Dear Dick: My cousin and I have been in an accident. We went driving to church this morning and the horse ran away and threw us both out on the rocks. Miss Parloe had her collar bone broken, and I broke my left ankle. Kindly come and see me if you can."
"An accident!" cried Tom. "That is too bad."
"Let us all go and see him," suggested Sam, and this plan was carried out.
They found that Bob Sutter was resting easily on his bed. The doctor had set the broken ankle, and put it in plaster, and he had told Bob that he must keep quiet for several weeks.
"This ends that yacht trip, so far as I am concerned," said Bob ruefully.
"Never mind, we can wait until you get well," said Dick cheerfully, although he did not expect to remain at Santa Barbara more than ten days longer.
"No, I don't want you to wait," answered Bob Sutter. "My cousin won't be well, so they tell me, for several months, and I won't want to go without her. I've been thinking that
you had better take the trip without us. Captain Jerry can easily run the yacht with your aid."
"That's very kind of you," said Tom. "But we'd rather have you along."
The matter was talked over for an hour. The Rover boys knew that Dora, Nellie, and Grace would be sorely disappointed if the yacht trip was given up. At last they decided to accept Bob Sutter's kind suggestion and make the trip without the company of the young owner and his cousin; and then they withdrew, wishing Bob a speedy recovery.
CHAPTER V
ON BOARD OF THE YACHT
"What a glorious day for the trip!"
"We are going to turn real sailors, aren't we?"
"Can't I help pull up a sail or something, Tom?"
Such were the remarks of Dora, Nellie, and Grace as they boarded the Old Glory early on Monday morning.
The boys and Captain Jerry were there to receive them, having arrived an hour before, to see that all the provisions were stowed away, and that the craft was in prime condition for sailing. By a curious combination of circumstances Bob Sutter had ordered far more provisions than were necessary for such a short trip, but Captain Jerry had found a place for everything, remarking that they might come in useful after all, but never dreaming how useful, as later events were to prove.
Mrs. Stanhope had come down in a carriage to see them off. She kissed all of the girls an affectionate good-by.
"Have a good time," she said. "And be sure and come back safe and sound."
"Don't ye worry but what I'll bring 'em back safe enough, ma'am," said Captain Jerry, as he tipped his cap respectfully.
When the girls were safe on board, the boys waved an adieu to Mrs. Stanhope. Then they ranged up in a row in front of old Jerry and each touched his forelock and gave a hitch to his trowser leg.
"Ready for orders, cap'n," they said, in unison, having practiced this little by-play in secret.
"Wh — what?" stammered Captain Jerty, gazing at them in bewilderment.
"Ready for orders, sir," they said.
"Shall we shake out the mainsail?" asked Dick.
"Shall I hoist the jib?" came from Tom.
"Can I set the topsail, captain?" put in Sam.
"Well, by the son o' Neptune!" gasped Captain Jerry. "Got a real, generwine crew, aint I? All right, my hearties, I'll set ye to work fast enough." And then followed a string of orders in true nautical style, and the Rover boys flew in one direction and another to execute them. Up went the mainsail and the jib, and the top sail followed, and soon the Old Glory was standing off into Santa Barbara Channel, with Mrs. Stanhope in the carriage waving them an adieu, and the girls and the boys waving their handkerchiefs in return.
It certainly was a glorious day, as Dora had said, and after the sails were set, there was nothing to do but to take it easy on the cushions of the rail seats. Captain Jerry was at the wheel, but he promised to let each of them "take a trick" in his place before the trip should come to an end.
"I jest wish we had another yacht to race with," said the old sailor. "Then I could show ye what sort o' a clean pair o' heels the Old Glory could show the other craft."
"It is easy to see the yacht is speedy," replied Dick. "She cuts the water like a thing of life. And you know just how to get her best speed out of her," he went on, a remark that pleased old Jerry very much.
"Will we have more breeze, do you think?" asked Tom, later on, as he observed some tiny clouds to the westward.
"Can't say as to that, lad. Those clouds may come this way and they may blow north'ard. If they come down here, we'll catch it putty lively."
"I like a good, stiff breeze," came from Sam.
"Oh, don't run us into a storm," cried Grace in alarm. "We might all get seasick."
"Don't be alarmed," said Dick. "We are a very long way from a storm, to my way of thinking."
The morning passed quickly enough, and at noon they ran into a small harbor on one of the islands and had dinner in true picnic style. At one o'clock they packed up once more, went on board of the Old Glory, and stood off to the westward, for all wanted a run "right on the ocean," as Tom expressed it.
Captain Jerry was just a bit doubtful of the trip, for the clouds in the western sky had grown considerably larger than when first noticed. Not that he did not think the yacht could weather a blow, but he was afraid the young ladies would get seasick. However, as he did not wish to put a damper on their fun, he said nothing, resolved to turn back at the first sign of any "inward upsetting'," as he expressed it.
The breeze had increased, and as it was directly from off shore the Old Glory bowled along merrily over the waves. Nobody showed the least sign of seasickness, and they talked, laughed, and sang as if they had not a care in the world. Tom also did some fishing, and caught a string of the finny tribe, of which he was justly proud.
"You can bake them for us when we get back," he said to Nellie. "And then we can all have a fish party."
"I could go on sailing like this for a week," said Dick to Dora, as they moved forward. "I mean if you were along with me," he added, in a lower tone, and she gave him a look that meant a good deal.
When three o'clock came Captain Jerry announced that they must turn back. They were far out of sight of land, with nothing but the blue ocean around them. Overhead the sky was still clear, but the clouds on the horizon were rapidly increasing.
"Oh, let us keep on a while longer," pleaded Tom. "This is just glorious!" And the others said the same.
So
