Their guesses ranged from water spouts
to savages. Presently Caradoc cut in with:
"It's not so much how the _Minnie B_ got here, as it is how we are
going to handle her."
"We'll man her and sail home," said Greer.
"We'll have to ballast her first," declared Leonard. "She won't run this
way."
"We have enough coal on the dock for that, sir."
"In a flat sea like this," suggested Caradoc, "we can warp the schooner
to the front of the barge and load the coal directly in her hold."
By this time the dinghy was loaded and the three swung her out of the
davits into the sea below. Then they threw down a rope ladder and
climbed below. Greer went back to the stern, picked up an oar and began
to scull.
The sun sank as the little boat worked her way through the lanes of
seaweed, and the great dock threw long purple shadows across the highly
colored ocean. Caradoc looked at the great structure intently. The
setting sun rimmed its great shape in brilliant red, but the bulk of it
lay in deep wine-like shadow. The boys gazed at it musingly.
"A fine structure to desert, isn't it?" said Caradoc in a low tone.
"Just what I was thinking," sympathized Madden. "I suppose we could send
a tug back and find her?"
"Doubtful, in this fantastic place."
"The current is fairly well charted; still, it may take us some time to
reach port----" Both men fell into a musing silence as Greer nibbled the
boat forward with the single oar.
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