Clarence Young

“ Everyone on the Terror listened intently. From the broad stretch of water before them, borne on a wind which had shifted and was coming down the river, the faint puffing of a motor boat could be heard.
“That’s the Dartaway!” exclaimed Jerry. “I know her exhaust!”
“I hope you’re right!” said the chief grimly. “Put a little more speed on,” he said to the engineer, and the Terror leaped ahead under the influence of more gasolene and an advanced spark.
A minute later they rounded a turn in the river and saw the Dartaway just as her engine came to a stop. ”

“ There was nothing much that could be done until morning, so the boys, seeing that the Dartaway was securely made fast, went to sleep on board. They rested undisturbed until morning.
“Now to hunt for the mysterious schooner!” exclaimed Ned after breakfast. “Do you know I have a good scheme?”
“Let’s hear it,” said Jerry.
“We ought to disguise ourselves,” went on Ned. “If we go hunting for the schooner in our motor boat the way we are now, they can see us coming and get on their guard. We ought to make up as fishermen, just as the tramp did, and steam around slowly.” ”

“ Jerry cranked up the motor. It throbbed and roared and he was about to throw in the clutch and send the boat off when some one hailed him.
“I say, fair sir. Wilt take a poor wayfarer aboard? I fain must be on my way, and my coach seems to have passed me by.”
Jerry looked up. Down the dock was approaching a ragged figure; a man clothed in old garments that flapped about him. The mere remnant of a hat completed his attire.
“It’s the tramp!” Jerry exclaimed under his breath. “If he doesn’t turn up at the oddest times. I wonder what his secret is.” ”

“ Sure enough the explosions from the Tortoise were not so regular as they had been. One of the cylinders had become clogged, and with five going the engine worked unevenly.
“I think we can beat him!” exclaimed Jerry grimly. He was not rejoicing over a contestant’s misfortune, but it is on such mishaps as this that motor boat and automobile races are won and lost.
Now the Dartaway was creeping up on her rival. True it was but a slow advance, for there were still five cylinders in the Tortoise against her four. But the boys’ craft was doing nobly, and their hearts beat high with hope. ”

“ With a turn of the steering wheel Bob sent the Dartaway toward where the girls were making frantic efforts to reach their overturned craft.
“Slow down, Chunky!” called Jerry. “You stand by and Ned and I will get the girls. Watch out you don’t run us down. There, they’ve both sunk! We’ll have to dive for ’em!”
Jerry had followed Ned’s example in divesting himself of his heaviest clothing. The two boys stood on the gunwale of the motor boat, and, as the craft slowly circled to where the girls had disappeared, guided by Bob, Ned and Jerry leaped overboard. ”

“ The motor was “finding itself” and was working more smoothly with every revolution. Obedient to helm and throttle the craft went spinning up the stream like some big river horse.
As the boys in the boat swung around a sharp bend, the turn being hidden by thick trees, they almost ran into a small schooner that was beating up against the wind.
“Look out!” cried Ned to Bob, who was steering.
Bob swung the wheel well around and started to reverse the engine, when Jerry sprang forward from the stern, where he had been sitting.
“Keep on, full speed ahead!” he called. ”

“ He arrived at Cresville early the next morning and left the boat at the private dock, while he hurried to acquaint the chief of police and Mr. Slade with the news about the schooner.
Jerry found the chief had not yet come down to headquarters, and, not caring to tell the sergeant in charge his errand, he went to Mr. Slade’s house.
“What’s this? Oh it’s you, Jerry, eh? No bad news I hope? None of you boys drowned at the lake? What’s the trouble? You look as if you’d had a tussle with a bull and came out second best,” said Ned’s father. ”

