diff options
| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-25 05:30:12 -0800 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-25 05:30:12 -0800 |
| commit | 8bf19d318d60bf49528251d2ef138f871d967372 (patch) | |
| tree | 9e59df3357db4f2b95aef8b08e6d967a4489fc18 /old/69509-0.txt | |
| parent | 3d7bdd041c3c60184294dd61fc27170a67573687 (diff) | |
Diffstat (limited to 'old/69509-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/69509-0.txt | 6637 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 6637 deletions
diff --git a/old/69509-0.txt b/old/69509-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9e58da7..0000000 --- a/old/69509-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6637 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Frank Allen and his motor boat, by -Graham B. Forbes - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Frank Allen and his motor boat - or, Racing to save a life - -Author: Graham B. Forbes - -Release Date: December 9, 2022 [eBook #69509] - -Language: English - -Produced by: David Edwards, Bob Taylor and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was - produced from images made available by the HathiTrust - Digital Library.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRANK ALLEN AND HIS MOTOR -BOAT *** - - - - - - Transcriber’s Note - - Italic text is displayed as: _italic_ - - - - -[Illustration: “THERE HE IS!” CRIED LANKY EXCITEDLY, POINTING TO THE -MOTOR BOAT THAT LOOMED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THEM - - _Frank Allen and His Motor Boat_ _Frontispiece_ (Page 203) -] - - - - - FRANK ALLEN AND - HIS MOTOR BOAT - - OR - - Racing to Save a Life - - BY - - GRAHAM B. FORBES - - _Author of “Frank Allen’s Schooldays,” “Frank - Allen—Pitcher,” “Frank Allen at - Rockspur Ranch,” etc._ - - [Illustration: Bookmaker’s symbol] - - GARDEN CITY NEW YORK - GARDEN CITY PUBLISHING CO., INC. - 1926 - - - - - FRANK ALLEN SERIES - - BY - - GRAHAM B. FORBES - - _See back of book for list of titles_ - - - COPYRIGHT, 1926, BY - GARDEN CITY PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC. - MADE IN U. S. A. - - - - -FRANK ALLEN AND HIS MOTOR BOAT - - - - -CHAPTER I - -TUNING THE ROCKET - - -“Cunningham really wants a race, does he? Well, I’m ready after -to-day to give him a chance to beat the _Rocket_; but, Lanky, he’ll -have to handle the _Speedaway_ better than he handles himself or he -will find himself taking the rough water of this little boat mighty -quickly.” - -Frank Allen and Lanky Wallace were out on the Harrapin river giving -the regular daily try-out to the _Rocket_. Lanky’s father, after -their return from a recent trip to the West, had presented Frank -with this neat, little, rakish-modeled motor boat for three reasons: -first, because he liked the upstanding leader of the Columbia boys -and felt that his own son, Clarence (though Lanky was the name -known best) could be in no better company; second, because he was -himself a lover of the great out-of-doors and felt that kinship to -Frank which the outdoor life develops in men; and third, he felt -that Frank had done him a great turn out at Gold Fork when he had so -successfully outwitted those who had tried to rob him of the gold -which was rightfully his. - -“You know, sweet little Clarinda—” and Frank started “kidding” his -pal. - -“Listen, boy,” Lanky spoke up quickly, “the Harrapin’s wetter than -usual to-day. One of us might get damp.” - -“As I was saying,” and Frank’s eyes sparkled, “Clarice,” keeping a -watch on Lanky, “you know that a gas engine has fifty-seven varieties -of tricks in it, just like a good Missouri mule, and before I get -into any contests I am going to learn a few of the tricks this one -has.” - -At the moment there seemed to be no reason why Frank Allen should -doubt the faithfulness of his motor, for it was running smoothly, -hitting regularly, and had been responding to-day to its master’s -touch. Which very fact was stated by Lanky Wallace. - -“That’s all right, Lanky—what you say. But you heard me compare a gas -engine to a mule, didn’t you? That is using other words to say that -when you think things are the smoothest is when they are getting -ready to be the worst.” - -The words had just left Frank’s lips and reached Lanky Wallace’s ears -when there was a loud pop and the engine’s explosions ceased. - -“Oh, ye prophet!” and Lanky started laughing. - -“Here! Grab the wheel, hold her straight ahead, and let me tickle -this thing into action,” and Frank let Wallace have his place. - -His wrenches in hand, he took out a spark plug and immediately found -this particular trouble. Cleaning the plug and respacing the two -points across which the spark leaps, he replaced the plug and started -the engine. Again it worked smoothly, and he threw it into gear with -the propeller shaft. - -“I wonder who Cunningham is, really,” he said as he wiped his hands -on some waste and stood again alongside Lanky Wallace. - -“Beats me. But I don’t like him, no matter who he is nor where he’s -from. There’s something about him that isn’t square, Frank. His eyes -are shifty and he seems too anxious to be the leader in everything in -Columbia. I don’t see what Minnie sees in him——” - -The mention of Minnie Cuthbert’s name along with Cunningham’s was -not at all pleasing to Frank Allen, and a little frown stole across -his face. There was silence between the two boys while the _Rocket_ -continued up the river at a medium pace, taking them on an errand for -Frank’s father. - -“Well,” Frank broke into the put-put of the exhaust, “I guess it’s -just a strange face and new ways and new words and lots of great -things he has done, and all of that. They say a woman’s intuition is -unerring, but I believe that you and I have better intuition in this -case than the girls have. I’m going to venture this: I don’t believe -Cunningham is here for any good reason, and I believe that fast motor -boat of his is for some other purpose than just to challenge us -fellows to a race.” - -Silence fell again between the two boys while the _Rocket_ passed -one after another of the beautiful, green, wooded islands which dot -the Harrapin and make it one of the prettiest water-courses in the -country. From among the trees on each of them peeped out pretty -houses or cottages or partly built summer homes, the finished houses -possessed of neat boat landings where week-end parties often stopped -during the solstice days and spent a merry time as guests. - -“What a summer!” suddenly exclaimed Lanky. - -“How?” - -“Well, first out at Rockspur and Gold Fork, and lots of fun and go -almost every minute, and dad’s map being stolen, and the sudden -appearance of Lef Seller, and the hot chase we had, and Lef’s -getting away, and your finding all the gold for dad, and his giving -you a bunch of it, and now back here—all of it, you know.” - -“And don’t forget we’ve got to have a good camp yet before the -summer’s gone,” put in Frank. “I’ve been thinking of it all the -summer and I don’t want to see the time get away from us before we -pull that off.” - -“You’re sure right,” agreed Lanky. - -For a while they chatted about the pleasant times in store for them -on a camping trip, then the conversation again drifted back to their -adventures in the West. All the while Frank was listening, even -through the spoken words, to the action of the motor, feeling all the -time as if something might be wrong with it. - -“Something’s out of adjustment,” he said to his companion, breaking -suddenly into one of Lanky’s speeches. “This motor is good, a -perfect daisy, a four-cycle type that is hardly without equal, and -yet it isn’t acting right, Lanky. I’m not so awfully expert that I -can figure it all out, but there is a noise here that isn’t right. -Listen! Just as I pick her up for some speed, there’s a peculiar -sound.” - -With this Frank increased the speed of the boat, and in perhaps sixty -seconds the _Rocket_ was heading up the Harrapin at a pace which -Frank had not previously held it to. - -“Gee, Frank,” cried Lanky enthusiastically, “what chance has Fred -Cunningham with this? This is speed, I’ll say!” - -“Righto—it’s speed. Look at her nose! Up and after ’em! Look back of -us at the wash. But also listen to that sound. Some of these days -when I need speed and think I’m going to get it, I’m going to find -myself in trouble if I don’t find the cause for it,” and Frank’s tone -was one of extreme worry. - -“What’s the use of worrying? I don’t hear anything half as much as I -see some speed. This is great!” - -Gradually the speed of the _Rocket_ was lessened, for Frank was not -inclined to take chances on something which he did not understand. - -“How far do we go?” asked Lanky. - -“Up to Crescent Island. Father asked me to deliver that message in my -coat pocket up to Mr. Sneed on the Island. I guess it must have been -important, or he would have sent it by mail.” - -Around a long bend of the river they went, past one of the prettiest -of the island group, whereon a handsome summer home stood back of the -shrubbery. - -“I wonder why Mrs. Parsons keeps that big place on the island and -also her home on the shore of the river,” idly observed Lanky -Wallace, nodding over to the very handsome old home on the shore of -the river, standing back on a knoll, protected from the view of the -river boats by great trees and row upon row of shrubs. - -“I understand she has become a sort of miser since Mr. Parsons died. -I have heard that she keeps lots of her family heirlooms and silver -and all that sort of thing up there. - -“I’ve heard all sorts of mysterious things about her place, among -them that she has secret chambers to keep her money and jewels,” and -Lanky looked back at the place. “But, Frank, I don’t believe half of -those stories. You know that lots of the small talk we hear in town -about many folks isn’t so.” - -“That’s true enough,” agreed Frank. “Of course, there is the old -saying that where there’s smoke there is also fire, but I can’t help -but think that a sensible person who is rich is not going to keep -stuff of that sort about the place, exposed to thieves and burglars.” - -“I wonder if she’s afraid to stay there unguarded.” - -“Then why doesn’t she move into town, where she would be close to -neighbors and friends?” - -“On advice of counsel, I must refuse to answer,” said Lanky -banteringly, striking a mock heroic attitude. - -Just at this juncture the expected happened. Frank’s exclamation of -“Now! what’s the matter?” showed that his fears were being realized. -The engine stopped dead, and the _Rocket_ was going upstream merely -because of its own headway. - -Lanky Wallace took the wheel at the suggestion of Frank, so that he -himself could get down to tinker with the engine. - -Once, twice, three times he tried to get it started, but there was no -success. - -Without any show of temper, but a determined look of the conqueror, -Frank Allen rolled his sleeves back, chose the wrenches he wanted, -and started to work. - -“While we’re drifting, Lanky, hold her in toward shore, and when -we’re close enough you might as well ease her up to some good spot to -tie. I’m going to fix this thing if I know how.” - -First the plugs were taken out. They showed considerable fouling, -but when he had cleaned and replaced them there was no success. What -Frank noticed particularly was the resistance which the motor offered -to being turned over. - -A half-hour of drifting passed away, Lanky in charge of the wheel, -and then a slight bump told the boys that he had brought the -_Rocket’s_ nose up against a soft place in the bank. Lanky leaped off -with a line and ran to a low-bending tree, a very convenient willow, -and tied. - -They had drifted back to a point just upstream from the Parsons house. - -Several boats out in midstream passed them, but the two boys, busy in -the cockpit, paid no heed to those who were going their own ways. The -afternoon was wearing on. - -The first thing Frank had discovered was that two of the valve -springs were weak, or appeared to be so, and he placed the only spare -ones he had—two new ones from the tool kit—where they belonged, then -had Lanky try the engine by slowly turning it over to note the effect. - -Next came his examination of the carburetor, where so much of the -trouble of a gas engine lies, and found that the needle valve was -dirty. This being cleaned, an examination of the float having been -made, and all parts then carefully put together, Lanky grabbed the -flywheel and gave it a spin. Away it went with a whir! - -“Now, which of three things was wrong?” laughed Frank, as the motor -spit and sputtered and then went to running evenly. - -“All three!” exclaimed Lanky. “It’s not for me to choose the right -one—so I’ll just play safe and say it was all of them at the same -time.” - -The two boys washed their hands, Lanky loosened the fastening to the -tree, gave a huge shove to the boat to cast it far off shore, leaped -on it as it moved away, and grabbed an oar to propel it further from -shore, paddle-like, so that the propeller would not foul. - -Then, its nose slowly turned upstream, the engine running smoothly, -the _Rocket_ picked up speed under the hand of Frank, and out to -midstream they went, toward the Parsons Island. - -“There’s Cunningham right now!” exclaimed Wallace, pointing to a -rapidly moving boat which was rounding the upper side of the narrow -island. - -It was a trim craft, the _Speedaway_, and worth watching as it -skimmed around the island and made its way toward the same side of -the river as was the _Rocket_. - -“What’s the fool mean? Look at him! Heading straight at us!” cried -Frank, throwing his wheel over to get passing space and blowing his -whistle. - -“Drat his hide!” muttered the other. “Turning directly at us and not -slowing down.” - -Once again Frank eased the _Rocket_ to the port. At once the -_Speedaway’s_ direction was changed, the boat answering quickly to -the wheel, as its speed was kept. - -A long slim V of water washing behind as its bow cut the river with -its burst of speed, the Cunningham craft was bearing directly at the -_Rocket_, a deliberate attempt to run it down! - - - - -CHAPTER II - -THE SCREAM IN THE DARK - - -Lanky Wallace looked aghast as the _Speedaway_ bore squarely at them, -aimed at tearing the _Rocket_ in two. - -Frank Allen, realizing what a dastardly attempt was being made to -disable the boat and probably to injure Lanky and himself, knowing -that only the coolest maneuvering would save them, was as steady as a -post. - -With one swing of his arm to the motor he increased speed and with -the coolest deliberation turned the nose of the _Rocket_ squarely for -the _Speedaway_. His hope was two-fold: that he would scare off the -other men and that he might be in a better position to throw his own -craft hard over to one side at the last moment before any impact. - -His movement was entirely successful in at least one respect—that he -got into position quickly for his own next move. - -In a flash of time the two boats were almost touching noses. Then -came the necessary alertness and deftness of movement. With a hard -tug at his wheel Frank threw the _Rocket_ to one side. - -Crunch! The sides of the two boats rubbed each other all the way from -stem to stern. As quickly as this happened Frank threw the wheel -hard in the opposite direction, with the effect that it threw the -_Speedaway_ around, and did so with such a jerk that a large box fell -overboard on the other side. - -“Hey, you blame fool! What do you mean trying to run me down? What -kind of dirty tricks are you up to?” yelled Fred Cunningham as they -passed. - -Frank, hearing the splash and not knowing that it was not a man -overboard, for he had seen two other men beside Cunningham in the -boat, immediately cut off speed and continued the long turning -movement started when he so quickly gave the push to the stern of the -_Speedaway_. - -Her nose now downstream, Frank and Lanky saw that the _Speedaway_ -had also made a wide turn and was coming back toward a box which -was floating in the river. The speed of the _Rocket_ lessened as it -neared the other motor boat. - -The two men in the _Speedaway_ were busily engaged in reaching for -the floating box, which appeared to be an empty one, and were thus -averting their faces. His quick eyes taking in the scene, however, -Frank got enough of a glimpse of the men to be able to recognize them -again if he should ever see them. - -“Say, what kind of business is this? Do you know that you could have -swamped this boat and put us all into the river?” called Cunningham. - -“That’s about what you had coming to you,” called Frank. Since -Cunningham was playing this kind of trick and since there was nothing -to be gained by having any argument about the guilt of one or the -other, Frank merely showed his contempt for the other. - -By this time the two other men had rescued the box and had placed it -on the deck forward. - -“Do you think that raft of yours has any speed in it?” asked -Cunningham sneeringly. “If you think so, I’ll give you a race any -time you want it.” - -“That’s exactly what I’ll be glad to do. Any time you say and where -you say we’ll show you what a regular boat can do that doesn’t spend -its time running other people down,” called Frank quite coolly. - -“What’s that?” called Cunningham threateningly, getting out from the -cockpit as the two boats lay alongside each other. - -Frank was equally ready, and saw that a lack of movement on his part -might be misinterpreted. Out he stepped from the cockpit of the -_Rocket_ and started toward the side. - -“I said this boat was ready for a race any time, and I said it was -not in the nasty habit of trying to run into other people. Did you -get me plainly?” - -“Race you any time you say, then. Better put two or three more -engines into your rowboat,” again sneered Cunningham, as he stepped -back into the cockpit of the _Speedaway_. - -With that he threw the motor into gear and moved away from the -_Rocket_, which now slowly turned its nose upstream. - -Frank and Lanky were both quiet. Wallace wanted to talk, but he knew -Frank well enough to know that the young captain of the _Rocket_ -did not wish to say anything. Under such conditions Frank Allen was -always most quiet. - -The afternoon sun was slanting its way down into the west and the -cooler breezes of the river were flitting past their tousled heads, -cooling them off a bit after the rather exciting moments they had had. - -It was just at dusk that the boys came to Northeast Bend in the -Harrapin and saw the island for which they were headed. - -As quickly as it was possible to do, without taking too many chances -on injuring the craft, Frank brought it up to the landing with the -engine dead. Lanky leaped ashore and tied to the landing post, while -Frank made sure he had the note in his pocket before stepping off. - -“Well, we’re going to have a moonlight ride on the Harrapin -to-night—provided there’s a moon,” laughed Frank, as he came hurrying -back to the _Rocket_ and found Lanky stretched out astern, viewing -the sky. - -“Good enough, only it’s going to cost someone something to eat when -we get back to town, for I’m as hungry as one of those bears they -talk about.” - -“I think father ought to be the one to buy it. What do you say if you -come on to the house and we’ll have a snack laid out for us that will -improve conditions in the department of the interior.” - -“That’s the most sensible thing you’ve said since we started—so far -as I can recall.” - -In the meanwhile Lanky pulled his frame up from the stern seat, -stretched, jumped to the landing, cast off, and the _Rocket_ was -ready to go. The stream slowly turned the boat’s nose downward as -Frank threw the wheel over. A moment later the motor was going, the -gear shifted, and the _Rocket_ started on its homeward journey. - -“Better get the lights going, Lanky. And while you’re at it, get the -searchlight uncovered and start it. Might as well have all the light -we need. This is the first time we’ve navigated at night, and there -are about two hours of it to do.” - -Lanky took up his task, whistling the while, but suddenly ceased the -music and cried: - -“Say, Frank, there’s not a bit of juice. What’s the big idea? Can’t -light one of them.” - -“Throw the main switch on.” - -“I have, but not a bit comes through. The line’s dead.” - -Here was something more to concern them. Frank Allen knew he did -not dare go far down the river without lights, for the many islands -in the river and the tortuous path it followed at times would put -their own safety at risk, while anything that might be floating in -the stream would be an additional risk. On top of all would be the -risk to themselves and to others should they meet a motor boat or a -rowboat coming upstream. - -“Here, take the wheel and hold her in the middle of the river,” he -directed Lanky, as he threw the engine out of gear with the drive and -started to seek for the trouble. - -Fifteen minutes passed without any degree of success, and actual -darkness was on them. - -“Put her nose over to shore, Lanky. No use taking any chances. We’ve -got to find the trouble.” - -Whereupon Lanky did his duty, and the _Rocket_ was soon tied to the -bank, the engine was stopped, and the two boys began their search for -the trouble. They started at the battery end to trace out the wiring. - -Doing the work carefully, not dodging about after one connection or -another, working methodically, as was Frank’s wont in all things, -they came across a grounded connection which was causing the trouble. - -“What has always got me,” said Lanky, as Frank declared it was a -ground, “is that you call that kind of a connection a ground, or you -say the current is grounded, when there’s no ground near the boat.” - -“Simple as can be to a high-class, first-grade, expert electrical -engineer such as yours truly,” declared Frank, poking out his chest -and striking an attitude. - -“Yes, like I’m a good jeweler!” - -“Now, little playmate, wilt thee kindly cast off the vessel from -yonder coral reef?” Frank continued his attitude. - -Lanky went shoreward, loosed the rope, and threw it on board at the -bow, gave the _Rocket_ a push and leaped aboard himself, hastily -grabbing the oar once again to push the stern away from the shallow -water. - -“Put-put!” and the engine started as he gave the flywheel a spin, -Frank at the wheel ready to throw it in gear and get to midstream. -All lights were going properly. - -Silence now held the boys for a while as Frank picked his way easily -to midstream and headed for Columbia. - -“You know,” Lanky suddenly broke the stillness, still, except for -the muffled exhaust of the motor, “I’ve been wondering about that -fellow Cunningham, Frank. What the mischief is that fellow up to? -What does he want around here? Who are those two men who were with -him? Why did he try to run us down to-day? And any other questions I -may have forgotten.” - -“You haven’t forgotten any. But you sure can have the first chance to -answer all or any of them, too. I don’t know the answers. Wish I did.” - -Lanky was silent again. Frank joined him. - -The _Rocket_ was skimming the Harrapin at a fair pace, no great -amount of speed, however, being shown, for Frank Allen was not -anxious to run into trouble. The searchlight was lighting the river -fifty yards in front of them, first flashing across to the tree-lined -banks as they came to great curves in the river, and again lighting -up some one of the emerald-like isles, though now looming up out of -the water like spectres. No moon was up. - -“Getting down toward home. There’s the Parsons island ahead of us. -We’ll pass it on this side, and then I believe I know the river -better from that point to home.” - -“What’s that over there?” excitedly cried Lanky, as he pointed to -a shadowy thing which had been brought up out of the river as the -searchlight swung toward the shore. - -Back again Frank swung the light, disclosing a rowboat tied to the -bank, with a form, much resembling a living being, at the bow of the -boat. But the light was not strong enough to bring out details. - -“Some one tied there for a while, I guess,” and Frank turned the -searchlight again toward the middle of the stream. - -“Look! A signal!” Lanky had seen a flare of light in the direction of -the boat. - -“Rats, Lanky, you’re letting this darkness get on your nerves.” - -“Well—maybe. Anyhow, if it wasn’t a signal of anything else it was a -signal or sign that he was lighting his pipe.” - -Then a distant hail came to their ears above the put-put of the -motor. They were almost on a line between the Parsons island and -the Parsons home on shore. Frank stooped and cut off the motor, -permitting the boat to drift with its headway. Both the boys -listened. There was no sound. - -“Guess I’m the one that let the light and the sound get on my nerves. -What time is it, Lanky?” - -“Half-past nine o’clock.” - -“That’s early for anything wrong to be happening anywhere, so I guess -there’s nothing happening. Those sounds are common to the river, no -doubt,” and Frank stepped over to grasp the flywheel and start the -engine. - -“Help!” It came across the water from the shore of the Parsons estate. - -Frank straightened and listened. Lanky was sitting bolt upright. Once -again there came the shrill scream of a woman. No other sound. - -“Wonder what it is, Lanky!” - -“Some one in trouble over at the Parsons place.” - -In a trice Frank grasped the flywheel, gave it a twist, the motor -started, and they swung to the shore. Wallace went forward, hoping to -catch any sound that might come across the lessening expanse of water. - -Cutting off the motor, throwing the nose around so as to strike the -bank easily, with Lanky ready to leap ashore with a line, Frank -maneuvered the _Rocket_ expertly. - -Just as Lanky Wallace jumped ashore, as Frank held tight to the -wheel, there came again the shrill scream of a woman from the Parsons -house! - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THE PARSONS JEWELS - - -Up the inclined bank went the two boys, determined now to get to the -Parsons house, whence the cries came. - -Dodging through the shrubbery, which whipped their faces in the inky -darkness, tripping and stumbling over the gnarled roots of some of -the older vines, as they missed their steps, they came to the broad -expanse of lawn in front of the estate which faced the river. - -Once more came that cry of a frightened woman! - -It seemed to come from the rear of the house. Dashing up the steps to -the front porch, Frank tried the door. It was locked. Still another -cry from the woman! - -“Around to the rear!” cried Frank, as Lanky and he turned back from -the resisting front door. - -They dashed as fast as their legs could carry them around the large -building, coming to the rear porch, or gallery, which faced toward -the river road, and up to which a broad driveway led. - -Swish! The starting of a motor! Then a light flashed and an -automobile moved out from the drive at the garage a hundred feet away! - -“There they go!” both boys cried in the same breath, just as a loud -cry came from within: - -“Help! Let me out!” - -It was just over their heads. Frank looked up, but could see nothing. -The night was as black as ink. - -Rushing up the steps to the wide back porch, the two boys tried the -door. It gave to their touch. Both tried to get in at the same time, -and for a second wedged each other. - -Again Mrs. Parsons, for in all probability it was she, screamed, and -Frank dived through the dark for the direction indicated by her voice. - -“Find a light, Lanky, quick!” he cried, feeling about for the door. - -While Frank fumbled along the wall, trying to find the door or closet -wherein Mrs. Parsons was imprisoned, Lanky was in turn fumbling in -his pockets for a match, which, finding at last, he scratched. The -feeble light flared up, and the quick eyes of both boys located the -push button. Each made a dive to get it, but Lanky being nearest -reached it and flooded the room with the necessary light. - -In another moment Frank was smashing against the door behind -and beyond which the woman was screaming even more lustily, more -excitedly, than before. - -As it gave before his second onslaught, he saw she was lying on the -floor, her arms and feet pinioned, a rag which had been used as a -hurriedly made gag lying alongside her head. - -Loosening her arms quickly and lifting her bodily to her feet, Frank -and Lanky both supported her to a chair. - -It was Mrs. Parsons, the wealthy recluse of the county. She was -thoroughly hysterical. - -“My jewels! My silver! They’ve stolen it all and got away! What shall -I do? What shall I do?” - -Frank tried to quiet her, but for a few minutes it was of no avail. -She was thoroughly excited over her experience and her loss, wildly -hysterical about it, crying one moment and screaming the next. - -What seemed to the boys a very long time was only a few minutes, and -then she quieted enough to tell, between gasps and moans, something -of what had happened. - -Mrs. Parsons said that she had returned to her house from a trip to -Columbia just after dark and that her automobile had been put up. She -came into the house, and her maid being out for her regular weekly -day off, she had prepared a little supper for herself. In doing this -she had not gone any further than the kitchen, the pantry, and the -small room off the kitchen which she used as a breakfast room and -which, under circumstances such as these, she used also as a dining -room. - -Having finished her supper she sat in the same small room checking -over her balance in bank as shown by her bankbook as against her own -check stubs. - -“How long were you engaged at this?” asked Frank. - -He was decidedly anxious to get to the heart of the story, yet -realized that she must tell the tale in her own way, even though the -miscreants were putting more and more distance between themselves and -this place at every minute that she detailed the story. - -“Oh, I suppose it was fully an hour that I sat here checking and -thinking idly about different things, then——” - -She proceeded with her story, about as follows: - -She had heard a noise of a peculiar kind several times, but had -paid no heed to it, thinking the noises were caused by the wind, -coupled with the queer noises that one always hears at night. Living -alone in this house for so long she had become quite accustomed to -extraordinary noises, and had enjoyed herself on many occasions -concentrating on some of them and guessing what they were. - -“Suddenly I felt as if some one were behind me,” and she turned -quickly, apprehensively, around, expecting to see some one. - -“As I twisted around to see what could be behind me,” she gasped, -“a man seized me by my shoulders and another placed a hand over my -mouth. I screamed as I jerked and for a moment freed myself from his -grasp over my mouth. But in a second he again placed his hand over my -mouth, the other hand going around my throat, and I could not even -breathe.” - -“Then they placed you in the pantry?” asked Frank. - -“Yes, they dragged me over there, one of them tied a rag around my -face, to gag me, and then they bound my hands and feet.” - -“How did you get the gag off so that you could scream so loudly—for -we were attracted by your screams?” - -“I guess it was because I twisted and squirmed so much. Anyway, -finally, while I was almost frantic over the noises I could hear of -their packing up my silver and loading it into a box and carrying -it out, I managed to free myself from the gag, and then I started -screaming as hard as I could.” - -“But why scream, when you knew you were so far from neighbors?” - -“You heard me, didn’t you? You heard me from the road and came. -That’s why I screamed.” - -“Yes, we heard you from out on the river. That’s how far your screams -carried,” replied Frank, speaking softly so as to reassure her. “Now, -let’s call the police and get them out here.” - -“Yes, yes, call the police!” she cried, gaining strength and with it -her composure. “Let’s look around and see what is gone, too.” - -Lanky hurried to the telephone, being directed to its location by -Mrs. Parsons, and sent in a call for the police headquarters in -Columbia, reporting the robbery and asking for men to be sent at -once. The night lieutenant replied that he would send two special -men immediately. It may be added here that Frank’s old friend, Chief -Hogg, was no longer at headquarters in Columbia. His health had given -out and he was away on a long vacation and another man the boys did -not know was now at the head of the police department. - -In the meanwhile Mrs. Parsons and Frank started through the house. In -the dining room they saw the sideboard drawers all pulled out, and -linens strewn on the floor. - -“All my silverware—gone!” she moaned, her hands to her face. -“Thousands of dollars’ worth of the very finest sterling silver -dishes and all my flat silver, too! There’s the plated ware on the -sideboard—they did not want that. Oh, what shall I do. All my silver -gone, gone!” - -Frank surveyed the scene quietly, not knowing how much of the ware -there might have been. Nor had he any idea of what amount it would -take to make “thousands of dollars’ worth.” - -“Let us not touch anything here, Mrs. Parsons,” Frank suggested, as -Mrs. Parsons stooped to put one of the drawers in its place in the -sideboard. “Let us leave things just as they are until the police get -here.” - -She stood quietly and looked at the disturbed condition of things for -a while. Then she said: - -“I wonder if they could have gotten my jewels upstairs. Let’s see!” - -She started off with the sudden recollection that these same men -could have gotten more than the silverware. - -Up the steps to the second floor they went, into her own apartment. -There the dresser drawers were scattered about the floor, everything -in the closets was down, showing that a search had been made for -valuables. - -Over in one corner of the room, in a place that was rather out of -sight, a small safe was standing, its door wide open. - -“The safe! My jewelry!” - -The safe was empty. Papers and large legal envelopes lay on the -floor, but otherwise the safe was absolutely, completely, hopelessly -empty. - -Mrs. Parsons sat stiffly down on the bed and cried, moaning the while -about the loss of her jewels. - -“How much was there, Mrs. Parsons?” asked Frank, after taking in the -whole scene and waiting for the first shock to pass. - -“Literally thousands upon thousands of dollars. There were jewels -there which my grandfather and my own father and mother had left to -me, and much that Mr. Parsons had bought for me at different times. -Oh, there were rings and necklaces and bracelets and pins and scores, -scores of small pieces of all kinds! And there were four large -diamonds which were unmounted, all in a small iron box.” - -The robbers had made a good haul while they were at it. Evidently -they had known something of the lie of the land, had figured where -everything was, or had been told where things were. And, thought -Frank, they had not done all this after they had bound and gagged the -wealthy widow. There was so much to be done that they had probably -been in the house while she was away, and the small noises they made -upstairs were those which she had heard and had permitted to pass -unheeded. - -Having looked carefully about the room, having seen how thoroughly -these fellows had worked, Frank proposed they go downstairs to await -the police. - -They had not long to wait. They had barely gained the landing below -when the police knocked at the front door, having come around from -the broad front of the house. - -Frank admitted them while Mrs. Parsons, still almost overcome at the -fright and also at the realization of her loss, sat in a large chair, -sobbing, patting her eyes with her handkerchief the while. - -The whole story was told again, this time a few little details being -added which explained to Frank the very things he had thought were -true that these fellows had been in the house all the time, and that -they had caught and bound her when they had finished upstairs and had -come down to rifle the lower part of the house. - -“Have you any idea who did this, Mrs. Parsons?” asked one of the men -from the police department. - -“If I had, would I have you out here? Wouldn’t I have you chasing -them right now?” - -“I mean, madam, would you recognize them if you saw them again?” - -“No, because they wore handkerchiefs over their faces, and that is -all I saw as I turned to see what was behind me.” - -“Did you notice their clothes or anything?” - -“No—oh, yes! I’ll tell you something,” and she smiled for the first -time. “When that fellow put his hand roughly over my face the second -time, one of his fingers got between my lips and I bit down hard on -him, so hard that he jerked it away, but he had it back again before -I could draw my breath and scream. I know I bit him so hard that it -will show.” - -The policeman smiled. - -“Pretty hard work to find one fellow out of thousands whose finger -was bitten.” - -“And, besides,” broke in Frank Allen, “they are a long distance from -here right now. That car started away mighty fast.” - -“What car? Did you see them? Did you get here in time to see them get -off in a car?” - -The man from police headquarters swung on Frank. - -“Yes, we heard the screams and came running here. Just as we came to -the rear of the house we heard a car door slam, saw the lights flash -on, and the car pulled out from the garage.” - -“Where were you when you heard Mrs. Parsons?” - -“Out on the river,” answered Frank. - -“And you heard her scream from here away out in the river, from the -rear of this house to that broad lawn and out there?” questioned the -man. - -“Sure. How would we have come here if we hadn’t heard the noise?” -asked Frank in turn. - -The two men from police headquarters drew aside and held a whispered -consultation. Then the chief of the two came back. - -“Mrs. Parsons, how long after the two men left did these young -fellows come in here to turn you loose? How did they get in?” - -“How would she know the answer to the last question?” asked Frank. -“We found the rear door open, and we broke down the pantry door, as -you can see by looking at it.” - -“You have been in this house several times as the guest of Mrs. -Parsons, have you not?” asked