"Three of us will remain on the yacht," he said. "Jack and I are going ash.o.r.e."
"How?" asked Diamond. "We have no boat, and we are anch.o.r.ed off here in the bay."
"I am going to buy a boat here. I think we can get one of the boats from some of these vessels to set us ash.o.r.e."
The nearest vessel was hailed, and it did not take long to get a sailor with a boat to come over to the yacht and take Frank and Jack off. He rowed them to the steamboat wharf, and would not take a cent for doing so.
"All right, mates," he said, in a hearty way. "I"ll want a turn sometime, perhaps." Then, after telling them that, if they did not get a boat, they could whistle him up and he would bring them off to their yacht, he rowed away.
There were a number of truck teams about the wharf, loading with the freight left there that morning by the steamer. Frank inquired of one of the truckmen where to find a man who would sell them a first-cla.s.s rowboat, and the truckman directed him to a man who had boats to let and to sell.
This man the boys sought without delay, but he was not at his shop. They were told that he had gone uptown, and so they walked up Sea Street into the heart of the city.
As they came out on Main Street, Diamond halted with an exclamation of astonishment.
"Great Scott!" burst from his lips. "Is this real?"
"Is what real?" asked Frank.
"Do I really see a trolley car running along the street here, or am I dreaming?"
"Oh, come along!" laughed Frank. "They have trolley cars down in this country, and I don"t think it looks quite as wild and uncivilized as you expected."
They entered the Thorndike Hotel together, and, just as they pa.s.sed through the door, Frank suddenly clutched his friend"s arm, giving a gasp of astonishment himself.
Jack saw Merry was staring toward the flight of stairs. He looked up, and there on the stairs, descending toward them, were two girls, Inza Burrage and Paula Benjamin!
Merriwell recovered his composure immediately and stepped forward to meet the girls at the foot of the stairs, accompanied by Diamond. The boys lifted their hats, and Frank said:
"Another unexpected pleasure! We didn"t dream of this. Supposed you were in Bar Harbor."
The girls shook hands with them, and both seemed to show confusion.
"It is a pleasure," declared Inza. "We are stopping here in Rockland a few days."
Frank longed to ask questions, but he knew it would be an act of rudeness, and he refrained. However, Paula seemed to think that Inza"s explanation was not sufficient, and she added:
"Yes, we decided to stop off here a day, and we are so interested with the city and the surrounding country that we will remain a little longer."
"That will be pleasant," said Frank. "We"ve just got in, and are rather salty now, but we mean to brace up and get some of the brine out of us.
Perhaps we may have the pleasure of seeing you often while we remain here."
"I hope we may," put in Jack, quickly, looking earnestly at Paula, who let her eyes droop before his gaze.
"I am sure it will be agreeable to us," smiled Inza. "Tell us something about your voyage. Did you have a nice time?"
"Nice isn"t any name for it," laughed Frank.
"That"s right," nodded Jack; "it isn"t."
"We have encountered excitements galore."
"Such as fogs and storms and steamboats and pirates."
"Mercy! Pirates!"
"Well, they attempted to board us and seize the yacht."
"What did you do?"
"We gave them a jolly good welcome."
A uniformed policeman entered the hotel and stepped up to the boys.
"Which one of you is Frank Merriwell?" he asked.
"I am, sir," said Frank.
"Then," said the officer, "I shall have to take you."
"Take me?" cried Frank. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that you are under arrest."
CHAPTER VIII.
A STIR IN LIMEROCK CITY.
Both girls uttered a little cry of amazement and alarm, and Paula shrank close to Inza, clasping her about the waist.
"Under arrest?" repeated Frank, slowly. "For what?"
"Stealing a yacht and resisting the real owner when he attempted to regain possession of it."
Merry laughed heartily.
"This is a joke!" he exclaimed.
The officer seemed puzzled, but he frowned at Frank, saying:
"You are not likely to find it a joke, young man. It is a serious offense, and, if you have not some rich folks who will settle handsomely for your little lark, you will go to jail."
"My dear sir," said Merriwell, with perfect coolness, "you are taking too much for granted. You are standing on the ground that the charge against me is true. It will be the easiest thing in the world to prove that it is not."