Chapter XXIII: The Floating Spars

Calm followed after the storm. The sea was sullen, and great waves broke on the beach, but the rain had ceased, and the wind had almost died out. But the tide heaved and seemed to moan, as though in sorrow for what it had done.

It was the morning after the wreck, and Cora and the girls had gone to the lighthouse to look out over the ocean. All vestige of the schooner had disappeared. The sea had eaten her up.

"Where are the boys?" asked Eline, as she walked along beside Bess. The girls had on rather make-shift garments, for they had become so drenched in the rain that their clothes needed drying.

"I guess they are--pressing their trousers," remarked Cora. "Jack said he was going to, anyhow."

"Vain creatures!" mocked Bess.

"I noticed you doing your hair up more elaborately than usual," remarked Belle, with a glance at her sister.

"Oh, well, no wonder. It looked frightful--all wet as it was."

"Vain creatures--all of us," murmured Cora.

"Then the boys won't be out for some time," suggested Eline.

"I think not," answered Jack's sister. "I wonder what has become of all the shipwrecked people?"

"A good many of them went on to New York last night," said Belle. "I met Rosalie early this morning and she said only two of the women were over at her place now. How did so many women, and those girls, come to be on the schooner?"

"It was a sort of excursion party," explained Cora. "The schooner had an auxiliary gasoline engine. The company that owns it does a small freight business, and also takes passengers who like to go for a cruise. It seems that a party was made up, and tickets sold. Quite a number of women and girls, as well as some men, went along."

"I guess they are sorry they did," said Belle. "Oh, the dreadful sea. I'm never going in bathing again."

"Oh, it's safe in Sandy Point Cove," exclaimed Eline.

"I wonder what happened to the missing girl?" asked Bess.

"Missing girl?" echoed Belle.

"Yes. Didn't you hear one of the sailors say a girl was missing--perhaps swept overboard?"

"Oh yes! Poor thing!" and Cora sighed. "She may be--out--there!" and she waved her hand to the heaving ocean.

The girls were on the beach where the rescue had been made. The waves were still pounding away, but a life-guard who went past on his patrol remarked:

"She'll be down a lot by night."

"Were any of your friends hurt?" asked Belle.

"Working yesterday, you mean, miss?"

"Yes."

"No. Bill Smith got his hand jammed a bit, but that was all. We get used to rough treatment."

"I suppose so. The sea is very rough--it's cruel."

"Not always, miss. If you could see it--as I often do--all blue under the sun, and shimmering like--like your hair, miss, if I may be so bold, and with the gulls wheeling about, and dipping down into it--why, miss, you'd say the sea was beautiful--that's it--just beautiful."

"Oh, but it's so often the other way--terrible--hideous!" murmured Belle, who seemed strangely affected.

"No, miss, begging your pardon. Even in a storm I love the sea. It it's just grand, miss!"

"Well, I'm glad you can think so. I can't. It makes me--shiver!" and a fit of trembling seized her.

The girls walked on. Some refuse--bits of wood and part of the cargo from the wreck--was coming ashore. The girls continued on down the strand, now and then venturing too close to the water, and being compelled to run back when a higher wave than usual rushed up the shingle.

"I wonder if we couldn't go out in the boat?" spoke Cora at length.

"Don't you dare suggest such a thing--to me!" cried Belle. "I'll never go out again--after that terrible wreck!"

"But I don't mean out on the ocean," said Cora. "I mean just around the cove. It isn't at all rough there, and you won't mind it a bit."

"Do come!" begged Eline.

"There isn't a bit of danger," urged Bess. "Why, you've often been out when there was more sea than this."

"But not so soon after a wreck."

"What has that to do with it?" Cora wanted to know. "The wreck is over. It wasn't a bad one, except that the ship was lost. All the people were saved. I think it was wonderful."

"All but that poor girl," murmured Belle.

"Well, we can't even be sure there was such a person," remarked Eline. "It was only a rumor, and really, Rosalie said the captain could account for everyone."

"You never can tell when there are a number of people," supplemented Cora. "Perhaps this girl had her name down on the list, and, after all, did not go. Then, when she was looked for, and not found, they jumped to the conclusion that she had gone overboard. I've often read of such cases."

"So have I," declared Bess. "Come on, Belle. Let's go for a ride. It will do us all good."

"Oh, well, I don't want to be a spoil-sport I'll go; but, Cora, dear, you must take along a couple of life preservers."

"A dozen if you like, Belle."

"And you'll promise not to go outside the bay--you'll stay where it's calm?"

"I promise!" exclaimed Cora, raising her right hand.

Rosalie came out of the lighthouse in her bathing suit.

"That girl fairly lives in the water," said Eline.

"If I could swim as she does I would too," spoke Bess.

"Hello!" called Rosalie, genially. "Isn't it lovely after the storm?"

"Yes," said Cora. "Have they heard anything more about the missing girl?"

"No. And no one seems to know who she was. Are you going for a spin?"

"We thought of it. Would you like to come?"

"I'd just love it! Only I haven't time to change, perhaps, and I don't want to----"

"Come just as you are--in your bathing suit," invited Cora, and Rosalie did.

The boys must have finished pressing their trousers, or attending to whatever part of the personal attire needed attention, for when the girls got back to the float, and were getting the _Pet_ in shape for a spin, Jack and Ed hurried down to look over the _Duck_. Both boats needed pumping out, for the water had rained in, and Walter and Norton were good enough to attend to this tiresome work for the girls.

Soon the two craft were moving over the sparkling waters of the Cove, which seemed to be trying to make up for what the sea had done the day before.

The boats kept close together, and talk and gay laughter passed back and forth. Then Jack and his chums, declaring they were going to see how far out toward the sea they could venture with safety, speeded up and left Cora and the girls in the _Pet_ somewhat behind. But they did not mind--in fact, Belle insisted on keeping in safe waters. Nor was Cora averse to this.

The girls had been cruising about for perhaps an hour when Eline called:

"What is that over there?"

She pointed to a dark mass on the surface of the bay. Rosalie stood up to look.

"It's a lot of spars lashed together," she reported. "A sort of raft. Maybe it is from the wrecked vessel."

"Then if it's a raft there is some one on it!" cried Eline.