the policeman. “When she entertained -you while you were at high school?” - -“Oh, officer,” cried the widow. “What do you mean? Frank Allen could -have had nothing to do with this!” - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -WHEN FIRE LIGHTS THE SKY - - -The accusation, hardly to be called veiled, rather startled Frank -Allen. Lanky, close chum of Frank’s that he was, moved as if to -strike the policeman, but refrained on sober second thought, since it -would certainly have placed him in a bad light. - -“You are inclined to jump at conclusions without much thought,” -remarked Frank quietly, though in that quietness there was the glint -and swish of a rapier blade. “We thought you were coming up here to -help find the thieves and not to waste time making wild accusations.” - -“Zat so, young man? Well, my advice to you is to keep a quiet tongue -or things won’t be so quiet for you.” - -This exchange of remarks brought Mrs. Parsons around from her -hysterical fright to a feeling of resentment. - -“Pray, let us not have any trouble of the kind. We have had enough -trouble to worry us. Let us proceed to learn whether we might not -find a way to gain proof against the men who have done this.” - -“I quite agree with you, Mrs. Parsons. If there are such things as -clues which will help us fasten this on the men who did it, let’s try -to find the clues.” Frank was keeping his cool demeanor. - -“I’ll see to the clues.” The policeman still held to his manner, -which was bellicose, to say the least. “We do not need your help, -young man, and you may leave.” - -“This is my house, sir!” The widow spoke angrily. “Mr. Allen will -stay here until he pleases to leave.” - -“No, Mrs. Parsons, I think it wise that I leave. I thank you ever so -much for what you have said, but since it might merely slow things -down if I stayed, I will be getting back home, for it is already -late.” - -With this Frank and Lanky bowed themselves out of the house and were -gone down the river bank. - -Walking at a medium pace across the great spread of carpeted grass, -the two boys said nothing to each other, though both were thinking -deeply. - -The vines and shrubs cracked and swished as they pushed their way -through these, and both came out at the river bank at practically the -same time—and with the same thought. - -For both were looking, or trying to look, through the darkness to a -point upstream. Seeing in this inky blackness was impossible. Even -their boat, the _Rocket_, was a slightly darkened blob against the -river. - -Not until the boat had been pushed into the stream and Frank had -guided it away after Lanky had turned the engine over, was the -silence between these two friends broken. - -“What does it mean?” asked Wallace. - -“It really, down to brass tacks, doesn’t mean anything, Lanky, as -you will realize if you think of it for a minute. We know we haven’t -done anything wrong, don’t we? So, all it can mean is that the police -force has one more member on it than we thought who hasn’t all that’s -coming to him.” - -“But it doesn’t alter the fact that he has accused us of having -something to do with this robbery.” - -“He also hasn’t altered the fact that we didn’t, has he? You’ve got -to battle with facts when you get after things of this kind. Now, I -know a fact which I should like to place before your attention—there -was an old boat tied up to the river bank just above us when we -landed.” - -“Yes, and I was remembering the same thing when we came through the -brush. But you can’t see anything in the dark. Let’s go back and see -if it’s there.” - -“Sure, it isn’t there! What’s the use of going back? If the fellow -had no reason whatever for being there he would have moved by this -time, because it has been more than an hour, maybe nearly two hours. -And if he did have something to do with it, he wouldn’t be there yet.” - -“But those fellows who got into the auto when we came to the -house—how about them? What connection would they have with the boat, -for they had a car?” - -Lanky had asked a question that meant something. What, indeed, could -the car have to do with the boat? - -Frank was silent, thinking, as was Lanky. - -The steady put-put of the exhaust broke the silence, and Frank -steered a course well toward the farther side of the Harrapin, -thinking to skirt close to the next island, for in doing so at the -wide bend of the river below he would gain a short distance. - -Wallace was standing close to Frank in the cockpit, and their words -were not spoken, when they did speak, very loudly. The submerged -exhaust did not bother them greatly. - -“Wish we could have got some idea of the shape of that car,” muttered -Frank Allen. “When he flashed on the lights to get away we might have -had gumption enough to have noticed the license tag.” - -“I did,” replied his mate. “There wasn’t any.” - -“What? Are you quite sure?” - -“Well,” and Lanky drawled his reply to the question, “maybe I -oughtn’t to have said that. As I recall the impression on my mind -when they started off, the red light did not show any license tag -beneath it.” - -“We didn’t even notice whether they turned up the road or down, -either, so there’s that much information that we lost. Instead, we -dashed up those steps and into the house.” - -“They must have had a lot of time to do what they did.” Lanky spoke -suddenly after another period of silence. “They could not have done -all that after they bound her in the pantry.” - -“That’s what I think. They probably were already in the house before -she got home. But that brings up this question, Lanky—if their car -was standing at the spot where we saw them get in at the time she -came home, why didn’t the driver of her own car notice it and tell -them?” - -“Gee, that’s a fact! Now, what does that mean? Does it mean that they -arrived after she did? Does it mean they entered the house after she -arrived home, proceeded upstairs and finished the work, and then came -down and got her?” - -“Doesn’t sound reasonable. Let’s see what we would have done if we -had been the culprits.” Frank was reasoning it out slowly. “If I had -gone in there after she returned, and I had known she was there, I -would not have taken a chance on proceeding upstairs, making noise -which she might have heard and reported over the telephone before I -could get downstairs to quiet her.” - -“How about this?” Suddenly a thought struck through Wallace’s mind. -“Could not these fellows have left their car outside somewhere, out -of sight, and the driver of it could have brought it up after she had -returned home and after her own driver had gone away?” - -The idea was a good one, and Frank turned to look fairly at his -friend before he answered. - -“Hey! Hold off there! What the dickens!” - -The sudden cry had come from out the darkness on the river. Frank’s -head was back again to the forward end of the _Rocket_. Squarely in -his path was a dark object of considerable size! - -With a wide sweep of the wheel he threw the _Rocket_ hard over to the -port side, his right hand reaching down to slow the motor so as to -decrease the impact when he struck. - -But the _Rocket_ missed the object. - -It was a rowboat with three men in it, and a large box or trunk-like -object in the stern. Frank threw his searchlight into play and -dropped it squarely on the rowboat. - -But the man at the oars was pulling hard on them, getting out of -range of the light. - -“Why don’t you watch where you’re going?” came out across the river -to them. - -Frank and Lanky said nothing. The searchlight was reaching out in an -effort to locate them, but when it found the mark, two of the men -ducked low in the boat while the third one was plying the oars as -hard as his strength permitted. - -“Isn’t that the same boat?” gasped Lanky. - -Frank said nothing. Instead, he changed the course of the _Rocket_, -but he was too late to get immediately after the fellows. The island -was squarely in front of him, the one he had aimed at passing on this -side to shorten the run down the river. - -Around it to the far side he went, then swung as closely as good -navigation of the _Rocket_ would permit, to get back to the course -made by the rowboat. - -Several minutes were consumed in making this return to the former -location, and the path had led completely around the island in an -attempt to head off the rowboat. - -Back upstream they went, the searchlight playing here and there, -seeking for the little craft. - -“I’d be careful, Frank,” muttered Lanky Wallace. “If there’s anything -wrong about these fellows, they’re very apt to do some shooting.” - -“I’ll take the chance,” and Frank gritted his teeth. - -Over toward the farther shore they went, then swung back again, but -the searchlight of the _Rocket_, though flung first to one side and -then the other, failed to reveal the boat. - -“That’s mighty queer. That boat is on the river. It has no motor. It -can’t move away fast. We are faster than it is. So, it is not far -from here right now.” - -“But it isn’t in sight. It is so plagued pitchy dark that one can’t -see, anyhow,” replied the other. - -“But we’ve come right across their path. They can’t have gotten far.” - -“No—you’re right. But they’ve gotten out of sight whether they got -far away or not.” - -“Suppose they turned, too, when they saw us turning, and went to the -upper side of the island? Let’s take a look?” - -Lanky said nothing. But he was thinking that he did not relish the -plan. He knew that a bullet could come out of that darkness very -easily, for the willows hung far over the water on the upper side of -this island, as he well recalled, and the boat could easily have slid -somewhere beneath them. - -Frank navigated toward the island, the searchlight playing about, -like some great sepulchral hand reaching out to grasp, in weird, -ghostlike fashion, whatever it might find. - -Though they searched the waters and around the island for several -minutes, no trace of the rowboat was to be found. It had completely -vanished in the night. - -“Frank,” declared Lanky, as they moved down the river after the -fruitless hunt, “that rowboat is on the upper side of the island, -under those willows, snugly tucked away, and there was at least one -gun pointed our way in case we ran in there.” - -“Maybe you’re right. Even at that I don’t see that we need to risk -our skins hunting for something that may be as peaceable as a baby.” - -“Not much, and you know it!” exclaimed Lanky. “That boat was -something crooked, or they wouldn’t have dodged out of sight. If -everything was all right it would have been in plain sight when we -came up around that island.” - -“You’re absolutely right, Lanky. And it was that very idea in my own -mind that caused me to want to hunt it out.” - -The _Rocket_ was now headed straight for Columbia. Only a few more -miles and they would be at home—at a rather late hour, and probably -with two families worrying over the two boys. - -“We might have been thoughtful enough to have called our people from -Mrs. Parsons and let them know where we were,” ruefully remarked -Frank. - -“As if we could have been so thoughtful under such circumstances as -those. I think we did a wonderful thing when we thought to call up -even the police station with all that excitement.” - -They looked straight ahead for several minutes. The minds of these -two youths, both active ones, were fully engaged on the happenings of -the evening, which had, to say the least, come rather thick and quite -fast. - -“Was that a trunk or a box in that boat?” asked Frank. - -“Looked to me like a large box—about the size of one I saw earlier in -the day in the _Speedaway_.” - -“Huh?” This had set Frank to thinking. - -“And that rowboat looked as much like the one we saw at the bank -above the Parsons place as any other rowboat would look.” - -“That’s putting two and two together, Lanky, as rapidly as that -policeman did.” - -“What’s that?” Lanky’s startled voice cried as he pointed ahead of -them toward the city of Columbia, whose electric lights were now -dancing across the waters. - -The two boys studied a bright reflection in the sky for some seconds, -both figuring what this might be. - -“It’s a fire, and a big one, too—or at least it is big enough to look -mighty big in the skies,” said Frank slowly. - -“Where can it be? In the heart of town? Or is it further away?” - -“Don’t know. But my guess is that it’s right where dad’s place is. -See that smokestack there to the right? That’s right across the -street from dad’s store. How far is the fire from that stack?” - -“It’s right there, Frank! Sure as can be, that is your father’s place -on fire—and it looks like it is a real one, too!” - -Midnight, almost, with a great fire in the Allen department store—his -father’s place of business—and he on the river, unable to be of aid! - -Frank gave the motor all its speed. The _Rocket_ fairly leaped out of -the water on its way! - - - - -CHAPTER V - -THE TOLL THAT FIRE COLLECTS - - -Everything in the town of Columbia seemed to be astir. As Frank and -Lanky came rapidly down the Harrapin to the landing at the Boat Club -they heard the clanging of bells, the tooting of automobile horns, -the blowing of steam whistles, and the sound of many voices, all in a -babel. - -“It is dad’s place, all right!” Frank’s remark was more in the nature -of a groan than anything else, though he was not usually given to -taking things that way. But, at the end of a day of excitement -of several kinds, at the end of a day wherein he had been openly -accused of a theft of silverware and jewels by the policeman from -headquarters, this outbreak of the fiery monster in his father’s -place was calculated to give him a sinking of the heart. - -“I believe it is, too,” came from his friend. - -They made the landing and tied the boat as quickly as safety would -permit, having first drifted it into its house. Frank looked -hurriedly about to see that nothing of an inflammable nature was -exposed to anything which might start a fire, and then, ready to -leave, he threw off the main switch. - -Out of the building they went on the shoreward side, and started the -dash for the fire. - -“Dad’s place, is right!” Frank gasped, as they turned into the main -street leading uptown and could see the exact location of the blaze. - -Crowds had gathered quickly, the streets were fairly jammed, people -being there in all manners of dress, for it was close to the midnight -hour and Columbia had, in a very large measure, retired for the night -when the summons came. - -Lines of hose were lying about the streets, all drawn tight like so -many wriggling snakes of huge size, as the two boys neared the square -where the fire was. - -At the corner below the Allen store, standing close to a fireplug, -stood one of the city’s engines, manned by two coal-dust-covered -firemen, adding to the pressure of the water line. - -The police had taken charge of the situation, and were holding back, -by means of a patrol, the great crowds of people so that they would -not hinder the hurrying firemen in their work. - -Sparks and flying pieces of burning wood were being hurled in every -direction. - -Frank and Lanky, leaping lines of hose, dodging the firemen, roughly -breaking their way through the cordons of people here and there, -dashed headlong for the fire. - -“Hi! Come back there! Get back of the line!” yelled one policeman, as -Frank broke through a crowd of onlookers. - -Before he could dodge or wriggle through somewhere else the burly -fellow had him by the shoulder. - -“That’s my father’s place!” cried Frank. “Let me through so I can -help him. Maybe he’s in there!” - -The policeman looked the boy over, and then, slowly through his brain -came a recollection of this young fellow and his athletic exploits in -Columbia. - -“All right, young feller,” he said, and Frank was released. “I’ll let -ye go, but take care when ye reach the main line up there. Orders is -orders, and we’re not to let any one through.” - -Again Frank and Lanky stretched their legs for the fire, this time -being slowed down considerably by the heat which rushed down upon -them from the blaze which was rapidly gaining. - -As they turned around the corner from the street on which the store -faced, and looked down the side street this sight greeted their eyes: - -The entire northwest corner of the Allen Department Store was ablaze, -flames leaping from the tier of windows running up the freight -elevator. The flames had probably started at some floor near the -bottom of the building and had been drawn straight upward through the -elevator shaft, which acted as a giant flue, or stack. The danger lay -in their spreading to each of the floors. - -Frank stood motionless as the sight lay before him. Lanky stood -panting beside him, their eyes taking in the scene from top to bottom. - -“There’s dad!” Frank moved swiftly across the street to where he saw -his father helping direct the work of the firemen. “What can I do, -dad?” - -“Nothing right now, boy. The thing is just trying to get a start. -Those iron doors at the elevator openings will hold the flames from -each of the floors, if only we can keep them in check for a little -while.” - -But Frank was hardly willing, like the red-blooded boy he was, to -stand idly by and permit this to be going on without some effort on -his part to help. - -“Dad—” he grabbed his father by the sleeve—“what do you say if I take -some of that fire-fighting powder and try to get it down the shaft?” - -“That’s the idea! But don’t you do it! Let some of the firemen do -that. They’re better prepared.” - -Frank paid no further heed. He called to Lanky, and then led the way -to the warehouse across the alley from the store. In his pocket was -a key which he always carried, for he stored much of his athletic -material there from time to time. Unlocking the door and quickly -closing it behind them as the two boys entered, Frank found the spot -where the stock of fire-fighting powder was kept. He and Lanky took -three packages each, as much as they could safely carry. - -“How’ll we get up there?” asked Lanky. - -“Go through the lodge rooms next door. Let’s get over there and get -to that adjoining roof. Some of the firemen can bring a ladder up.” - -As they came out of the warehouse Mr. Allen was there to meet them, -with the chief of the department alongside. - -“Here, Frank, the chief will attend to that.” - -“No, keep as many men down here with the water as you can. Give me a -couple of men to bring up a ladder through the lodge next door, and -we’ll get to the roof. Then we can douse this powder down the shaft -and slow it up enough to fight.” - -“We’ll put a hose up there, too!” cried the chief. - -“Look out for the garage over there!” went up a shout from the crowd -just at this juncture, and they all turned to look. - -Great fiery embers were floating down on the roof of the garage which -stood on the opposite side, wherein was stored barrel upon barrel of -oil and where a great deal of oily waste was lying around, gas also -being kept in the tanks which were fed from the sidewalk. - -“Put a hose on that garage!” called the chief. “Now, Tom, you and -Andy get a ladder and go with these two boys. Get to the roof -adjoining. Tell Micky to