point of view.
The bay was calm, for there was almost no wind.
The water swirled and rippled as if it had never been guilty of swallowing up the plane they had seen crash into it earlier that morning. There was no sign of it now, but a police helicopter was flying low over the water, almost dipping its toes like a sandpiper.
126
“It looks as if they’re still searching for something,” Pauline commented. “But there is nobody left.”
“You may end up in the bay yourself if you take Captain Ottwell’s boat,” Judy observed gloomily.
“We’re both taking chances,” Pauline replied.
“Frankly, I’d rather be on the boat than back there in the Sand Castle with who-knows-what playing ghost and scaring people half to death.” The boat was still there, but it had drifted away from the dock as had the persons who had gathered there earlier. It was as if the whole incident had been a bad dream. Only the helicopter, skimming lazily over the bay, seemed to indicate that anyone cared about the people on the plane that had crashed.
“Where did everybody go?” Judy inquired.
“You tell me. I don’t see a living soul. I guess we’ll just have to wait here until somebody comes.
You go on back to the Sand Castle, Judy,” Pauline advised her. “You can see for yourself that the woman in black didn’t come to the boat and I don’t mind waiting alone.”
“No, I’ll wait with you,” Judy insisted. “I have a sort of uncanny feeling about this boat—as if it isn’t real or something.”
Pauline laughed. “Maybe it’s a phantom ship like those you read about.”
“I’m sure Captain Ottwell is no phantom. Shall 127
we look for him on board?” Judy asked.
Pauline hesitated, measuring the distance between the dock and the deck of the boat.
“It’s too long a jump and I doubt if we have the strength to pull this boat any closer,” she said.
“We can try.”
Judy seized the mooring ropes and, with Pauline to help her, they finally moved the huge gray motor-boat close enough so that Judy felt she could jump the short distance to the deck.
“You’ll fall,” Pauline predicted. “If you thought the water was cold yesterday—”
“Watch me!” Judy interrupted.
With one mighty leap she landed on the slippery deck of the gray boat. It was a close call, but she made it. Pauline, afraid to try, stood watching from the dock as Judy made her way toward the spacious cabin. She was moving amidships when she thought she heard a slight sound from within.
“Captain Ottwell?” she called, startling herself with the sound of her own voice.
There was no answer, but again she heard the sound of something moving. It frightened her, but at the same time she knew she had to find out what it was.
128
CHAPTER XVIII
A Question of Life or Death
THE door of the cabin had been bolted from the outside. The bolt slid back easily, allowing Judy to push open the door.
“Captain Ottwell?” she called again.
No answer came from the dark interior of the cabin where all the curtains were drawn to shut out the sunlight. Feeling her way, Judy discovered she was in the galley. Someone had cooked a meal recently and had left the remains on the table. There were two unwashed plates in the small, round sink.
Beyond, she discovered a sort of bedroom with bunks running alongside either side of the cabin. At first she thought the thing on one of the bunks was a folded blanket. Then her fingers found damp hair fanned out on the pillow.
“Who are you?” she cried into the darkness.
A low moan came from the bunk.
Quickly Judy pulled back one of the curtains. In 129
“Who are you?” she cried
130
the sudden light she could see a small fair-haired girl with frightened blue eyes. She lay there on the bunk with a gray wool blanket wrapped around her.
She was certainly not the woman in black, but when Judy asked again, “Who are you?” she heard the barely audible reply, “Agnes.”
“You can’t be!”
The bay was calm, for there was almost no wind.
The water swirled and rippled as if it had never been guilty of swallowing up the plane they had seen crash into it earlier that morning. There was no sign of it now, but a police helicopter was flying low over the water, almost dipping its toes like a sandpiper.
126
“It looks as if they’re still searching for something,” Pauline commented. “But there is nobody left.”
“You may end up in the bay yourself if you take Captain Ottwell’s boat,” Judy observed gloomily.
“We’re both taking chances,” Pauline replied.
“Frankly, I’d rather be on the boat than back there in the Sand Castle with who-knows-what playing ghost and scaring people half to death.” The boat was still there, but it had drifted away from the dock as had the persons who had gathered there earlier. It was as if the whole incident had been a bad dream. Only the helicopter, skimming lazily over the bay, seemed to indicate that anyone cared about the people on the plane that had crashed.
“Where did everybody go?” Judy inquired.
“You tell me. I don’t see a living soul. I guess we’ll just have to wait here until somebody comes.
You go on back to the Sand Castle, Judy,” Pauline advised her. “You can see for yourself that the woman in black didn’t come to the boat and I don’t mind waiting alone.”
“No, I’ll wait with you,” Judy insisted. “I have a sort of uncanny feeling about this boat—as if it isn’t real or something.”
Pauline laughed. “Maybe it’s a phantom ship like those you read about.”
“I’m sure Captain Ottwell is no phantom. Shall 127
we look for him on board?” Judy asked.
Pauline hesitated, measuring the distance between the dock and the deck of the boat.
“It’s too long a jump and I doubt if we have the strength to pull this boat any closer,” she said.
“We can try.”
Judy seized the mooring ropes and, with Pauline to help her, they finally moved the huge gray motor-boat close enough so that Judy felt she could jump the short distance to the deck.
“You’ll fall,” Pauline predicted. “If you thought the water was cold yesterday—”
“Watch me!” Judy interrupted.
With one mighty leap she landed on the slippery deck of the gray boat. It was a close call, but she made it. Pauline, afraid to try, stood watching from the dock as Judy made her way toward the spacious cabin. She was moving amidships when she thought she heard a slight sound from within.
“Captain Ottwell?” she called, startling herself with the sound of her own voice.
There was no answer, but again she heard the sound of something moving. It frightened her, but at the same time she knew she had to find out what it was.
128
CHAPTER XVIII
A Question of Life or Death
THE door of the cabin had been bolted from the outside. The bolt slid back easily, allowing Judy to push open the door.
“Captain Ottwell?” she called again.
No answer came from the dark interior of the cabin where all the curtains were drawn to shut out the sunlight. Feeling her way, Judy discovered she was in the galley. Someone had cooked a meal recently and had left the remains on the table. There were two unwashed plates in the small, round sink.
Beyond, she discovered a sort of bedroom with bunks running alongside either side of the cabin. At first she thought the thing on one of the bunks was a folded blanket. Then her fingers found damp hair fanned out on the pillow.
“Who are you?” she cried into the darkness.
A low moan came from the bunk.
Quickly Judy pulled back one of the curtains. In 129
“Who are you?” she cried
130
the sudden light she could see a small fair-haired girl with frightened blue eyes. She lay there on the bunk with a gray wool blanket wrapped around her.
She was certainly not the woman in black, but when Judy asked again, “Who are you?” she heard the barely audible reply, “Agnes.”
“You can’t be!”
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