The Mystery on Cobbett's Island

got here, I hate to worry her.”
    As a matter of fact, they could see Miss Trask, Tom, and Celia at the end of the dock. Peter said, “There’s Abe talking to them. He’ll reassure them, all right. He’s the calmest person in a crisis I’ve ever seen.”
    When finally the Star Fire had been made fast to her mooring, Captain Price drew alongside the dock, and the Bob-Whites scrambled ashore. As Jim and Mart helped the girls off the cutter, Peter once again thanked the captain and his crew for all their help.
    “Won’t you and your men come into the club and have some coffee before you go back, sir?” asked Peter.
    “Thank you very much, young man. I’d like nothing better, but I don’t think we’d better waste any time. I want to brief Abe on the situation before I shove off, and you know there’s still work to do out there.” He pointed down the bay toward the distant light that they could see still flashing its friendly warning through the darkness.

Jimmy’s Place ● 10

    EVERYONE WAS CROWDING around, asking questions and making sure no one had been hurt. Peter told how the rudder had been broken and how they had tied up to the buoy. He didn’t say anything about the shattered light, thinking it best to keep that part of the story to himself, at least for a while. He noticed that Abe had boarded the cutter and was undoubtedly being briefed by Captain Price on that aspect of the day’s adventure.
    Peter and Trixie slung the sail bags over their shoulders, Mart carried the broken rudder, and Diana brought the lunch basket. As they headed for the yacht club, they saw Mrs. Kimball running toward them, an anxious look on her face.
    “You’re late, Mother; you’ve missed all the excitement,” Peter called reassuringly.
    “Thank heavens you’re back! I waited and waited, thinking every minute you’d come in, and then I couldn’t stand it another second and came down,” she said breathlessly.
    “We’re fine, and I’ll tell you all about it later,” Peter said.
    As they approached the clubhouse lawn, Peter saw Cap and Mart examining the rudder. Cap shook his head. “Pete, this rudder has really had it. I thought at first it might be mended temporarily, but that crack goes way up into the part that fits onto the rudder post. It would never be strong enough to be safe. I’ve got an extra one over at the house. I bought it from Dick after his boat was wrecked in the hurricane a couple years ago, and if you want to use it, you’re more than welcome to it.”
    “Thanks a million, Cap,” said Peter, giving his friend a thump on the back. “That would save my life. It will take at least a week to get a new one, and I’d hate not to race in the tune-ups.”
    “Are you still going to the clambake tomorrow?” Cap asked as they were picking up their gear, preparatory to going home.
    “By Jove, I’d forgotten all about it!” Peter exclaimed. “And I promised I’d go over in the morning and help get things ready.”
    “I’m going over, too,” rejoined Cap. “Setting up a clambake is almost as much fun as eating it. Why don’t you all come? We’ll meet at Pirate’s Cove at ten. You’d all like to be initiated into the mysteries of a clambake, wouldn’t you?” he asked the Bob-Whites.
    “Oh, we’d love it,” cried Trixie, and the others joined her in eagerly accepting the invitation.
    “I don’t think any of us has ever been to a real clambake. What’s it like?” asked Honey.
    “We won’t tell you a thing about it until tomorrow,” laughed Cap. “It has to be seen and eaten to be believed, doesn’t it, Pete?” And with a wave of his hand, Cap was off on his bicycle.
    “Jeepers, we’d better get going, too,” said Trixie. “It must be awfully late.”
    “By my faithful chronometer, it’s only nine-thirty,” Mart said as he looked at his wristwatch, “but it certainly seems as though we’d been out on the high seas half the night.”
    When they got back to The Moorings, Jim said, “I have a sneaking suspicion you didn’t tell all that happened out there, Pete. Am I right?”
    “You sure are!” exclaimed Trixie, and she started to tell about the broken lights and the plan they had suggested to the captain for getting further information. “And, you know, we shouldn’t waste any time getting over there to Jimmy’s Place,” she added. “If those two in the boat get suspicious that the Coast Guard is on their trail, they may take cover for a while. How about