain Tarwell quietly. He went on -to explain: “It’s just been decided that Jamie will live with me here -at the cottage. Frankly, I never would have reopened my home if it -hadn’t been for Vevi, Connie and all the Brownies.” - -“Vevi’s really our Brownie of the Day,” laughed Connie, very proud of -her friend. - -“She deserves a Brownie salute!” cried Sunny. “Let’s give it to her.” - -The girls clustered about Vevi. Smartly they raised their right hands -to their temples, two fingers extended. Vevi returned the salute. - -“Speech! Speech!” teased the Brownies. - -“I--I don’t know what to say,” mumbled Vevi, deeply embarrassed. -“Isn’t it nice being chosen Brownie of the Day?” prompted Connie. - -“Oh, yes,” laughed Vevi. “I’d rather be a Brownie forever though! -That’s because it’s the nicest organization in the whole wide world!” - - -THE END - - - - -Transcriber’s Note: - -Punctuation has been standardized; inconsistent spelling retained. -Changes to the original publication have been made as follows: - - Page 37 - friend into the litttle ship _changed to_ - friend into the little ship - - Page 64 - down to the cliffs which overloooked _changed to_ - down to the cliffs which overlooked - - Page 153 - can get up early. We’ll go _changed to_ - can get up early, we’ll go - - Page 162 - Connie said severly _changed to_ - Connie said severely - - Page 185 - added Connie in dispair _changed to_ - added Connie in despair - - Page 205 - hotel lawn just as sheduled _changed to_ - hotel lawn just as scheduled - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Brownie Scouts at Silver Beach, by -Mildred A. 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