send a hose up through the stairway next -door and try to get it to the roof.” - -The two boys got around the corner, the police keeping the surging -crowds back, and started up the steps to the lodge room at the top. -Reaching there, panting hard for breath, the two boys faced the door -of the lodge room, closed, locked. - -But Frank knew better than to go this way. In all such buildings -there is an opening to the roof from the hallway, and Frank’s -observation was that this opening was usually at the rear. So it was -in this case. - -In another moment the two firemen with the ladder hoisted it in -place. One of them scrambled to the top, unhooked the hatch, threw it -on to the roof, and all four of them were very quickly out on top. - -“Just in time!” cried the first fireman. “And luckily for us, the -wind is blowing the other way—off the building instead of on to it.” - -Making their way quickly across to the parting wall, having pulled -the ladder up behind them, they now placed it against the wall and -all four scaled to the roof of the Allen store. - -One of the firemen grabbed a bag of the fire-powder from Frank’s arm, -and both of them rushed toward the elevator shaft, where blazes were -breaking through the wooden door. Laying the powder on the roof, -they again dragged the ladder up from the wall, and, using it as a -battering ram, they very quickly knocked the burning door inward. - -Out leaped a perfect rush of flames, their long red hungry tongues -leaping and crackling in fiendish glee as the opening gave a -first-class draft for the fire below in the shaft. - -Crack! The first bag of fire-powder was hurled into the shaft, -spilling downward. Crack, went another. Then another, and one more, -in quick succession, each carefully aimed through the center of the -opening. - -By this time the firemen with the hose were calling for the ladder, -which was passed down to them by the two firemen on the roof while -Frank and Lanky continued hurling the powder at the opening until all -six bags were gone. - -Frank recalled that the salesman of the powder had stated that it -was merely a deterrent of fire, and would not extinguish a large -blaze—only hold it in check for a few moments. - -So it did in this case. The flames of a sudden grew smaller, and -Frank realized that their time to get water down the shaft had -arrived. - -“Water!” went the cry from one of the firemen on the roof, as he -signaled to the street below, where a burly fellow stood at the water -plug with hand on wrench ready to give them the water. - -Instantly the hose swelled and twisted and turned, writhing to get -away from them, but six men, including Frank and Lanky, were at the -nozzle end of the hose, keeping it to its duty. - -Swish! The first rush of water came, stopped, and then a full stream -came pumping through the nozzle. Straight into the elevator shaft it -went. The flames leaped up in defiance, and the water struck again. - -“We’ve got it now!” came from one of the firemen in a muffled voice. -“It may break through one of the other floors, but it can’t do any -more harm in this shaft.” - -Seeing that the fire through the shaft was now held in check, or -would be in a few minutes more, as black smoke commenced rolling up, -Frank went over the side and started down. Lanky was immediately -behind him, having first asked the firemen if four of them could -handle the nozzle. - -“Gee, I hope it hasn’t gotten through any of those floor doors,” -remarked Frank, as they reached the top floor of the lodge building -and walked down the stairs. - -“I don’t suppose it has, but even if it has they can hold it now, -because the fellows on top will stop it from going up the flue,” -remarked Lanky. - -Down at the street level once more, they turned to where the fire had -been raging. Sparks were no longer flying as freely as they had, and -the sky was not so well lighted by the flames. - -Crash! Crash! A sound as of a floor falling. - -Just at this moment the fire chief came running toward Frank. - -“Mr. Allen’s down in the basement! He went in there a minute ago!” - -“Is father in there?” blurted Frank Allen dazedly. - -“So one of the men says. I told him to keep out of there, but he went -in by the front door a few minutes ago this fellow says, and he just -came back to tell me.” - -“That’s a fact. Went running in, and I yelled at him, because there’s -no telling what’s in there yet.” - -Frank turned and started for the front door. - -“Here, here!” the chief grabbed for Frank. “Hold on! I’ll go in there -and find him! Stay out of there!” - -But he had spoken too slowly, and even his words would not have -stopped the boy. Lanky went leaping behind his chum, but the chief -grabbed Wallace and threw him to one side, telling him to stay out, -while he, the chief, went dashing through the door behind Frank. - -A heavy pall of smoke hung over the entire first floor, and as the -door opened and closed behind him, Frank Allen felt a heavy rush of -heat and wondered how his father could have gone through it. - -“Dad! Dad!” he cried, but then decided to keep his mouth closed, -for he had sucked in a mouthful of the choking smoke, and his lungs -seemed to be bursting. - -Holding his breath, he rushed along the broad aisle toward the rear. -Flames were licking around the elevator shaft, just breaking through. -Around the stairway opening the floor was gone! It had caved in, and -flames were now starting to leap through to the first floor. - -How should he get below? His father was probably down there. Probably -had been directly over this spot when the cave-in happened, caused by -the flames having eaten away the floor supports in the basement. - -A groan came from the right of them. Like a flash Frank leaped in -that direction. He recalled the narrow stairs which led to the vault -in the basement from the rear office, while the broader stairway was -used for customers. - -Barely able to hold his breath, gasping and gulping, the boy made his -way to that narrow stairway, down its sinuous path, heard the groan -again, and himself fell to the floor as he slipped on the steps. - -The flames in the farther part of the basement were leaping and -crackling, lighting the entire space. Mr. Allen was crawling along -the floor, groaning and moaning, having tumbled through when the -floor caved in. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -AN UGLY INTIMATION - - -Grabbing his father under the arms, Frank half carried, half -supported him to the stairway, just as the chief came scrambling down. - -They very soon brought the man into the open air. Everything was at -a high pitch of excitement, as the word had gone around the crowd -that Mr. Allen had been injured, perhaps killed. A half-dozen other -rumors were in the air, all caused by the knowledge that a part of -the building had caved in and that Frank Allen and the chief had been -seen dashing into the place. - -As the three emerged from the building, doctors grabbed them, for the -chief and Frank were choking from the smoke, while Mr. Allen was now -unconscious. - -In a short while the chief was himself, as was also Frank, while Mr. -Allen had been hurried off to a hospital. Being informed of this when -he had come around, Frank, too, was driven quickly to the hospital. -Mrs. Allen and Frank’s sister Helen were out in the Canadian Rockies -on a visit. - -The chief now directed the fire-fighting to better effect since he -knew the situation more thoroughly within the building. In an hour -the fire was completely out. - -At the hospital aid was given to Mr. Allen, who had suffered bruises -from the fall through the floor, probably also from pieces of timber -or goods which fell on top of him, and, as the doctors said, maybe -internal injuries were inflicted. - -It was too early to make a close examination, and Frank could only -content himself with hearing the carefully worded reports of the -physicians and the nurse. - -Morning came to find a very weary young man still waiting nervously -around the hospital for better word of his father’s condition. - -Lanky Wallace, who had tried to be of assistance to Frank after the -accident, but who had gone home at his earnest solicitation, now came -to the hospital and took him away for breakfast. - -After breakfast Frank went to the store, and, with several of the -clerks, attended to laying out plans for repairs and also for getting -things straight. - -The actual damage, from a financial point of view, was not great, -though the entire stock had been subjected to damage by water and -smoke. The cleaning and brightening of the store would require some -days. - -Before going home to get a rest which was so needed, he sat in -conference with his father’s friends and the banker, making -preparations for the contractor to take charge of all repair work. - -This done, and noon-time having arrived, Frank returned to the -hospital, to receive the joyful news that his father had regained -consciousness and was able to talk with him, though only for a -limited number of minutes. - -Frank explained what had been done, and the smile on his father’s -face indicated that a great deal of worry had been removed. The -doctor standing close by nodded his approval of the things which -Frank related. - -“Getting his mind in a quiet frame will help much toward bringing him -around,” remarked the physician. Then Frank was told to leave and, -also, that he must not return to see his father until late in the -evening, when the promise was that he would be even more improved. - -Evening came, finding Frank much rested and back at the hospital. The -nurse was the only one present, and informed him that his father was -decidedly better, his consciousness fully regained, that no signs -had yet shown themselves to indicate any internal injuries—that, in -short, all was going well. - -In the meantime Mrs. Allen and Helen were planning to return home as -speedily as possible, as both wished to be at the side of husband -and father at this time of trouble. But the trip was a long one and -would take over a week to accomplish, for they were not even near the -railroad. - -On the second morning after the fire Lanky and Frank were together -and were joined along the streets by several of the boys, among them -being Ralph West. Rapid fires of questions as to the condition of -his father were hurled at Frank, and every one seemed pleased at the -cheery news that he was apparently better. - -“Tell me about this robbery up the river,” said Ralph, when they had -a moment together. “It has been in the papers, and I saw you and -Lanky had been there shortly after it happened.” - -“I haven’t seen the article, Ralph, but Lanky and I got there right -after it all happened and turned Mrs. Parsons loose. But this fire -and dad’s getting hurt knocked out of my mind most of the thoughts of -the robbery.” - -He told Ralph some parts of the story, the high lights of it, -following Ralph’s questions. - -“Why are you asking so many questions about it?” asked Frank, for -Ralph was not generally given to gathering such close details. - -“Because I heard on the street a while ago that the chief is going -to have a hearing of some sort and that they are going to ask you and -Lanky over there.” - -“That wouldn’t be out of the way,” replied Frank. “They wish to get -all the information they can in order to locate those thieves, I -presume, and certainly Lanky and I were there very closely behind -them—in fact, we were there at the same time they were and saw them -go—and something we might tell the chief that Mrs. Parsons hadn’t -told or didn’t know, may help.” - -Though he did not mention it to Ralph, Frank had not forgotten the -accusation made by the policeman while at the Parsons place, and, -though he knew it was a false one, it was an uncomfortable feeling -to realize that some one, whether in authority or not, whether a -thinking man or not, had accused him of complicity of some sort. - -“Frank,” said Lanky, as he came up and joined the two, “what do you -say if you and I and any of the others who care to do so go up to -the Parsons place to see what we can learn? You know, we might see -something in daytime that we couldn’t see at night.” - -“It may be of no use,” replied Frank. “How do we know they have not -already found the fellows?” - -At this juncture a policeman waved to the boys from across the -street, and came up to Frank. - -“The chief is going to have a hearing to-day and wants you to be -present. Also you,” turning to Lanky. “It will be at two o’clock.” - -“Can we go?” Ralph West immediately asked, meaning Paul Bird and -himself. - -“Sure, you can go! But I don’t know whether the chief will let you -in.” - -“We’ll go and try,” both the boys agreed. - -Just before two o’clock all four of them were at the chief’s office, -but Paul and Ralph were refused admission. At this refusal, which had -been expected, they told Frank and Lanky they were going to remain -within easy distance, because they wanted to get in on the search and -its expected excitement, if one should be started. - -In the chief’s office Frank and Lanky saw Mrs. Parsons, the chief, -the two policemen who had been there when called to the place -by telephone, and, much to the surprise of both the boys, Fred -Cunningham was sitting there. - -As these two boys were the last, evidently, who had come of those -invited or summoned, the chief greeted them quietly and at once -started his hearing. - -Mrs. Parsons first told her story, practically the same as she had -told two nights before, the difference lying primarily in her -quietness of manner as opposed to the rather hysterical recital she -had formerly made. - -Then followed the two statements by Frank and by Lanky, both the -same, for they had seen the same things. - -Following this came the statements of the two policemen who had -appeared on the scene after having been called. - -Frank felt much relieved when the principal of the two did not make -any allusions such as those which he had made at the Parsons place. - -“Now, I’d like each of you to be prepared to answer questions,” the -chief sat forward toward his desk, taking it by both sides with his -hands in rather a pugnacious attitude, or one that was calculated to -show that he meant business. - -“First, how far, Mr. Allen, were you out in the river when you heard -the cries of Mrs. Parsons?” - -“I should say we were a hundred yards from shore.” - -“How long did it take you to land and get to the house?” asked the -chief. - -“Perhaps five minutes, though one cannot very well guess at the time. -We got to shore, tied, and ran through the underbrush, but it was -very dark and we probably were longer than we might have been had it -been daylight.” - -Then the chief skipped over the whole narrative to the next question, -which was one of opinion: - -“If you were in my place, would you say the robbers were in the house -when Mrs. Parsons got home or that they got in after she arrived -home?” - -Frank smiled a little, for he and Lanky had talked over the same -question. - -“Wallace and I talked about that very thing when we got back to the -boat. From the things we saw in the upper room and from what Mrs. -Parsons told us about the queer noises she heard, I believe they were -already in the house.” - -“All right,” answered the chief. “Now, then, if there was a car which -took those men away, will you please tell me why it wasn’t there when -Mrs. Parsons came home?” - -“Really, since I was not there at that time and since my guess isn’t -any better than that of any one else, I don’t know.” Frank felt a -little nettled at being the target for questions of opinion. - -“Well, Mr. Allen,” pursued the chief, “perhaps you have some idea, -since you and your friend have talked about it.” - -“I have,” said Frank. “I believe the car arrived at the roadway and -let the men out. They then proceeded to the house, and the car did -not come for them until some prearranged signal had been given.” - -At this remark Fred Cunningham leaned over and said something in a -whisper to one of the police. - -The chief turned toward him immediately. - -“Mr. Cunningham, we’re going to hear your story in a little while. -Please do not talk with others meanwhile.” - -So Cunningham had a story to tell! Frank wondered what it would be. - -“Now, Mr. Allen, will you please express your opinion as to whether -the robbery could have been committed earlier in the day and the -robbers could have come back a second time?” - -This was an angle that Frank did not see the end of. Further, the -chief seemed to be questioning him as if he knew more than he had -told. - -“Mr. Berry,” he replied, “I have no idea of what these men may have -done. I told you what I saw, and I cannot see that my guesses would -be any good. If I were able to guess at such things with a reasonable -amount of accuracy, I’d be out hunting for these men right now, for -it was a shame to have robbed Mrs. Parsons and to have tied her in -that pantry.” - -“All right, but I have one more question I would like to ask, and -then I may be through. It is this: What were you doing that day on -the river with your motor boat? That is, please account for your -time.” - -Again Frank saw the veiled intent of accusation. There was something -deeper here than he knew. - -But he accounted for the time in a general way by saying they had -gone up the river on an errand for his father, had some mishaps with -the motor and with the electric lighting system, and were running -along at a reasonable speed late in the evening when they heard the -cries of the imprisoned woman. - -“Ordinarily, would it take you so long to run up the river on such an -errand and come back?” - -“Certainly not, sir, but you must remember that I had trouble with -the motor.” - -“Will you please tell me, then, why you were tied to the shore -just above the Parsons place and lay there for two hours on that -afternoon? Will you please tell why you were tied at the only point -along the shore where there is an open path through the underbrush to -the lawn of the Parsons house? And will you please tell me where you -were for those two hours?” - -Frank told them it was motor trouble, that he had tied there because -it was the first place he could get to when the motor stopped and -that any other place would have been just as good. - -“But you have not told me why you were not in that boat for two -hours.” - -“Sir? Who said I was not in that boat for two hours? I certainly was -there every minute. I did not even get on shore, as my friend tied -the boat and came back aboard to help me with the motor.” - -“The word has been brought to me that your boat lay there for two -hours and that you were not on board.” - -“The person who told you that told an untruth. I never put my foot on -shore that afternoon.” - -“Mr. Cunningham,” as the chief turned to him, “did you see Mr. -Allen’s boat tied there while you were out in your own?” - -“Yes, sir, I did.” - -“And do I understand that you are sure that neither Mr. Allen nor his -friend were in the boat for two hours?” - -“That’s it, exactly,” replied Cunningham. - -“How does Mr. Cunningham know that I was not there for two hours? -Where was he all that time?” Quickly Frank threw in the question. -Cunningham went pale. