n. Probably ten or fifteen minutes wouldn't make much
difference in Han's case, while, as for finding the cruiser, he would
shout after he had rowed a little further and doubtless someone aboard
would hear him.

So he went on into the mist, occasionally stopping to scratch a wrist or
wiggle about on the seat in the endeavour to abate the prickling
sensation in back or shoulders. It seemed to him now that he was
infected from head to toes. Presently, having rowed some distance, he
began to hail. "_Adventurer_ ahoy!" he shouted, "O Steve! O Joe!"

He stopped rowing, rubbed a wrist, peered into the fog and waited. But
no answering hail reached him. He lifted his voice again. "Ahoy!
_Adventurer_ ahoy! Are you all dead? Where are you?"

This time there was an answer, faint but unmistakable, and, somewhat to
Perry's surprise, it came from almost behind him. "Shout again!" he
called. "Where are you?"

"He-e-ere! Hurry up!" At least, that was what the answer sounded like.
Perry grumblingly turned the boat around and rowed in the direction of
the voice. "I suppose," he thought, "I rowed in a circle. I always did
row harder with my right. But I don't see what they want me to hurry
for. And they might blow their whistle if they had any sense."

"Shout again!" he yelled presently.

"Hello-o-o!" came a hail from somewhere back of the boat, and: "Come
ahead!" called a voice from the fog in front. Perry exploded.

"Shut up, one of you!" he called exasperatedly. "I can't row two ways at
once! Where's the boat?" But his remarks evidently didn't carry, for all
he got was another hail from behind. "All right," he muttered. "Why
didn't you say so before?" He swung the dingey around a second time and
rowed on a new course. "Wonder who the other chap was," he thought. "I
dare say, though, there are boats all around here if a fellow could see
them." A minute later he called again: "Come on, you idiots! Where are
you?"

"Don't bust yourself," said a voice from almost over his shoulder. "And
watch where you're going if you don't want to stave that boat in."

CHAPTER IX

SOUR MILK

Perry was so surprised that he almost fell off the seat, while,
forgetting to obey injunctions, he let the dingey run until there was a
sudden bump that toppled the milk-can over and nearly treated him the
same way. He looked startedly about. Six feet away lay a black boat and
a boy with a boat-hook was threatening him from the deck.

"You silly