“ Don’t run us down! We’ll upset—I can’t swim—save the girls—don’t blow up the engine—throw us a life preserver—back water—back pedal—put on brakes!” cried one of the boys.
“Oh Andy Rush, you’re enough to give any one a headache!” exclaimed Alice Vines. “No wonder your name is Rush!”
“Stop rowing and we’ll come alongside. Pull in the oars!” cried Jerry, and Ned skillfully put the Dartaway close to the smaller boat. While Bob steadied it against the motor craft the occupants got into the cockpit.
“Shall we tow your boat?” asked Jerry, “or leave it tied up on shore?” ”

“ The Dartaway was headed through the narrow channel. Jerry, who was steering, was proceeding slowly, as he was in unfamiliar waters, and the channel seemed rather shallow.
Suddenly, as the motor boat emerged from the strait, the three boys could hardly help refrain from uttering an exclamation. There, moored to the shore, was the Bluebird.
“We’ve found her!” whispered Bob excitedly.
“Hush!” cautioned Jerry. “Pretend to be fishing while I work the boat nearer. Don’t look at the schooner. They may be watching us.” ”

“ But now, aided either by having gotten into a place where the current was a little swifter, or her motor making a few more explosions a minute, the Dartaway began to forge ahead. At first it was only by the closest observation that it could be seen. But, in a little while, the nose of the boys’ boat was three inches past the Terror’s. Then this increased to ten, to twenty, until, about a mile above Cresville, the Dartaway was a length ahead of her rival.
“We’re beating ’em!” cried Ned in his exultation.
“I think so. We certainly are shooting along,” agreed Jerry. ”

“ Also, if the occupants desired they could pass a night on board and keep dry in the hardest rain.
A whistle worked by the exhaust of the gasolene explosions, a search lamp, similar to those on automobiles, a small anchor, a regular ship’s compass, flags and a kit of repair tools, with some extra parts of the engine, completed the boat’s equipment.
The truckmen, no less interested than the boys, surveyed the Dartaway. It was indeed a fine boat and the motor boys might well be proud of her. There was nothing like her on the river. ”

“ It was drawing good, and he was beginning to feel more comfortable in spite of the cold and the hard work he had done that night, when one of the sleepers stirred.
“I guess we’ll have a scene now,” muttered Paxton, as he lashed the wheel to keep the schooner on a straight course down the lake, in which direction the motor boat was towing it. A second later Bob sat up.
“Hello!” he exclaimed. “What’s up. I say, Ned, wake up! We’re adrift!”
“What’s that?” cried Ned, rubbing his eyes, and jumping to his feet. “Adrift? Why so we are. We’re out in the middle of the lake.” ”

“ As he did so he uttered a cry.
“Sprain your ankle?” asked Jerry.
“No, but look here!” exclaimed Ned.
In an instant Jerry was at his side. Ned [162] pointed to the ground close to a big tree to which the bow line of the Dartaway was fastened.
There, in the soil was the imprint of a foot, and in the center of it was the mark of an arrow worked in hob nails.
“The man who robbed my father’s store!” exclaimed Ned.
“Or one with the same kind of shoes,” added Jerry.
“There would hardly be two alike,” spoke Ned. “I’m sure it’s the same one.”
“How can you be?” asked Jerry. ”

“ They camped out under a big tree at dusk and ate with good appetites in spite of their gloomy spirits and then, having built a fire on the bank, they prepared to spend the night.
“Forward again!” cried Jerry when after breakfast the simple camp outfit had been packed into the boat. At noon they came to a small village where they stopped for lunch, and to stretch their weary legs.
There they learned that the Dartaway had passed early the previous afternoon. It had made a short stop for gasolene. Of the dealer in the fuel the boys learned that two rough looking men were aboard the craft. ”

“ If you get up any more of an appetite than you have now, Chunky,” said Ned, “I don’t know what we’ll do with you. Can’t you do something for it? Take Anti-Fat or Padded Pellets for Peculiar People or something that’s advertised in the backs of magazines. It’s terrible to have such an appetite as you have.”
“I guess you’d think so, sometimes,” remarked Bob, as he looked at his watch and noted with satisfaction that it was nearly dinner time.
“Come on down to my house for lunch!” exclaimed Ned, divining Bob’s thoughts. “We can talk matters over with dad, and see if it’s all right to go.” ”

