Page:The Rover Boys on the Ocean.djvu/180

166 She was so agitated that she could scarcely place the key in the keyhole.

The lock had been used but seldom, and the action of the salt air had rusted it greatly.

As the key turned there was a grating sound, which caused Mrs. Goss to awaken with a start.

"What's the matter? Who is there?" she cried, and turned around to face the cabin door. "Come back here! Come back!"

She started after Dora, who now had the cabin door wide open. Away went girl and woman up the low stairs. But Dora was the more agile of the two, and terror lent speed to her limbs.

On the deck, however, she came to a pause. The Flyaway was a good six feet from the dock, and between lay a stretch of dark, murky water the sight of which made her shiver. What if she should fall in? She felt that she would surely be drowned.

But as Mrs. Goss came closer her terror increased. She felt that if she was caught she would be treated more harshly than ever for having attempted to run away.

"I'll take the chances!" she thought, and leaped as best she could. Her feet struck the very edge of the stringpiece beyond and for an instant it looked as if she must go over. But she