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -A BREACH - - -This quick retort on the part of Frank Allen threw the hearing into -dismay for a few moments. The question had not occurred to the chief -of police, who, it was now becoming more evident, was willing to -place the blame on the most convenient shoulders, and, Frank thought -to himself, he may have been influenced by the policeman who had so -openly accused him of knowledge of the crime at the Parsons place two -nights before. - -Cunningham did not reply. Instead he fidgeted in his chair, and -looked at the chief, who was nonplussed. - -“That is a fair question,” he said slowly. “Mr. Cunningham, will you -please explain why you are so sure this young man and his friend were -not in the boat for two hours?” - -“It is not possible for me to explain,” was the very deliberately -pronounced reply of Fred Cunningham. “I got my information from a -source which I do not care to name.” - -“Then you do not say that you actually saw my _Rocket_ tied to -the shore for two hours?” asked Frank, directing the question at -Cunningham. - -“No, I did not say I saw it myself. But the man who told me is a -thoroughly reliable one.” - -“Is he any more reliable than the information he gave you?” Again -Frank shot a direct question. - -“Now, now, that will not do. I am carrying on this hearing,” broke in -the police chief. - -“I just wish to remark,” Frank was not to be stopped, “that if the -informant of Mr. Cunningham is no more reliable about any other -information than he was about this, I cannot see that anything Mr. -Cunningham can say will be of any value to you, Mr. Berry.” - -“Do you mean to say that this information is not true?” asked the -chief. - -“I mean to say exactly that and nothing more. Now, Mr. Berry, this -stranger, unknown to any one in town, comes in here and places before -you some hearsay evidence that is not the truth. Instead of asking -me privately my whereabouts on that day, you proceed to accept his -statement as if it were the truth. I am known in this town, while he -is not. You have known me a long time, and you have known my father. -You have not known this man at all, nor do you know anything about -him.” - -The chief looked fairly at Frank, at first inclined to temper, but he -bit his lip and held back whatever it was that he started to say. For -a moment everything was quiet. - -“Further,” said Frank, “I will answer no more questions. Any further -questions I have to answer will be in a court room and will be under -oath, when all other people, too, will be under oath.” - -With this the young man rose to go. The chief stood and raised his -hand. - -“I wish you to remain right here until I have finished this hearing.” - -“I will remain until you have finished your hearing, but I will -decline to answer any more questions. You have no right to demand -replies from me, and I will not reply.” - -The chief sat only after Frank had re-taken his seat, and the hearing -then became a humdrum of asking several minor questions of the -others, all of which had been told before. - -As they left the room, Lanky took Frank’s arm, but not a word passed -between the two boys. - -Ralph and Paul joined them outside, but it was plain to both the boys -that Frank and Lanky did not care to talk at this time, and they -contented themselves with walking along the street. - -Just as they reached the next corner, a bevy of the girls of the old -high school crowd spied the four boys, for whom they had been looking. - -In the bunch of girls was Minnie Cuthbert, looking sweeter than ever -since her return from Rockspur Ranch. - -“We hope you haven’t forgotten that to-morrow is the day of the -picnic,” Minnie told them. “Everything is ready, and we have planned -on going down the river to the picnic grounds we used last year. But -why the long faces?” and she laughed merrily at the quiet of the four -boys. - -Frank was the first to regain his happy manner. - -“Sure, we’re going. That is, I am. You can leave the others at home, -but I’m going to gobble all the sandwiches and ice-cream you’ve got.” - -“That’s what we have, and if you think you can eat all of it, you’re -welcome to try. Where is Mr. Cunningham? Have you seen him? We wish -him to go along, too.” - -This was precisely like waving a red flag in the face of a bull, -except that Frank did not storm. He just had a violent feeling of -wanting to throw the fellow into the river or of doing something else -desperate with him. Then a sinking feeling followed. - -“I haven’t seen him in the last few minutes. He was up the street a -while ago.” - -“Come on, girls, let’s go and find him, because we have not invited -him yet,” and Minnie Cuthbert led the girls away in the quest of the -good-looking stranger who had seemed to capture all of them. - -It was late afternoon, and the four boys made their way to the high -school grounds, where they sat down under one of the trees, Paul and -Ralph listening to the story which Frank and Lanky told them. The -entire story was told to them in detail, for Frank felt that, if he -did this, he might get some help or suggestions and felt that a stray -idea might come to the surface which would help them locate the men -who had robbed Mrs. Parsons. - -After this little meeting broke up Frank went to the hospital to see -his father, finding him resting, but nervous, and the nurse said that -he did not appear to be doing quite so well as he had during the -earlier part of the day. - -The day of the picnic broke bright, clear, sunny, perfectly wonderful -for such an outing as had been planned. Vehicles of every kind, but -most of them new automobiles, were pressed into service to take the -crowd of high school students to the picnic grounds. Frank asked -Lanky Wallace, Paul Bird and Ralph West to go there in the _Rocket_, -especially since Minnie Cuthbert had refused Frank’s request to take -her and said she was going to go with the crowd of girls. - -The _Rocket_ had to be given a load of gas and oil, which caused the -four boys to be a little later in getting away than had been planned, -but finally they were ready to push the trim boat out of its house. - -Before doing so, Frank saw that the engine would turn over easily, -and, as it emerged from the house, Lanky gave the wheel a twist and -the put-put started merrily. - -Paul and Ralph had not yet had the pleasure of a ride in the new -boat, nor had they done any more than give it a cursory inspection. -Now, aboard for a real ride, they bent to looking around for the -things that made the craft complete. - -“This is far better than going down in a car,” remarked Paul. “But -according to my ideas we are wasting time to-day. What we ought to do -is to search for some clues to the Parsons robbery. Picnics are fine -when there’s nothing else to do.” - -To this the boys all agreed, even Frank. What was puzzling Frank, -though never a hint did he give, was what it was about Cunningham, -the stranger, that caused him to get along so easily with the girls, -and especially why Minnie Cuthbert, the girl he liked so well, should -be attracted to the fellow, even to the point where she was willing -to refuse Frank’s attentions. - -They ran down to the picnic grounds in a very short while, the motor -humming along beautifully. No particular speed was shown, nor did -Frank wish to try for any, as he felt that he would rather warm the -engine up little by little, feeling the boat along for several more -days, after which he would give it a good test if the chance was -offered for a race with Cunningham’s _Speedaway_. - -The girls were at the picnic grounds, as, indeed were most of the -boys, when they swung in toward the shore to land. - -“Wonder where the _Speedaway_ is,” remarked Wallace. - -Frank did not know. It was enough to see Fred Cunningham standing -there on the bluff alongside of Minnie, appearing to take most of her -time. - -“What’s doing?” called Ralph, as he jumped ashore. “Let’s stir up -something to keep from going to sleep. Let’s eat or have some games.” - -“Eat! That’s the big idea! Let the games go! Let’s eat!” roared the -attenuated Lanky Wallace as he climbed the stairs cut in the side of -the bluff and came to the grassy grounds. - -But the girls vetoed any spoiling of their plans. Moreover, the truck -containing the best part of the luncheon had not yet arrived, they -declared. - -But the noon-hour came, as noon hours do when young folks are on -picnics, and the girls spread the cloths on the ground, laying out -the paper dishes which had been supplied in large quantities, while -the boys helped break into baskets and bundles to get at the food. -The two large ice-cream freezers got the attention of Paul, Ralph, -and Buster Billings. - -During the lunch, when all had been seated and it had been agreed -that no one person should wait on any of them, but all should -scramble as best they could for things which were not being passed -quickly enough, the conversation suddenly veered to the races which -had been proposed some days before, and about which Cunningham had -made some very boastful remarks. - -It was Irene Rich, the girl who probably was most anxious to be in -the company of Fred Cunningham but who had not thus far succeeded, -who started the talk. - -“How about that race?” she cried, just as a lull fell for a moment -in the conversation, as pieces of fried chicken were demanding -attention. “I’ll bet on the _Speedaway_!” - -“Atta girl!” came from Cunningham. “You’re a judge of boats!” - -“Also of those who run them!” she bantered. - -“And that’s agreed!” came instantly from the stranger. “The -_Speedaway_, though, doesn’t need much brains to run it—she’s -naturally the best boat along the Harrapin or any other river. She’s -ready to run anything ragged that gets into a race with her.” - -“I thought Frank Allen was going to race his _Rocket_ against her.” -Irene was pursuing the matter insistently. - -“That’s what Frank Allen is going to do,” that personage spoke up. -“The _Rocket_ is ready any time, including to-day.” - -“I haven’t the _Speedaway_ here this afternoon,” said Cunningham, -“and I am mighty sorry. Moreover, I’ve got to be out of town on some -business for a few days. But as soon as I get back I’ll be ready.” - -“How about one week from to-day?” asked Frank Allen. - -“Fine! That’s agreed, is it?” Cunningham replied. “I’ll be back in a -few days and we’ll run the race one week from to-day. Let’s attend -right now to all the details of distance, starting, passengers, and -everything else.” - -So, while the luncheon proceeded, all details were set forth, some -being the cause of disagreement, but some one was prepared to meet -any of these points, and everything was determined for the race. - -As they left the lunch Frank got a chance to speak with Minnie, -asking her and two of the girls to take a short ride in the _Rocket_. -Though Minnie acted rather coolly, she agreed to go, and in a few -minutes three of the girls were with Frank in his boat, and had put -out from the shore. - -“Look at that cloud,” one of the girls said. “Is there any danger of -being caught in a rain? There’s no place on the boat to keep dry.” - -Frank cast his eye toward the cloud, but he did not feel that there -was any immediate danger of a rain, and proceeded down the river -a distance before giving the subject much more thought, in the -meanwhile trying to engage Minnie in conversation while the other -girls sat forward. - -But Minnie was not as free with her bright talk as was her wont, and -Frank was disturbed over it. In fact, Minnie mentioned the name of -Fred Cunningham during the conversation a little oftener than Frank -thought was necessary. - -During a fifteen minute run the girls had forgotten about the cloud, -but now it was making itself evident. A stiff little breeze gusted -across the boat. - -“We’re going to get caught in a rain!” those in front cried as a few -drops of water fell. - -Frank, who had paid no attention to the change in the weather in his -deep thought about Minnie’s change toward him, now took a look at -things. - -“This is going to be a stiff little rain. We’re nearest to this -island. Let’s land and get in that hut. It will keep off the rain.” - -He changed the course of the _Rocket_ slightly, for they were -approaching an island in midstream. The rain was peppering down a -little more as they made the landing, and, while Frank tied the boat, -the girls dashed for the shelter of the rickety looking hut which -stood at the edge of the shore, a great elm tree spreading out to -reach it but not quite doing so. - -But it did them little good. As the storm broke in full intensity, -the water poured through the roof as if there were none there. The -girls huddled together in one corner, but even that did them little -good. The rain came in a perfect sheet. Ten minutes of this and their -dresses were soaked. - -“I think you should have used a great deal more care about this,” -Minnie said to Frank coldly. “It surely is not a very nice thing to -bring your friends out and then get them soaked in this manner. I -don’t appreciate it a bit.” - -There was nothing for Frank to say. He had just succeeded in widening -the breach a little more, though certainly he had intended no such -thing. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -SHARP WORDS - - -Even more quickly than the rain storm had developed did it pass -away—and the bright summer sun came out in its resplendent glory. -Frank and the girls emerged from the hut, drenched to the skin, the -girls’ dresses hanging to them like so many rags. - -“I am just as sorry as I can be, girls,” said Frank in an apologetic -tone of voice. “Had I thought the rain was going to be so severe, -even had I thought we were going to have a shower, I would not have -come. But, there’s nothing to be done about it but to be miserably -wet and uncomfortable until we get back.” - -Minnie seemed to be in a tempest, her expression one of anger when -Frank spoke. - -“Your attention was called to it when we started,” she shot at him as -they reached the _Rocket_ at the shore. - -“Quite true, Minnie. But do you think for a moment that I came down -here to get myself wet, too, just for the fun of getting you girls -wet? Just remember that I got as much of it as any one else.” - -“I don’t think Frank is to blame one bit,” one of the other girls -spoke up. “Let’s make the best of it. The sun will dry us out a -little, and the wind on the river will help. The only thing is that -we’ll look like we’ve been rough dried.” - -Into the _Rocket_ climbed all the girls, while Frank shoved easily -off and took charge of the engine and the wheel. - -The cheery reaction of the sunshine as opposed to the drear of the -rain and clouds and the breeze of the water, the open air, and -the feeling of freedom—all combined to return the little group to -something more resembling normal, and in a very few minutes, before -they had half traversed the return distance to the picnic grounds, -all the girls were laughing and giggling, making light of the -incident. - -Frank was delighted to see the turn of affairs, and even more pleased -to notice that Minnie seemed to be regaining her former spirits, -denoted by a little more freedom in her conversation with him. She -sat on a steamer stool at the edge of the cockpit while he held the -_Rocket_ to its course. - -“Please let me run it, won’t you?” she asked. - -Whereupon the length of time it took Frank to permit her to take the -wheel in hand and assume charge of their path was measured by the -speed with which he could slip to one side and let her get into the -pit. - -“Girls, isn’t this fine? I’m going to capture that port yonder. Fire -when you are ready, men!” - -Minnie, a driver of an automobile herself, fearless of mechanical -things, swung the _Rocket_ far out of the midstream and made a run -around the little island standing in the center of the Harrapin’s -course just opposite the picnic grounds. - -The crowd on shore had returned to the grounds, for, as Frank learned -afterward, they too, had been caught in the rain and had sought -shelter under benches, inside of cars and wagons, and under doubled -cloths which had been spread as tents. - -Some one from the picnic grounds noticed that Minnie was steering the -_Rocket_, and sent the news around. This very largely accounted for -the interest exhibited by all of them in gathering along the little -bluff of the shore, watching. - -Minnie took the speedy little craft gracefully around the island, -making a three-quarter turn, and then dashed straight for shore. - -Frank gave her directions to go slightly upstream before making the -turn down again to the grounds, and then cut off the engine. - -“It must be truthfully said,” laughed Lanky, as he watched, “that -Frank’s nerve for one thing and his fear of hurting Minnie’s feeling -for another thing, causes him to allow her to make the landing.” - -But it was smoothly done, a feat of which Minnie herself was not sure -when she essayed it, but which she was determined to try now that she -had the wheel. - -Out of the boat all of the passengers jumped as they touched, Frank -tying, and the crowd was all around them. - -“Where were you during the rain?” - -“Did you make Whipper’s Island?” - -“Did you go into that hut?” - -“Look how wet they got!” - -Questions, statements, suggestions, quips and gibes, all came thick -and fast from the crowd of young folks. Finally, the explanation -was given, Minnie enlarging it as much as one can who is happy over -a feat well performed and who, therefore, had almost forgotten the -unkind remarks and cutting looks which she had directed at Frank -Allen. - -“I must have you drive the _Speedaway_!” cried Fred Cunningham coming -forward and making a very successful attempt to separate Minnie from -the others. - -“I certainly should love to. Can’t we get it out to-morrow?” she -asked. - -“No, because I am going to be out of town. You see, I have some -business which I must attend to. My two friends are anxious to have -me with them on a business deal.” - -“Did you hear that, Frank?” whispered Lanky. - -“I did.” - -“Rather nervy, I’ll say.” - -“Well, he has the right to do it, I suppose,” returned the owner of -the _Rocket_. - -“Humph, he ought to have his head punched,” was the growled-out reply. - -Just after lunch, about the time Frank and his group had started -for the boat ride, others had strung a tennis net beyond the trees -in an opening which was reasonably smooth, though far from perfect. -Fortunately, some thoughtful person had put the rackets beneath the -seat of an automobile, protected from the rain, and now these were -unlimbered from their hiding places and a game proposed. - -It had not occurred to Frank to bring along the two folding stools -aboard the _Rocket_, but this did not alter the fact that it was a -rather nervy thing for Fred Cunningham to step aboard the little boat -shortly afterward and take both of them, using one for himself and -one for Minnie as they took seats alongside the tennis court to watch. - -“What do you think of that?” Lanky asked Frank. - -“I think if whatever nerve he has continues to develop, he ought to -be