“ Now he could hear the heavy breathing of the sleepers that told they were soundly slumbering.
“I’m going to chance it,” the man said softly to himself. “I’ve got to know who they are.”
He struck a match and, shading the flame with his hands, held it as close as he dared to the sleeping ones. At once the man started back with a half-smothered exclamation.
“Two of the boys!” he muttered. “They found us after all, and are on guard. Lucky for us they’re asleep. What shall we do?” ”

“ I don’t want to have anything to do with you!”
“I guess that feeling is as much on our side as it is on yours,” spoke Ned.
“Exactly,” chimed in Jerry. “And what’s more, Noddy Nixon, if you feel that way about it you’d better get off this dock. It’s private property and we don’t allow any but our friends to come here and see our motor boat. You’re a trespasser and the sooner you move on the better we’ll like it.” ”

“ They watched the boat with the tramp-fisherman growing smaller and smaller as he rowed out on the lake, and puzzled more than ever over the queer character.
“Well, shall we start right away?” asked Ned.
“I don’t believe it would do any good,” said Jerry. “Let’s get ready for supper, and this evening we can take a run out on the lake. We probably will not discover anything, but it will be fun, and we may gain a clue.”
Shortly after sunset, the evening meal having been finished, the boys made the Dartaway ready and started away from camp. ”

“ We’ll sink!” screamed Mollie.
“Look here!” exclaimed Jerry sternly. “You girls are old enough to know better. There’s no danger, even if the boat has broken down, and we are stuck fast. If worst comes to worst we can row you ashore. Now, if you’ll keep quiet, I’ll see what’s the matter.”
As Ned had guessed, they were on a sand bar. The boat had been moving quite swiftly before the accident happened, and, what with the momentum and the drift of the current, had run well up on the obstruction. ”

“ Smith soon found them, and introducing them to some of his friends, got places for them at one of the best tables.
“I guess you boys will have plenty of chances to race while you’re here,” said Mr. Smith. “I hear a number of skippers want to try issues with you.”
“Well, they’ll find us ready,” said Jerry. “We’re rather new at the game, but we’ll do our best.”
“That’s the way to talk,” cried Mr. Smith. “Play the game to the limit, no matter what it is. I’d like another brush myself. Your boat can certainly go.” ”

“ Dudley we’re much obliged to him, and we’ll be right up,” said Jerry, and the man, who seemed to be a helper about the place, ran back to the house.
Mrs. Dudley and several of the servants had set a table in the big dining room. The members of the volunteer fire department were standing awkwardly around discussing the events of the last few hours, and Mr. Dudley was going about from one to the other thanking them for what they had done.
“Here comes the real heroes of the day!” cried the fire chief as the boys entered. ”

“ It was nearly midnight before they turned in, and the motor boys, at least, slept soundly until morning.
As for the tramp he may have rested well, but at any rate he was not a late sleeper, for, when the boys crawled out of their comfortable beds for a plunge into the lake they found he had built a fire on shore and was boiling their tea kettle over it.
“That’s very good of you, but you needn’t have gone to that trouble,” said Jerry. “We have a gasolene stove.”
“Tut, tut!” exclaimed the ragged man. “Water for coffee should always be boiled over an open fire. It has more flavor.” ”

“ Noddy seems to have a habit of getting us into trouble along with himself and his cronies.”
“But I haven’t heard of any robberies,” spoke Ned.
“Of course not,” said Jerry. “They’re keeping them quiet, that’s why. But I happen to know that the grist mill, down near Tiverton falls was entered the other night, and quite a sum of money stolen.”
“You don’t mean it!” Ned exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell us before?”
“Because I only heard it from Andy Rush a little while ago,” Jerry replied. “It seems he was in police headquarters and overheard the chief talking to one of the men about it. ”