"I'll come aboard," he said, a moment later. "Fend off, and stand by until I signal you," he added, to the sailors. The officer, who proved from the lettering on his cap, to be the chief mate, was soon on the deck of the Mary Ellen, and then came a series of questions.
Frank and his chums told about all that had happened to them from the time of being blown out to sea in the motor boat until they were seen by the steamer.
"It was your flag, union down, that caught our attention," the mate said. "You're a set of plucky youngsters, and I congratulate you. Now I suppose you'd better come aboard the steamer, unless you want to take this schooner to port yourselves and claim the salvage money," he said with a smile.
"Indeed we do not!" exclaimed Bob. "We've had enough of her. I want to send a wireless message to my mother—quick."
"You can do that all right," said the mate. "Now I'll just have a look about, and see what the ship's papers say. They may solve the mystery. Then we'll go aboard the steamer."
"But what about the Mary Ellen, and our motor boat?" asked Sammy.
"Oh, we'll look out for them," promised the mate. "I'll have the captain send a crew aboard the schooner to work her back to port, and they'll tow your motor boat, too. You needn't worry."
The mate went to the schooner-captain's cabin, and got what papers were there. These showed the Mary Ellen to be sailing from New York to Savannah, Georgia, with a mixed cargo, but gave no cause for the abandoning of the craft. However, that mystery was explained later.
Leaving one or two of the rowers in charge of the schooner, the mate went back with the three boys in the small boat to the