able to get along in this world,” was Frank Allen’s very apt -reply. “But he has shown me what a bonehead I carry on top of my own -shoulders, anyhow.” - -“I agree,” Lanky rejoined, without a smile. - -However, the act was just one more little coal added to the fire of -dislike which was well kindled in the breast of Frank, for, though -he did not resent the act as one of gallantry when he had forgotten -it, he did resent the nerve of this fellow who had gone aboard his -boat under the circumstances which existed and in face of the rift -which was between them. Instead of his feeling any jealousy, he had a -feeling that this fellow was trying to take entire charge of things, -trying to make light of Frank before his friends. - -The game of tennis went merrily on, though the ground was wet and -slippery, the balls soon became the same, and the rackets gradually -became slow. In fact, the players knew the gut were ruined, but none -of them would stop from playing. To-morrow was time enough to think -of the cost. - -It was just as the afternoon was getting along to a close, when the -happy crowd of young folks was commencing to weary, that some one -made a remark again about the race between the _Rocket_ and the -_Speedaway_. - -“It will be only a few days more,” called out Fred Cunningham. “I -have been watching the _Rocket_ of Allen’s, and I saw the way -it acted this afternoon. It really will be a shame the way the -_Speedaway_ will run off from the _Rocket_.” - -“I shouldn’t be surprised but what you expect to run several rings -around me,” declared Frank Allen, making a very brave attempt to make -the speech laughingly. - -“Now, that hadn’t occurred to me; but I believe it can be done.” -Cunningham, instead of taking it up in the same bantering fashion, -made a serious matter of it. - -“Well, as you said, it will be only a few days. In the meanwhile I -think I shall install a couple of pair of wings on the _Rocket_,” -answered Frank. - -For a while the conversation ran in this wise, and then veered off to -a discussion of the Parsons robbery case, a subject which had thus -far been taboo with Frank’s closest friends. - -The boys supposed none of the girls knew the inside facts of what had -been going on, and the five of them, Frank, Lanky, Paul, Ralph, and -Buster felt that they could keep this particular subject clear of any -personal references. - -But they missed their guess, for Irene Rich was the one who spoiled -their hopes with the remark: - -“Frank was up there, and he ought to know a whole lot. Why not tell -us all about it, Frank?” - -Fred Cunningham appeared to be interested in what was going on, and -looked from one to the other as questions and urgings passed around -the little crowd. - -“But there isn’t anything to tell that you don’t already know,” Frank -tried to stem the tide. “The newspapers have told what we saw, Lanky -and I.” - -“Sure they have,” Lanky now interrupted. “What’s the use of serving -it all over again—cold?” - -“But who do they think did it? Wasn’t that awful—robbing Mrs. Parsons -and scaring her almost to death putting her in that closet?” went on -another girl. - -Fred Cunningham rose from his seat and walked around the group, -fearful that something might be said which he would not hear. - -“I think,” said Frank, “that it’s getting late and we ought to -commence packing. It will be dark by the time we get back to town.” - -“That is right,” spoke up Cunningham, a guest, but willing to get -away from the grounds. - -So, there being little else to do, the crowd being weary of the day, -packing operations were started immediately. - -The boys who were closest to Frank gathered about him, each doing his -own part toward packing, but there seemed to be a natural gravitation -of his friends toward one little group. - -“Say,” Paul Bird spoke up quietly, as he was standing near Frank at -one time, “what do you say if several of us go up there to-morrow to -see if we can find anything.” - -“That’s the idea! We know more to start with than any one else, and -we ought to be able to find something, provided there is anything to -be found,” Lanky put in. - -“A lot of time has passed,” interposed Frank. “I am not opposed to -the idea, but I am fearful that we won’t find anything that will be -of benefit.” - -“It certainly would be too late to hunt for any tracks of automobiles -or anything of that kind,” said Buster. “Even if we had a chance this -morning, the rain has spoiled whatever chance remained.” - -“It doesn’t seem to me that hunting for automobile tracks would help -us, anyhow,” said Frank. “I don’t think the automobile had very much -to do with it.” - -“It took those men away, didn’t it?” asked Ralph. - -Frank smiled quietly. That question had been asked before, as also -the other one—where was the automobile when Mrs. Parsons came into -the house? - -“What time can we get started? I want to go to the hospital and then -I want to see the contractors in the morning, but I’ll be ready to go -after that. Say about ten o’clock?” - -It was agreed at once that all the boys should be down at the -boat-house at ten o’clock, and Lanky was given the job of seeing that -oil and gas were aboard, and Buster’s job was to have lunch for all -on board, inasmuch as they would spend the day up the river. - -Minnie joined the group of boys after a short while. - -“I am having a little lawn party at the house to-morrow afternoon in -honor of Mr. Cunningham,” she said. “Won’t you boys be there?” - -This invitation was a bombshell in the crowd. They all looked at -Frank for an answer. - -“Sorry, Minnie, but all of us have agreed to make a little trip of -exploration to-morrow to try out the _Rocket_, and we won’t be able -to go. If it were the next day, now——” - -“It can’t be the next day. I can’t change my arrangements, and you -can change yours.” - -“Well, the other boys may do as they see fit, though I think they -feel as if they are bound to make this trip, but I am going to make -it, whether or no.” - -Frank’s position rather startled Minnie. She was not accustomed to -having people attempt to alter her plans. - -Just at this moment Fred Cunningham walked over to the crowd. - -“I say, fellows, surely you will be there. I want to get away on a -business trip the day after. Surely your trial of the _Rocket_ can -wait another day.” - -“I am afraid it has waited too long.” - -“Going to hunt up the place where you had your two hours of engine -trouble?” Cunningham shot covertly at Frank. - -“No. But I’m going to find the rowboat that gets in the way at -nighttime and learn where it keeps its boxes that it carries aboard.” -Why Frank made such a remark he was never able to explain. But -Cunningham went as white as a sheet. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -THE MYSTERIOUS ROWBOAT - - -Fred Cunningham turned away from the crowd and walked over to where -Irene Rich was tying the last of the bundles when Frank shot this -decidedly pointed shaft at him. - -This action on Cunningham’s part reacted on Frank’s mind, and he, now -amazed at what he had said and the result it had produced, grew quiet -while he made his preparations to get aboard the _Rocket_. - -Minnie Cuthbert came over to his side while he was making ready to -cast off from the river bank. - -“Frank, may I ride back with you to town? I’d like to go up the river -instead of riding back in a car.” - -“Surest thing you know!” he exclaimed. Not only was he delighted to -take Minnie along because he wished her company, but he also felt -that Cunningham would realize that he had not done so much damage as -he thought. - -“Won’t you please tell me,” she asked when they had got away from -shore and Lanky, Paul, and Ralph had gone forward to allow the two to -be alone at the cockpit, “what you meant when you said what you did -to Fred? And why did he turn and leave so suddenly?” - -“I wish I could tell you, Minnie. But right now I may not tell you -the truth. I am guessing at some things. That wild guess may be right -and it may be wrong. At any rate, it had an effect that surprised me.” - -“What does it all mean? Has it anything to do with that robbery -at Mrs. Parsons? I’ve heard so many things dropped that I am very -curious.” - -The _Rocket_ had swung far out into the middle of the stream and -under the increasingly expert hand of Frank Allen, it turned its nose -toward Columbia, past the dredge which was cutting a channel close to -one of the islands, and, as the golden glow of the sun fell aslant -the quiet waters of the Harrapin, they were started for home, weary -of the day’s picnic, but wide awake, all of them, to the new things -which had opened up in this quick exchange of words. - -At the bow of the boat, Paul, Lanky, and Ralph were close together, -whispering exchanges about the most recent happening. - -“What do you think Frank knows?” Paul was asking. - -“I don’t think he knows any more than we do,” answered Lanky. “But -he made a wild guess, and he seems to have struck home. This fellow -Cunningham knows a whole lot more than we have been thinking he does.” - -At the cockpit Frank and Minnie were standing. - -“Yes,” he replied to her question, “it had something to do with the -Parsons robbery, but I don’t know just yet what its real significance -is.” - -“Why so mysterious about it, Frank? You know I am not going to say -anything.” - -“Well, Minnie, you tell me what you have heard. Tell me what -Cunningham has told you about me, and then maybe I can put two and -two together.” - -“He hasn’t talked about you, Frank. You know very well that I would -never stand for anything of that kind.” - -Frank had hoped that he would learn something that Fred might have -said about him in an effort to hurt him in the eyes of Minnie -Cuthbert, but now it appeared that he had been too careful or too -shrewd to say anything, or that Minnie was hiding something from -him—and he did not believe the latter. - -“Did he not tell you what occurred over in the rooms of the chief of -police in the hearing yesterday afternoon?” - -“Not a word. What happened?” - -“Hasn’t he told you that I stand suspected of knowing something about -this robbery?” - -Minnie gasped in amazement at this question. - -“You have something to do with it? Have you really, Frank? What is -it? Surely you are not implicated——” - -“Do you think I am?” he looked straight into her eyes as he put the -question. - -“Oh, Frank, please forgive me! I did not mean to hurt you! Did not -mean it that way! Only what you said so surprised me that I had to -ask for more.” - -“What I want to know is whether Cunningham told you that I was -suspected of knowing something about it. Or did he say anything else -that might injure my reputation?” - -“No, I do not recall that he said anything except one time this -morning when we were talking about your pitching the games, and he -said something about the brunette at Bellport being so interested in -you—and that you were interested in her. You were over there after we -got back from Rockspur, weren’t you?” - -“Yes, on father’s business. I went to see no girl—brunette or blonde.” - -Frank’s mind was much relieved that the coolness had been caused by -this rather than anything else. He had felt all day that Cunningham -was poisoning the girl’s mind against him by implicating him in -some manner in the Parsons case. But now that the coolness had been -produced by Cunningham’s very sly connection of this brunette, -whoever he meant, with himself—that was another thing. - -Minnie asked again what it was that Frank had done to be implicated -in any manner, but Frank merely asked her to await developments. - -“This much is certain, Minnie: I don’t know a thing about that -robbery, but I certainly propose to know something. And I am not -going to be long about it, either.” - -Paul, Lanky and Ralph heard the statement of their friend, and -they saw in his tense expression, his firmness of manner, the same -determination to win which they had seen often enough on the athletic -field to recognize at a glance. - -“Trust Frank to get to the bottom of the affair,” remarked Ralph. - -“I sure hope so,” came from Paul. - -They reached Columbia at dusk, warped easily into the boat-house, and -made for home, Frank walking out with Minnie. - -“Gee, I’m glad Minnie and Frank have made up,” said Lanky, as the -three boys walked up to town ahead of the young couple. “Not that -they’ve had a fuss, but that Cunningham fellow has been throwing sand -on the track. I wish I could find a first-class reason for punching -his eye for him.” - -“Why not on general principles?” laughed Ralph. - -“No—I want something very specific, so that I can feel that I have a -job to finish well.” - -The other two boys felt largely the same way toward the good-looking -stranger who had forced himself on them. - -Parting for the evening, with their plans laid for the next day, they -went home, while Frank and Minnie took their time, chatting gaily -about things in general, Minnie taking a little more pains to keep -away from Cunningham as a subject for conversation. - -“But he is such a nice boy,” she thought to herself, when Frank had -bade her good-bye. “I am sure he isn’t quite so great a villain as -Frank seems to think.” - -Before Frank could go to the _Rocket_, even though the other boys -were up early and doing their tasks toward the day’s trip, he had to -call at the hospital to learn about his father, since the news of -the evening before had been only average, nothing to make him feel -cheerful. - -“He’s getting along well, I think,” cheerily said the nurse on this -bright morning. “Had a good night’s sleep, and seems to be resting. -Go in and see him.” - -They chatted for a while, Frank doing most of the talking, telling of -the day previous, the picnic, and ending by saying that he was going -out to-day to help Mrs. Parsons. As yet Mr. Allen had not been told -much of the details, merely that Mrs. Parsons place had been robbed. -Mr. Allen was a sick man. - -“All ready, fellows?” asked Frank as he reached the boat-house and -saw the four boys lined up. “Let’s get her out, then!” - -So the _Rocket_ was started on her voyage up the Harrapin, a voyage -of exploration for clues or direct knowledge—a voyage intended to -turn up something before the day was ended. - -“Can you show us what kind of speed she’s got in her, so we’ll know -in advance whether you’re going to win against the _Speedaway_?” -asked Paul. - -“Pretty coarse way you have of getting a speedy joy ride,” Frank -smiled at his good friend. “Wait until we clear out of these boats -and get past the island there and we’ll show them, won’t we, Lanky?” - -“I’ll say we will! Wait a minute! I’m a sea-faring man, I am, and -I’ve got to speak correctly. You can lay to that we will sir, aye, -aye! Blow me, just show these landlubbers what she’s got in her.” -Ending this speech, Lanky bent his shoulders forward and hitched his -trousers in imitation of vaudeville sailors. - -Getting past the few boats that were on the river in front of -Columbia, clearing past the first of the islands, Frank gradually -opened up the speed of the _Rocket_. Taking the very middle of the -stream, moving against the current, the bow lifted clear, and the -_Rocket_ skimmed at a merry pace for four miles, the boys uttering -exclamations of delight the while. The speed was the best that Frank -had yet gotten out of the Rocket, but at that he realized that he was -not up to the top-notch. - -“The _Speedaway’s_ in for a trimming, sure!” cried Ralph hilariously. -“It’s too bad Fred Cunningham isn’t along to see this so that he -wouldn’t have to waste his gasoline.” - -Making one of the wide bends of the river, seeing two other boats -beyond, Frank blew his whistle in signal, and also cut down the -speed, fearing that he might run into trouble. - -“Where do we go first?” Lanky asked. - -“I think the wise plan is to go up to the Parsons place and look -around. I’d like to get to the place, Lanky, where we saw that -rowboat tied, if we can find it, for I’ve an idea in my head.” - -Frank only shook his head negatively when asked what his idea might -be. - -“Might not be worth anything. Let’s wait until we get there and see -if I am right. If I am right, fellows, we’ve got something to think -about.” At this there came a chorus from all four, begging, pleading -with Frank to tell—to no avail. - -In a short while they were standing off the shore of the Parsons -place. Frank ran a quarter of a mile up the river, and then turned -and came slowly downstream, drifting. - -Lanky lay forward as far as he could stretch, his eyes glued on the -shore line. Once he looked quickly back to catch Frank’s eye, but -that young man was easing the _Rocket_ over to shore, his eyes also -fixed on the slightly inclining bank. - -Touching at practically the same spot where they had landed before, -all the boys climbed out and started for the broad lawn of the -Parsons estate, Lanky and Frank finding it much easier to make their -way this time than during the darkness a few nights before. - -Mrs. Parsons was on the lawn, directing the cutting thereof by a -burly laborer who was operating a hand-powered lawn-mower. To Frank’s -pleasant greeting, she replied: - -“What is it that gives me the pleasure of this visit?” speaking very -frigidly. - -“Clarence Wallace and I have brought three of our friends along, Mrs. -Parsons, this morning to see if there is anything we can learn here -that might lead to the capture of those men who robbed you.” - -“I think the police can do that perfectly well.” - -“Perhaps they can,” Frank replied pleasantly. “But it so happens that -two of us are decidedly interested in having something done at once.” - -“I think something is being done,” she replied. - -Frank saw that she had turned completely against him, for she had -never been so cold before to him. - -“If anything is being done beyond accusing honest boys of dishonest -acts and motives, then I have not been informed, and I am much more -interested in the information than even you are, Mrs. Parsons, for, -you must remember that ‘he who steals my purse steals trash!’” - -Whether the semi-quotation was lost on the woman Frank did not know, -but he was afterwards to learn. - -“So far, you are here without my invitation,” she said just as coldly -as ever, “and I must ask that you leave the place.” - -“We will, Mrs. Parsons, by the road at the rear of the house.” - -Frank bowed politely to her and strode across the lawn toward the -road at the rear, taking pains to pass as close to the house as -possible, in order to observe. - -Out on the road the boys stopped while Frank gave directions to -seek for automobile marks at the side of the road. Very slowly they -proceeded. Stopping at one point, Frank looked across the distance -stretching toward the river, his eyes carefully searching the trees -and shrubbery. Suddenly he gasped, and pointed to an opening. - -“Lanky, you go down to that opening right away. When you get to it -go slowly, and back out to the river, while I watch.” - -In five minutes Lanky was there, backing away through the opening. -When he reached the water’s edge, his shoulders were still visible to -Frank. - -Looking to see where he was, Lanky saw a pasteboard box