whole shooting-match. I cruised about for a while to
see if I could find anything, but it wasn't any use; the tide runs over
those ledges like a river. The old fellow had a good streak in him, and
I'm all-fired sorry he had to go that way. It only shows what rum can do
for a man, if you give it a fair chance."

The tragic news had a sobering effect upon the boys. Percy, in
particular, remembering the habits of certain of his friends, took the
story to heart. Nobody said anything more until they were inside the
cove and running toward the lobster-car. Budge and Throppy saw them
coming and rowed out in the pea-pod.

While the lobsters were being dipped aboard the smack and weighed,
Spurling tinkered the _Barracouta's_ engine. At last he discovered the
cause of the breakdown.

"Broken piston-rod!" he exclaimed. "That means a trip to Matinicus. And
we've got to go right away, so we can get back before night ahead of the
storm that's coming. We must fix that engine, or we may lose two or
three days' good fishing, after the sea smooths down. Perce, you and
I'll go in the dory. You other fellows'll have to dress those hake alone
this time."

"I'll tow you across, Jimmy," offered Higgins. "But it looks a bit
smurry to me. I think there may be a norther coming; and you wouldn't
want to get caught out in that. Remember what happened to Bill Carlin!"

"I know," answered Spurling. "But that engine's no good without a
piston-rod. I was born in a dory. Besides, if it should blow too hard,
we can stop on Wooden Ball or Seal Island."

A few minutes later the _Calista_, with Jim and Percy aboard and the
dory in tow, was moving away from Tarpaulin. An easy run of two hours
brought them to Matinicus. Higgins dropped his anchor in the outer
harbor near Wheaton's Island, and the boys rowed ashore in their dory,
landing in the head of the little cove near the fish-wharf.

Percy made a few necessary purchases at the store while Jim attended to
the piston-rod. A half-hour later they were pushing off the dory, ready
for their long row back. The sky was hazy and the sea calm. In the outer
harbor Captain Ben hailed them from the _Calista_.

"Be good to yourselves, boys, and don't risk too much. You won't have
any trouble getting to Seal Island; if it looks bad, you'd better hang
up there with Pliny Ferguson. He'll be glad of company at his shack for
the next two days; for, unless I'm 'way off, there won't be many trawls
set or traps pull