"Yes, sir," replied John.

"You seem to be in trouble most of the way," retorted the
captain. "It seems to me the best thing we can do is to take you
up and send you back to your mothers. You aren't fit to be out
here on Lake Ontario all alone. What do you want us to do?"

At that moment the owner of the yacht again appeared by the
captain's side and taking the speaking trumpet from that officer
he called to the boys, "Are you in trouble?"

"Yes, sir," replied John, who still was the spokesman for the Go
Ahead boys.

"What can we do for you?"

"If you will take us on board, or give us a tow until we can land
somewhere we shall be very grateful to you."

"What's the trouble?"

"That's just what we do not know," said John.

"Have you got plenty of gasoline?"

"Yes, sir. It's something wrong with the machinery this time."

Fred now was sitting erect and gazing interestedly at the people
on the deck of the Caledonia. His face was still ghastly in its