in which -lunch might have been, a discarded tobacco bag, and a piece of rope -on the bank. Here was where that rowboat had been tied when they came -down the river the night of the robbery! - - - - -CHAPTER X - -THE ROWBOAT IS FOUND - - -Lanky Wallace involuntarily gasped as he realized what Frank had -sought—and here was a clue at the very start. He wildly waved his -arms for the other boys to come. - -“He’s found something!” cried Frank, as he led the boys across the -lawn of Mrs. Parsons like hounds in full chase. - -Mrs. Parsons, her eyes having never left the boys from the time they -passed her on the lawn, now watched this strange thing—four of them -running at full speed toward a point on the river to which one of -them had gone a few minutes before. - -“Henry,” she said to the hired man, “go down there at once and -see what those boys are doing. There is something here that needs -watching.” - -Henry started away as he was told, but his pace was not calculated -to get him there too soon, for Henry did not know what he was -expected to do when he found what the boys should be doing, and Henry -remembered, as burly as he was, that there were five of these live -young fellows. - -“Look, Frank!” Lanky cried as quickly as the other boys came to the -river bank, Frank well in the lead. “This must be the spot where the -rowboat was tied the other night.” - -“I rather think it is. Let’s study it all very carefully,” Frank -looked downstream to where the _Rocket_ was riding the current of -the Harrapin. “First, are we the right distance above the _Rocket_, -because, if you remember, we had time to throw our searchlight before -we heard the scream.” - -Lanky called Frank’s attention to the fact that they were not abreast -the rowboat when they first saw it, nor even when they were searching -for it through the heavy darkness with the electric spotlight. - -“All right, let’s agree on that point to start with. Now, Lanky, -you know as much as I do about the happenings on that night. If we -agree that this lunch-box, this empty tobacco bag, and the piece of -rope are indications that the rowboat was here, what other reason is -there? I want to see if you are getting to the same conclusion that I -have reached.” - -Lanky had it in his mind, however, for he, too, had been thinking of -the same thing Frank had when Frank first spied the opening through -the trees and the shrubbery to the river’s bank. - -“Remember the match that was lighted in the rowboat that night, and -how it stood out above everything?” - -“What—a signal?” cried Ralph West, while Paul and Buster stood with -mouths open, listening. - -“Precisely,” replied Frank Allen. “I believe there was a signal that -night from this boat to some one on that road. Why was this boat tied -at the only actually open space along this part of the river?” - -“That seems to answer our question about the automobile,” Lanky -slowly reasoned things out. - -“That’s it! The automobile was in the road back of the house, -instead of standing by the garage, and it received a signal from -this rowboat! Now here comes our next question: When and why did the -fellow in the rowboat signal to the fellow in the automobile?” - -Ralph, Buster and Paul, not having been there, could only picture the -scene in imagination, but Frank and Lanky were revisualizing what -they had seen that pitch-dark night on the river. - -“Gee, this is getting exciting!” cried Buster. - -“I’ll say it is,” added Ralph. - -“Regular detective story,” put in Paul. - -“Well, we—ll—” Lanky was thinking hard over another point, and he was -drawling to gain plenty of time to think before replying—“Frank,” -he looked suddenly at his good friend, his forehead wrinkling in a -frown, “if my memory serves me rightly, we heard the scream of Mrs. -Parsons about a minute or two after we saw the flare.” - -Frank agreed that the time might be right. - -“But,” he added, “do you recall we thought we heard a sound from -shore as if some one were answering?” - -“Sure! I had not forgotten that! You stopped the motor and kidded -yourself that we were both allowing the darkness and the mysterious -sounds of the river to get on our nerves.” - -Frank smiled as he recalled plainly what remarks he had made. At the -time it happened he little thought he would be nudging his memory to -serve him in recalling all the things that had occurred, nor that he -would have strong personal reasons for retracing all the detailed -steps of that night. - -“We haven’t answered the question yet why and when the signal was -given.” - -“What is this—an examination?” Ralph broke in. “I wish I could help!” - -“Absolutely, this is an examination,” said Lanky Wallace. “This is -the greatest little examination you ever saw. Frank is thinking -certain things and he is using me to trace all the steps of his -reasoning in order to assure himself that he is right. Eh, old boy?” - -“Right you are—and if you come to the same conclusions I have, we’re -going to get on the track of somebody.” - -“I have it!” cried Lanky, touching Frank on the arm. “See the house -from here?” and he turned to point to the house. There stood the -hired man, Henry, just at the edge of the lawn! “Hey! What’re you -standing there listening to?” - -“The madam said for you to clear out of here.” - -“You clear out yourself!” called Frank, starting toward the fellow. -“We’re doing no harm to any one.” - -Henry did not wait any longer. He said, “All right,” and started back -for the lawn. The boys watched him leave. - -“Now, what were you saying, Lanky?” - -“I was saying that you can see the house from here. The room that was -ransacked is right there on the corner in front. Suppose there came a -signal from there—it could be seen from here.” - -“But why would a signal come from there?” - -“Well, suppose they had finished their work, suppose they were not in -need of the automobile; if they signaled from up at the window, then -a signal from here, like the lighted match, would let them know their -signal had been seen and it would also act as a signal to the fellow -in the automobile.” - -“Exactly!” cried Frank. “That’s the way I have it figured out. Now, -the next question is: Did they ransack the dining room between the -time Mrs. Parsons screamed—or the first scream we heard—and the time -we got to the rear door?” - -“They surely did, Frank,” agreed Wallace. “I believe they could have -done it.” - -“All right!” The other three boys listened in admiration to this -exciting disclosure of the details of the robbery. “But that means we -have how many in the gang?” - -“Four, of course!” came in quick reply from Lanky. - -“Well, then, if that’s agreed, let’s go to the _Rocket_ and we’ll do -some more hunting.” - -Frank led the way back on to the lawn of the Parsons place, skirted -the trees and shrubs downstream, finally starting through at the -point where they had left their motor-boat. - -Arriving there, all climbed aboard, not a word having been spoken the -while, not a word spoken now. The three boys, Paul, Buster and Ralph, -were consumed with curiosity, as the saying goes, wondering what the -next move was to be. They had not long to wait. - -“We’ll go hunting for that rowboat now, Lanky,” said Frank, as the -_Rocket_ was shoved off from shore. “It is somewhere along the river. -We’ll just spend the rest of the day finding it.” - -“I suppose the first place to start the hunt will be at the point -where we almost struck it?” asked Lanky. - -“Absolutely! Let’s try to locate that spot, and then follow, for you -will remember it was going across stream, headed for the opposite -side of the river just above the island we circled trying to find it.” - -Paul and Ralph was sitting at the bow of the _Rocket_ whispering to -each other, their remarks concerning their hopes that they would -locate the little craft. - -Frank eased the _Rocket_ well out to the middle of the Harrapin, the -sun bearing down heavily on them now, for it was getting toward noon. - -“How about something to eat? Let’s have the eats!” Buster Billings -demanded when they were well started down the stream, the _Rocket_ -riding the water smoothly. - -“I’m agreeable; but what do you say to waiting until we get to that -island and we’ll eat in the shade?” suggested Lanky. - -It appeared to Lanky and Frank, as the _Rocket_ glided along down -the river, that the distance from the Parsons place to the island -where they had encountered the rowboat that night was shorter now -than before. One remarked it to the other, as if reading each other’s -minds. - -“This is the place, Lanky, that we met the rowboat, and there’s the -direction it took. Now, I’m going around the island, following the -same path we did before, and see what the result is.” - -Suiting the action to the word, Frank Allen held the _Rocket_ over -toward the island, swung around it at the lower end, and came up on -the farther side, until he was abreast the upriver side of it. - -“Now, don’t you think this is about where we were?” - -Wallace agreed that, as nearly as could be told in the daylight, this -was the spot where they had started their hunt. - -“And right over there is where I claim that rowboat went under the -trees and stayed while we sought it,” Lanky turned and pointed to the -upper part of the island, where old willows dropped and spread their -branches down close to the water, entirely hiding the shoreline. - -“All right. Since you think so, I move we eat our lunch under those -trees. Let’s get where you think they were, and see what the outcome -is.” - -Frank put the _Rocket_ hard over, and gradually brought it under -the trees, though it was a close shave to make it fit under the -low-hanging branches. - -“Why, fellows,” cried Paul Bird, “even in the daytime this is a good -hiding place. Look, you can’t see out, and it is a sure thing no one -could see in! Just think what it must be after dark, especially on -such a pitch-dark night as you say that one was!” - -Frank was won over to Lanky’s idea, after studying the situation very -carefully. - -The boys fell to on the food with a will such as only hungry, manly, -athletic fellows, can show. They attacked the sandwiches front and -rear. - -And, be it said in all truth right here, neither Frank nor Lanky, -serious as they were in the matter gave any heed to further quest for -clues or information of any sort until the food was devoured and the -containers had been buried deep in the soil of the shore. - -But, having partaken heartily of everything that had been brought -along, the boys walked around this part of the island, curiously -looking here and there, not for anything in particular, but as -observant boys will do when in a strange place. - -“Now, fellows, since I am willing to concede the point to Lanky about -this being the hiding place that night, let’s see if we can figure -where the thing went. I believe it had something to do with that -robbery, and I wish to run it down.” - -The _Rocket_ slowly, very carefully, nosed out of the willow-nook and -turned straight for upstream. - -“You see, it was headed this way when we met it, and the chances are -there is a spot on this side where it found a landing—its goal, I -might say.” - -The boys took the cue of their leader, Frank, and while he brought -the _Rocket_ farther over to the opposite side of the river, they -strained their eyes to watch for any trace of it. - -An hour passed slowly by, with the _Rocket_ making its way steadily -up the Harrapin, the boys watching the shore. But no success was -theirs. - -“How far shall we go, do you say?” Frank asked Lanky. “Do you suppose -it could be any farther up the river than we have come?” - -“I don’t believe so,” slowly replied Wallace. “You see, it was a -rowboat, which, if my line of reasoning is any good, means there was -not a great distance to go. If the distance had been greater they -surely would have used a motor boat.” - -Frank agreed with this, for it seemed a logical conclusion to reach, -excepting for the one item of noise, which Frank suggested, but which -Lanky set aside. - -They decided to turn the _Rocket_ downstream, hold it back as well as -possible, even to the extent of drifting once in a while, the better -to give a chance of studying the brush along the shore of the river. - -Another fifteen minutes passed, and it was noticeable they were -moving with the current a little faster than they had come up against -it. - -It was Frank who, happening to glance up from the wheel at the right -moment, saw something which attracted his attention at the shore. - -“Look! Do you see anything?” he cried. - -“It’s a rowboat!” exclaimed Lanky. “And I believe it’s the same one! -Let’s get to it.” - -Frank started the engine, swung the _Rocket_ out toward midstream, -and turned its nose back toward the spot where he had seen the boat -among the weeds, pulled well up from the river. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -THE MYSTERY BOX - - -Lanky Wallace leaped to shore as the _Rocket_ was brought slowly in, -and Paul cast the line to him. It took several minutes to tie the -motor boat properly, but when it was done the other boys stepped -gingerly off. - -They gathered about the rowboat, as if it were some strange animal, -five pairs of eyes centered upon it. - -“If this is the boat, we ought to be a little more careful about -being seen, for the owner of it may be somewhere near here, and he -knows much more than we do.” - -Frank spoke cautiously as he very slowly turned to look beyond the -shoreline of the river for any habitation. On this side the bank was -grown with a dense thicket. - -The rowboat was of the same general appearance as a thousand other -rowboats. It was of average size and of the same semi-flat design -which the boys might have seen all along the Harrapin. The oars were -lying about five feet away, side by side, not hidden. The boat was -not tied—merely pulled up from the river so that it would not float -away. - -Frank stood quietly looking at it, taking in everything about the -boat and its surroundings, which were weeds and coarse shrubbery of -the river-bank variety. - -Why were they led to choose this particular boat? What reason had -they for thinking that this rowboat, and this one only, had been the -one which they had met that night on the river? Why could it not have -been some other rowboat, farther upstream or downstream? Why could -not the rowboat they were seeking not just as well be out on the -river somewhere, busy at a rowboat’s regular tasks? - -These were some of the thoughts which flashed through Frank’s mind as -the five boys stood looking upon it. - -“Let’s see what is beyond the thicket,” suggested Lanky, turning to -lead the way through the undergrowth. - -“It was just a hunch, that was all,” mused Frank, not moving away. -They had come out to look for a rowboat, a rowboat of very common -design, perhaps, and certainly one which they had seen hastily, in -the dark, under the glare of a dancing searchlight, in moments of -excitement. To choose this particular one was certainly following a -hunch. - -If they had seen three rowboats pulled up from the stream, as this -one was, which would they have chosen, even though all three had been -of different sizes and general shapes? - -Lanky, Buster, Paul and Ralph were starting through the brush and had -gotten twenty or thirty feet from the boat before Frank followed. - -“Psst!” came a sound from the leader of the Indian file, and Lanky -signaled back to Frank to come forward. - -“There’s a house and a barn, and here’s a path leading to them!” - -That was true, but, again Frank was trying to find a reason for -this blind following of a trail which had opened up to them so very -suddenly. - -Surely there were hundreds of just such houses and barns along the -banks of the Harrapin, places inhabited by small farmers who dwelt -along the stream, and all of them probably owned a small boat with -which to cross the river or fish. Certainly, there was nothing about -this particular house and this particular barn to cause them any -anxiety or any feelings of discovery. - -Where would this trail lead them? What was there to make them think -the robbers or the loot or any information about either lay at the -end of the trail? - -“Let’s sneak up there and see what is the lie of the land,” murmured -Lanky, ready to proceed at a signal from Frank. - -There was no move on the part of the latter. There was no expression -of face or body to indicate to Lanky that his suggestion had been -heard. He looked at Frank’s troubled expression in question, -wondering why there was no instant desire to move. - -“What’s the matter, Frank? Don’t you think this is the right place? -There is the boat——” - -“We—ll, all right, let’s see what we see. Let’s go along mighty -carefully. Don’t disturb anything.” - -Like Indians stalking their prey, every nerve at tension, every -muscle under perfect control, ready for action of any kind, the inner -urge of adventure pulsing through the veins of four of them, they -crept slowly, stealthily, forward. - -The sun was slanted down toward the west, indicating midafternoon of -a bright summer’s day. - -The path followed no straight line to its goal. So, after twisting -and turning, dodging high weeds on both sides, holding some of them -carefully back to prevent the swishing sounds which they might -create, the seekers came close to the barn. - -Before they realized where they were they broke out at the corner of -a tumble-down structure with a loft, one which had been allowed to -drift, with the years, into decay. - -Lanky, in the lead, came to a halt, holding his hand up in quick -signal. - -Coming down through the weeds and tall grass of a lot between the -farmhouse and this barn was the figure of a man, moving slowly, -picking his way along the weed-grown path. - -“Get back!” breathed Frank in a whisper, reaching for Lanky’s -shoulder to draw him back. “Let’s see who it is and what he is doing.” - -The five boys crouched in the rank growth, and, each trying to peer -through the weeds, they waited for the man to come to the barn. - -Seconds seemed like hours, but Frank, who, by going to the left side -of the trail, had the point of vantage, soon saw the man get to the -barnyard proper and move across toward the weather-beaten structure. - -He signalled to the others that the man was in sight, and Lanky -craned his head to get a good view. Frank’s attention was drawn from -the man by the sharp intake of breath on the part of Lanky Wallace: - -“That’s the man who was rowing that boat!” he exclaimed whisperingly -to Frank. - -The man went inside, and in another moment his face appeared at a -door which he opened at the rear, the side on which the boys were -hiding. Stealthily the man looked in all directions. - -“That’s Jed Marmette,” muttered Frank to Lanky, who had, meanwhile, -quietly crept over to the side of his friend. “Marmette is the man -who was arrested several months ago, if you will remember, for -bootlegging. But they were never able to get him with the goods.” - -“Sure, I recall!” murmured Lanky, as the recollection of the story -came to him. “They thought they had found a lot of evidence, but he -was able to show that he had nothing to do with it. I