The Tugboat Mystery. Mary Adrian

and their parents went to Great-grandmother’s in Brooklyn for dinner. “Bill! Look at the time!” cried Janie. “It’s almost five o’clock. We’ve got to go, or we’ll be late for supper at Great-grandmother’s.”

      “Ah, gee,” said Bill. “I wish I didn’t have to go. It’s much more fun staying here. Besides, I’d like to find out about Joe, too.” Then Bill heard Janie’s loud voice. She had gone to get her bicycle which was resting against a park bench. “You’re going to catch it, Bill Timbers!” she cried. “You’re going to catch it if you’re late at Great-grandmother’s.”

      Bill needed no second warning. He ran to get his bicycle. “Let me know if anything else turns up, will you?” he called back to Tom.

      “Sure thing,” answered his friend.

      “Call me on the telephone,” added Bill. “We’ll be home by nine o’clock.”

      Tom nodded and, turning around, looked once more at the Bessie. He wished his uncle would come out of the pilot house, so that he could speak to him. For the more Tom thought about the fight, the more he wondered what Joe’s reason could be for hating Uncle Steve.

      3

      The Short Circuit

      A FOG crept over the East River as Tom stood and looked at the Bessie after Bill and Janie had left. In the early afternoon the sun had been shining brightly, and the air was filled with the fragrance of spring. Now everything was covered with a gray mist, and the tugboats moving along the river blew their whistles constantly. Steve was still in the pilot house on the Bessie. He, too, was obeying the fog rules. Within every two minutes he rang a bell rapidly for a few seconds. Meanwhile Tom was growing restless. He wondered how much longer he would have to wait before he could speak to his uncle about Joe.

      Perhaps if Tom hadn’t had such a curious nature, he might not have thought anything more about Joe’s feeling for Steve. But since Joe seemed to have a reason, Tom could not help thinking about it. Then, too, it distressed him that anyone should dislike such a swell guy as Uncle Steve.

      Presently other thoughts began to run through Tom’s mind. They were tempting thoughts, for the more he looked at the deserted decks of the Bessie, the more he realized that he could go aboard and no one would know the difference. Of course, Tom knew that children were not allowed to go on tugboats, and his uncle would be furious if he found out. But he would only stay a few minutes, just to see what it was like on a tugboat, and he would go no farther than the main deck.

      Thus Tom reasoned with himself until the temptation became so great that he jumped aboard the Bessie. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he walked toward the bow of the boat. Jeepers, she was a big tugboat, much bigger than she looked from the dock! Then Tom caught his breath, for he heard someone coming on the main deck. Quick as a flash he started to climb up the companionway. But before he reached the upper deck, he caught the sleeve of his jacket on a sharp nail, and as he pulled his arm away, he tore it. Tom wanted to stop and look at his jacket, but the fear that the person might decide to come to the upper deck made him hurry.

      That is exactly what happened. It wasn’t a minute later when someone started up the companionway. With pounding heart Tom ran to the stern of the Bessie, and, lifting the canvas cover on the lifeboat, crawled inside.

      A black cat was taking her nap in the lifeboat. She raised her head in alarm and gave a loud meow at the boy’s sudden entrance. Tom quickly put his hand over the cat’s mouth and began to stroke her. Then he opened his eyes wide with fright, for he heard someone coming toward the lifeboat. Louder and louder sounded the footsteps.

      Tom was scared out of his wits. At any second he expected a hand to reach inside the lifeboat and grab him. And then he would be taken to company headquarters because he was a stowaway on the Bessie, when really he had only wanted to see what it was like on a tugboat. He dreaded to think what his punishment would be, but the thought of what Uncle Steve would say was even worse. Tom was sure his uncle would never speak to him again. And only last night he had felt so proud when Steve had said: “I’m expecting great things of you, Tom.”

      Beads of perspiration stood out on Tom’s forehead as he listened to the person walking around the lifeboat. But a few minutes later he sighed with relief, for the footsteps died away, and all he could hear were bells ringing in the pilot house and the water lapping against the tugboat.

      Tom waited until he thought it was safe to leave his hiding place. But as he crawled over the side of the lifeboat, a shrill whistle suddenly blew. Captain Brown had come back, and the Bessie was about to leave. With pounding heart Tom ran down to the main deck — his one thought being to get off the tugboat before she backed out into the river. Alas, he was too late. The Bessie had pulled away from the dock, and the distance was far too great for him to jump.

      Tom was panic-stricken. What was he to do now? The LIFEBOAT! He would just have to run and hide in there again. But no sooner had he reached the upper deck than some of the lights went out on the Bessie.

      Tom stood still. Fog lay everywhere, and he could hardly see the large smokestack in front of him. A few moment’s later his hair almost stood up straight. There was a loud CRASH, and he was thrown to the deck. The tugboat rocked from side to side like a storm-tossed vessel. Tom reached out and grabbed the railing. Then he struggled to his feet and looked around, bewildered. He was sure that there had been an explosion, and that flames would shoot up in the sky, and the Bessie would sink to the bottom of the river. His mother wouldn’t see him any more, and she would cry until there were no tears left. Uncle Steve would be gone, too. And Bill and Janie would mourn the loss of their dear friend, Tom, who had been killed on a tugboat in the East River.

      Tom’s wild visions suddenly came to an end, for the black cat, whom he had seen in the lifeboat, shot by him with something in her mouth.

      Jeepers, I’ll bet she’s scared stiff, thought Tom.

      Then he heard loud voices in the fog.

      “We’ve hit another tug!” cried Captain Brown from the pilot house.

      “What in blazes is the matter with your lights?” shouted another voice. It was Captain Smith of the other tug, called the Lucy. “It’s against shipping laws not to have your lights on by sunset.”

      “We have a short circuit,” answered Captain Brown.

      “A short circuit, eh!” shouted Captain Smith. “Well, you’re in for it just the same. Any tug caught without lights at sunset is breaking the law. How bad is your damage?”

      “Don’t know yet,” answered Captain Brown. “How bad is the Lucy damaged?”

      “She’s still afloat,” shouted Captain Smith. “I guess she isn’t hurt too much. This old tug can certainly hold her own.”

      Tom wanted to listen some more, but just then he heard someone on the upper deck of the Bessie. As he turned around, he saw a light blinking near the funnel in the center of the tugboat. That’s strange, he decided. Crawling forward on hands and knees he went to investigate. To his surprise he found that it was a man with a lighted kerosene lamp. He seemed to be looking for something, for his head was bent over as he walked around the smokestack.

      Tom watched him closely. It wasn’t long before the man walked to the stern of the tugboat, and Tom followed, moving like a panther. He kept his distance, though, ready to drop to the deck in case the person should suddenly turn around. But the man went into the pilot house. A few minutes later Tom crouched under one of the windows, and strained his ears to hear what the man and Captain Brown were saying.

      “Our hull is pretty badly damaged, Captain,” said the man. “And we have engine trouble.”

      “That means we’ll be tied up here for a while,” answered Captain Brown. “But this business about the lights is serious. What in blazes caused the short circuit? You’re the engineer, Sam. You ought to know.”

      “That’s what I want to talk to you about,”