ADVENTURE AT COVE HILL SCHOOL

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 267, 10 November 1937, Page 26

ADVENTURE AT COVE HILL SCHOOL

( lIAFTER XIII. On Board the Curlew. September came. an<l with it the end of the holidays. The boys of Cove Hill school were ordered to reassemble on 11 pertain Thursday, hut Stephen l'eter Ogilvie Twinn— our renowned friend "Spot"- turned up on tlie Tuesday* evening previously, this early return j l>eing due to home arrangements. He being the only pupil to arrive hack j «o soon, it was arranged for him to have I hi* meals in the house, which, often as not, meant rather jolly spreads in the i girls' playroom with .Jessie as hostess. 1 Jessie made a most desirable hostess in every way. one reason being that *he was on excellent terms with tlie cool;, J i who could always l>e relied upon to make a special effort if Jessie did a little coaxing. To-day, for instance, there were hot tea-cakes and toasted scones—not to mention fruit and cream "for afterwards." Spot, who. though rather small for his age, had quite a full-sized apatite, viewed these good things with glistening 'eyes. "Half an hour ago," observed he, "I felt pretty grumpy at having to he here before everybody else, but if I'm really going to be feasted like this I shall wish I had come days ago. What a pity old Kick isn't back—our 'live' would then be complete." "What are we g<*hig to do tomorrow?" demanded Bob. "flow about a row in the bay?" was Jessie's suggestion. There wiw a chorus r>f surprise. "But we can't," exclaimed Bob. "The pater said—" "I know," smiled Jessie. "But I've had a talk with him about it, and he says now that we can all swim so much hotter that he'll trust us in the newdinghy provided we'll l>e very careful and not go beyond the Point." "Eureka!" cried Bob. "That fits inv book exactly. It was the Point I most wanted to visit." "Why?" "To have a peep at the old beaeon. The ruins of it must be hollow, and I believe we might hide a keg of tinatone there." "Good notion!" exclaimed Spot, pausing in the midst of a bite. "Go up one, Bobbie boy! Yo-ho for Cove Point to-morrow, an<l let's hope the day will be fine." 'I he morning, as a matter of fact, turned out gloriously, arid the four were astir iK'times. The bay had never seemed more beautiful, and their pull to the Point was quite without mishap. Landing, they managed, after sum.' scrambling, to gain the crumbled base of the old beacon, where it was decided that quite a fair-sized cask of tinstone might be entombed amid the broken stonework. V\ e must do it." decided Jessie, "as soon as Rick arrive* back." "Bather," agreed Twinn, "but where now? Nearly two hours before lunch time." "I vote We row out to that brig." said Bob. pointing. "I've been watching her all the while, and I haven't yet seen a single sign of life." I lie ship Bob spoke of was a twomaster, lying fairly close in, and was painted white. She was a substantiallooking craft of quite the old type - betraying scarce a movement as she basked upon the calm bosom of the bay. "Somehow she seems familiar to me," murmured Bob. staring with puckered brow*. "I've Itcen thinking so all the time. I seem to have known some other brig built on exactly the same lines." "Xot very elegant lines, anyhow," grinned S|H>t. "But come along; if we're going to pull out we'd better *tavt at once."' In a matter of thirty minutes they had drawn within hail of the strange brig, from which there floated a small boat, hitch, d to the taffrail. Astern, in rude blue lettering, was painted "Curlew, Penzance." Still there was no movement aboard her. "Curlew, ahoy!" shouted Bob. "Hush!" whispered Jessie. "What cheek to hail the vessel like that! They'll think you've come 011 some business." "Who will?" "Why, the people on board." "I don't believe there is anybody on board." "That's nonsense." "Well, you can see for yourself there's not one si<_n of life. 1 believe she's been abandoned."

Spot laughed aloud. Bob. as a matter of fact, had a passion for deep sea lore, and his head was always full of treasure islands, tales of mutiny and of barques left without a soul to manage them. Bob shouted again, "Curlew, ahoy!" but again there was no response. He then suggested that they should row round to the port side, and when this was done he noticed a treble strand of hemp trailing from the main shrouds, Catching hold of this he said: "I'm going to look into tilings. Who knows, there may be something very serious the matter here. It's simple to say that the crew are all asleep—but you know very well that sailor folk i don't snooze at this hour of the day. j Anyhow, I'm going to have a look round." "You mustn't go nlone," said Jessie, beginning herself to be a little uneasy at the vessel's uncanny quietness. "Oh, I shall be all gay." declared her brother; and by this time lie was straddling over the port bulwark*. "I <hall come as well." decided Jessie, ; grasping the hemp. "The task doesn't j look very hard." Xor was it. Indeed, aided by the ehainplatcs, she contrived the ascent | more cleverly than Bob. jumping down ; beside him on a spotlessly white deck, j As they ran their gaze up and down, they saw that everything was spick and span, from the stern to the bow. As Bob made a movement forward he trod on something that ■ crunched slightly beneath his shoe. I Jessie stooped to pick a bit of this up. | "Look, look!" exclaimed she, in a very j cxcited whisper. I "What is it V" | "Tinstone!" I The pair stood staring at that which i lay in Jessie's palm. Tinstone it uni doubtedly was—and a very thick bit of j ore. too. As they stood there together, , a little wonder-struck, there was a ! panting of breath, and Spot also came tumbling over the side. Having made ! fast the skiff, ho had left Dorr-v to look j after it. Jessie displayed her unexpected find, land after that they all tiptoed forward ;to the foes Jo head. Bob looked in. i Hallo, hallo!' \oiced he. "Anyone I below t here j No answer emerged, and a few seconds | of search fully convinced them that they were the only souls aboard. Picking their way aft. they warily entered a iooiny cuddy beneath the poop, which evidently ranked as the captain's cabin. Here a strong aroma of fried onions suggested a fairly recent meal, but there remained no trace of this repast, and on the stout deal table there appeared a bottle of ink. several dirty quills standing upright in a tobacco fin. and also a leather bound book in which notes had ! recently been made. "The ship's log!" breathed Bob. pouncing eagerly on this. "Now perhaps we shall find something out !" However, the book, if log it really was. proved quite disappointing. It consisted of a lot of disjointed entries, referring to unnamed cargo, with marks as to the ship's bearings, which none | of them quite understood. A great number of leaves had been torn clean out. " I'lirn back to the beginning." suggested SjMit. "We'll perhaps find some information there." Bob complied, and inside the book's front cover they beheld the brig's name. Curlew, writ ten large, but above that some other name had been scored out 'with pen and ink till it was almost ■ obliterated. However, Jessie's eves were keen. She presently made out the word "Black." and after that "Swan." I "See," whispered she. "this brig has I been renamed. It used to be called the I Black Swan. And that "That was the name of Dan MulI doon's brig!" burst forth Spot- -after j which the three of them regarded each other in blank dismay. I (To be continued.)