wung the boat up
alongside the landing stage which rose and fell with the tide.

"And it's a good wind coming up," observed Andy. "We can make good
time out in the _Gull_."

"Maybe we'd better beach your boat before we go out, and pull it above
high-water mark," suggested Frank. "Some of the seams may have been
opened, as well as this hole being in her, and she might sink."

"Good idea. We'll do it."

As the brothers were ascending the gangway from the float to the pier,
preparatory to going out in their sailing craft, they were hailed by an
elderly man, whose grizzled, tanned face gave evidence of many days
spent on the water under a hot sun.

"Where you boys bound fer now?" the sailor demanded.

"Oh, we're just going out for a little sail, Captain Trent," replied
Andy.

"Better not," was the quick advice.

"Why?" Frank wanted to know.

"It's coming on to blow, and it's going to blow hard. Hear that wind?"
and the captain, whose son Bob was quite a chum of the Racer boys,
inclined his grizzled head toward the quarter whence the breeze came.

"Oh, that's only a cat's paw," declared Andy.

"You'll find it'll turn out to be a reg'lar tomcat 'fore you're through
with it," predicted the old salt. "But what happened to your boat,
Andy? I see you've got a hole stove in her. Did you run on the rocks?"

"No, something ran into us," replied Frank quickly. "Don't say
anything to him about the whale," he remarked to his brother in a low
voice.

"What's that about a sail?" demanded the captain, catching some of
Frank's words.

"We're going for a sail," spoke Andy quickly. "Come on, Frank."

"Better not!" again cautioned Captain Trent. But our heroes were no
different from other boys, and did not heed the warning. Had they done
so perhaps this story would not have been written, for the events
following their sail that day were unusual, and had a far-reaching
effect.

"Come on!" called Andy sharply to his brother, as he saw the captain
making ready to start a discussion about the weather. Mr. Trent might
also ask more questions about the damaged boat, and neither Andy nor
his brother wanted to answer--just yet.

Five minutes later saw the two brothers sailing away from the pier.
The breeze was getting stronger every moment, until the rail of their
trim boat was under water part of the time.

"Say, it _is_ blowing!" declared Frank.

"Oh, what of it? The _Gull_ can stand more than this. Besides we