"I see it now! The bullet hit the automatic I had
put in my breast pocket. I never carried it there before and don't know
why I should have put it there this time."
"Well, it's a lucky thing you varied from your habit!"
"Let's see if the bullet is in the pocket yet," Harry said.
A search of the jacket revealed a hole, in the outer cloth where the
bullet had entered. Inside the pocket were the automatic and several
slivers of lead, fragments of the shattered missile.
"Jack," Harry said with a shiver, as he grasped his chum's hand, "that
was a mighty close shave. I'm glad it terminated so well."
The silent grasp that Jack returned spoke louder than words of the bond
of friendship that existed between the boys.
"Come, come," bustled Harry, "Jack will be getting hungry. Whose watch
is it in the kitchenette? I was on last, I know!"
"Yes, you were!" declared Arnold in mock anger. "You are always just off
duty when there's work to do! We know you!"
It was decided that Harry must prepare supper, for the boys were all
famished after their hard day's work.
"You'll have to check down a little if I cook!" asserted Harry. "This
isn't a battleship, and the pirates are far astern."
"Good idea," Jack assented. "Check her down, Tom, and save fuel. After
that Madero's wasting of our gasoline, we'll need all we have. He didn't
seem to care for expense a little bit!"
The suggestion was followed, and shortly the Fortuna was traveling at a
more moderate gait, taking the seas easily without shipping water on her
forward deck.
Pages:
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80