remember it -well.” - -The man still stood at the half-door peering around, his iron-gray -hair falling to one side as he brushed it over with his hand -nervously, otherwise being of very unkempt appearance. - -Gradually the door was closed, and the boys plainly heard the hook as -it was brought into place. - -“I’m going to slip up close. You fellows listen for any trouble or -noise. I’m going to see what that fellow is doing there. Maybe he’s -as innocent as a baby, but I’m not taking any chance. Listen for any -signal from me, and then come.” - -Frank crouched low, and then, when he felt that he could clear the -open space quickly, he was off. In the flash of a second he was at -the corner of the barn and around toward the front. - -The other boys, stooping and watching with eyes that strained -and ears that were sharply set for every sound, waited for any -eventualities. Second after second passed away, but nothing of -untoward significance came to their ears. - -In the meanwhile, Frank reached the corner at the front of the barn -and then carefully made his way toward the door which was closed and -saw a hook holding it from the inside. Obtaining a small sliver of -wood, he worked through the crack at the jamb of the door until he -had raised the wire hook within and let it slowly, silently drop out -of the staple at the side. - -Stealthily opening the door and fastening it from the inside again, -he peered around the barn, accustoming his eyes to the semi-darkness. - -Above him in the loft he heard a cautious tread. The boards creaked -as some one moved about. Jed Marmette was there. For what purpose? - -Frank’s mind was in a whirl of ideas, of guesses, of plans. His first -involuntary thought was to go quietly up the ladder to the loft and -see what this man was about. The lay of the land up there he did not -know, however, and on second thought, the more sober one and the one -of sounder judgment, he decided to wait for the man to descend, after -which he would explore. - -After many minutes had passed, during which he heard different kinds -of sounds, some of which he imagined he knew, others entirely foreign -to any notion he could arrange in his mind, Frank heard the stealthy -tread again, as if the man were approaching the loft ladder. - -Quietly the boy now tiptoed to one of the stalls, and there crouched -while he saw the feet of the man dangle downward through the hole, -reach for and gain the ladder, followed by the body, the shoulders, -and the head. - -In one hand the thick, heavy-set, gray-haired, but none-the-less -active man was carrying a package about the size of a cigar box, -wrapped in brown wrapping paper. He carried it gingerly as he -carefully grasped the ladder with one hand round after round, -throwing his body toward the ladder to balance himself as the hand -released one round and grasped the next lower down. - -Reaching the floor of the barn he stood to get his breath, and then, -turning toward the door, Frank saw the package more plainly. As -Marmette reached the door he exchanged the package from one hand to -the other in order to unfasten the hook, and Frank heard many small -particles fall from one side of the box, which must have been of -metal, to the other. - -Letting himself out through the door, the man placed the box on the -ground and very carefully locked the door from the outside with a -large padlock. - -Frank’s face lighted with a merry smile as he thought of his own -predicament—inside the barn with the rear door locked from the inside! - -Slipping over to the front door he peered through and saw the man -leave the barn, going straight toward the lot by which he had come. - -Then, going to the rear, he quietly lifted the lock on the back door -and slipped out, the four boys watching him as the door opened. - -He signaled to them to keep back. Lanky was watching Jed Marmette as -he made his way toward the farmhouse. - -Frank took no chance on his going to the boys. Instead, he called to -them, in a stage whisper, and told three of the boys to watch the man -while Lanky was to come over to him. - -“He took a metal box out, Lanky, and it’s got something inside that -sounds like a whole lot of things; for instance, the way that a lot -of buttons or nails or something of the kind might sound inside a -metal box. The box is wrapped in paper. He got it up in the loft.” - -“Let’s follow and see what he does with it.” - -“All right. Get him located, and we’ll follow.” - -By this time the man was almost to the farmhouse, but they saw him -turn to the right and stride over toward an old-fashioned grape arbor. - -Along the weedy pathway the two boys ran as quickly as stealth -permitted, now and then peering up to see where the man was and what -he was doing. He had gone, by the time they approached within safe -distance, into the grape arbor. - -“You stay right here and I’ll sneak as near as I can. If I need any -help, come quickly.” - -With this admonition, Frank stole through the weeds, circling -toward the grape arbor, hoping to find some point where he might -see through. But no such point appeared, and Frank, determined to -get whatever information he could, took the long chance of creeping -through the weeds straight up the arbor. - -Here he saw plainly! Jed Marmette had dug a hole under the arbor. -Into that hole he was now placing the box. He then covered it -carefully with the earth, tamped it down, smoothed everything off and -then replaced, so it appeared, a large flagstone which was turned up -to one side. This flag fitted over the new-made hole and did away -with all newness! - -Frank backed out of the weeds, crouchingly made his way back to -Lanky, beckoned him to follow and, without words, they got back to -the barn thence to the trail behind. - -Here Frank laid a new scheme of exploration, and took Lanky with him -while the other boys, Paul, Buster and Ralph, watched. - -Into the rear of the barn, up the ladder to the loft, and then a -search. Frank led, for he felt he knew where the sounds had been -made—and success was his at once. - -Under a small amount of hay was a large box, or chest, roughly -looking like the one they had seen the night on the rowboat. - -It required no tug, no hardship—just the lifting of the lid, after -pitching the hay aside, and there they saw, within the chest, piece -after piece of silver of all kinds, the dining-room treasure which -Mrs. Parsons had lost! - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -STOPPED BY THE HAND OF FATE - - -Though such an idea had been finding a home in the brain of Frank -Allen, it was a distinct shock to him when he saw the contents of -that chest. - -Lanky gasped in the utmost surprise, and looked at the many pieces -with wide eyes. - -There were knives and forks, and many spoons of all sizes and kinds; -there were plates and salad pieces, small pitchers and shells, some -gold lined and others plain sterling silver; literally hundreds and -hundreds of pieces, enough for a dozen families. - -Lanky Wallace looked at Frank, and Frank looked at his chum. Across -the face of each stole a smile, just a wee smile of one who knew his -honor could now be vindicated. - -No sound of warning had come from below, yet Frank quietly closed the -lid, strewed the hay over the box as carefully as it had been done -when they found it, and led the way toward the ladder leading to the -floor below. Down he went first, followed very closely by Lanky. - -In a few minutes more they were on the trail leading up from the -river, beckoning to Buster, Paul and Ralph to join them. Not a word -thus far had been spoken by either. - -Not knowing what had been found, completely at a loss to understand -why Frank and Lanky said nothing, Paul and Ralph and Buster followed -meekly behind, picking their way along the trail, until they had -reached the _Rocket’s_ landing place. - -“Let’s get it out into the stream as quietly as possible,” whispered -Frank as they climbed aboard, and Lanky, whose particular business it -appeared to have become, waited to push the _Rocket_ well into the -river. - -Away it shoved off, Lanky grabbed an oar from its convenient place to -pole the boat out against the fouling of the propeller blades, and -Frank headed the _Rocket_ toward midstream, trying to get far enough -to drift with the river’s current before starting the engine. - -Still not a word came from either of the two boys as to the -happenings within that barn on Jed Marmette’s place. - -Having gotten a full eighth of a mile below the landing, Frank gave -Lanky the signal to start the motor, and the muffled exhaust set up -its song. - -“Well?” Paul could hold himself no longer. “Please tell what you saw -up in the barn! You must have seen something of interest or you -wouldn’t be so quiet.” - -“All right, fellows,” replied Frank graciously (for he surely could -afford to be in a gracious mood right now) “gather close up and we’ll -tell you what we saw.” - -As the sun was sinking farther and farther into the west, as the -long, last, struggling rays which it threw out upon the world were -cast across the rippling current of the Harrapin River, Frank and -Lanky, piece by piece, told what they had seen at the arbor and what -they had seen in the loft of the old barn. - -The three listeners sat with mouths open, their eyes bulging, -listening to this tale as children do to the wonders of princes and -princesses and giants and kings in fairy tales. - -“And all the Parsons’ stuff is in that chest?” Paul asked the -question. - -“I don’t think it is. I think all the silverware and such heavy -pieces as they stole downstairs in the dining room are in that chest, -but I believe the jewels which they got upstairs in her safe are in -that metal box which is buried.” - -“Why do you suppose he buried it?” again Paul queried. - -“Hump——” - -“Do you think he was putting it there so that no one would find it -in case they were discovered?” - -“I certainly do not!” spoke up Lanky Wallace. - -“And I’ll bet Frank agrees with me, too! I believe that fellow was -double-crossing his partners—that’s what I think! I believe he put -that box of jewels, which is the easiest of all things to get off -with, away in a safe place so that he could come back himself some of -these days and get it—after his pals are in jail or away from this -part of the country.” - -“But, suppose Jed goes to jail?” asked Paul. - -“Listen, Paul Bird! You’d better start using your head pretty soon. -This detective agency has no place for weak sisters. We run a -first-class, efficient detective agency, we do! Don’t we, Frank?” -teased Lanky. - -“Why kid me?” Paul stuck to his questioning. - -“Oh, listen to him! Say, Mr. President, we’ll have to call this -operative. He’s a mess!” - -This had the effect of quieting Paul, who wondered what could be -wrong with his question. Suppose Jed Marmette went to jail, what -would become of the jewels? - -“Youthful aide-de-camp to the world’s leading detectives, will you -kindly notice that when Jed Marmette starts to jail we’ll have the -little box of jewels safely back in Mrs. Parsons’ hands?” - -Paul said nothing more, yet they had not answered his question for -him. For his question must not, of course, include the knowledge -which Jed Marmette did not have—that he had been seen burying the -jewel box. - -Quietly the _Rocket_ drifted along for a while, the motor running -slowly and smoothly, Frank making no effort to get back to Columbia -in a hurry. He was trying to lay out a plan in his own mind, and held -the boat to the center of the stream while he thought it all out. - -“You know,” said Frank, speaking to Lanky more than to the other two -boys, “those two fellows in the boat that night were the same two who -were with Cunningham that same day when he tried to run us down.” - -“Sure,” agreed Wallace instantly. - -“Next, you remember they dropped a large box of some kind off the -_Speedaway_ when I swerved and struck them aft.” - -“Yes,” again agreed Lanky. “And it’s my impression the box they -dropped off the _Speedaway_ that day and the box we saw on the -rowboat that night and the box we saw in the loft to-day are all the -same box.” - -“I’ve just been wondering if that is true.” - -Again silence reigned on the _Rocket_. - -Frank called for the lights, which Lanky attended to without further -ado. The sun’s rays had passed out below the horizon, the day was -coming to an end, and the boys were getting toward home in the -beautiful hour of twilight. - -The whole scene was different. Things which had appeared plain and -definite during the sun’s hours were now blots and blurbs on the -dancing surface of the river. Paul and Ralph and Buster saw things -which were new to them. - -What was the proper move to make? Frank asked himself the question -time after time. Should he go back and recover the trunk or chest of -silverware and also the metal box of jewels and restore them to the -widow from whom they had been stolen? - -Frank knew that he and his four friends in this boat, without any -help, could very easily return to the Marmette place an hour or two -later, quietly recover both the large chest and the smaller box, and -he believed they could get away without being discovered. - -But, if this was done, what would be the result? - -Simply that he and Lanky, already accused of knowing something of the -robbery, would still stand accused by those whose minds had become -poisoned. True, the goods would be returned, but the attitude of the -poisoned minds would be that the boys had become fearful and had -restored the stolen goods in fear of being caught with them in their -possession. - -On the other hand, if some plan were worked out by which the actual -thieves could be caught removing the stolen goods or dividing their -booty among themselves, two very necessary ends would be achieved: -First, their own skirts would be shown to be clean of the robbery; -second, the thieves would be removed from further contaminating -contact with society. - -Certainly, the locating of the thieves was the way to proceed. But -how do it? - -Could they expect help from the police department? - -Were they to carry their news to Chief Berry would that dignitary -of the law send out his officers in an effort to find the men, or -would they merely uncover and bring in the booty without locating the -thieves, thus leaving Frank and Lanky in a rather anomalous position? - -The distant lights of the town were coming into sight as the _Rocket_ -made the last bend in the river when Lanky finally broke the silence -which had fallen upon the lads. - -“What shall we do, Frank? Shall we go to the chief or shall we follow -this thing out ourselves?” - -Frank was not surprised at the question, realizing that Lanky had -probably spent the many minutes of silence in going over the same -questions which had kept his own mind busy. - -“It seems the only thing we can do, Lanky. If we keep this knowledge -to ourselves we are apt, in some unforeseen manner, to find -ourselves in a tight box.” - -“I had thought of that, too,” replied the long lad. “If some one else -discovers anything, or if something slips, we’ll be in for trouble.” - -“Absolutely!” Frank rehearsed the chance for trouble. “For instance, -it is plain as can be that since we know where that silver is, it -is our duty to see that, so soon as possible, it is returned to the -rightful owner. If, through any fear on our part that we may not get -right and just treatment, we permit the thieves to get away with it, -we are accessories after the fact, aren’t we?” - -The other boys nodded their assent to this statement. - -“This very evening we could have retrieved every piece of the silver, -and I haven’t the slightest doubt we could also have gotten that box -of jewels. Why didn’t we?” - -No one replied; they waited for Frank to reply to his own question. - -“Simply because we were selfish, thoughtful only of our own -reputations. That’s rough, but it’s true, isn’t it?” - -“But if we don’t think of our own reputations when our motives are -impugned, who is going to help us?” Lanky came fighting back to the -aid of themselves and their first ideas. - -“Quite so, Lanky,” Frank replied slowly, as they drew nearer and -nearer to Columbia. “But the facts are just as I have stated. Now, if -they be true, what is our best move? Isn’t it to report to the chief -of Police?” - -The boys felt that there was nothing but to admit it was the -straightforward thing to do—leaving their reputations in the hands of -the chief or of the public when the story should be told. - -It being agreed among them, no other course suggesting itself to any -of them, they fell silent while the _Rocket_ headed straight for its -boat-house on the Harrapin. - -“Well,” said Paul, “I’ve enjoyed the day immensely, and we’ve learned -more than we expected to when we started. Now, as to the outcome.” - -“I feel that things will come out all right in the end,” Frank -replied serenely. “There is a path that we must follow—the rules of -right living demand that—and we shall merely follow that path. It -runs straight, to say the least.” - -The _Rocket_ ran slowly, easily, quietly into the boat-house, and -everything was made ready for the night. It was already well past -dark, and along the river front all was still. - -The door at the river side was closed and locked, the ignition -locked, and the key placed where the boys could find it, the battery -switch thrown safely off, and the day was done in so far as the -motor boat was concerned. - -“Now, it’s up to the chief’s office for us, and if he isn’t there -we’ll have to find him.” - -They stopped at the first drug store to quench their thirst with -soda-water, and from there proceeded in the direction of the police -headquarters. - -Stopping along the street to pass remarks with other boys of their -acquaintance, answering questions about the speed of the _Rocket_, -they found themselves a few blocks nearer to the large brick -structure without having attracted any undue attention. - -This, though unplanned, was the best way to proceed. - -Buster Billings met his father on the way and was asked to look after -a family matter of extreme importance. Buster could not have refused, -even if he had wished to, so after promises on the part of the other -boys to tell him everything that passed in police headquarters and -with assurances that his name would be given to the chief as knowing -something of the matter, he said good-bye and went on his way. - -Finally, when the others reached the police department, Frank led -the way in. He saw Chief Berry sitting in his office, his feet -comfortably cocked up on his desk. - -Just then one of the attendants at the hospital came rushing up, -touched Frank on the shoulder and whispered: - -“Come to the hospital quickly. The doctor wants you.” - -Before Frank could ask questions, before he could get any -information, the attendant was gone. - -Frank turned and dashed for the hospital at full speed, all of the -other boys right behind him. - -Not waiting to reach the gate, Frank vaulted the fence and raced for -the building. Just inside stood the doctor. - -“Frank!” he cried, “They just told me you were here. You’ve got to -act quickly. Your father’s weaker, suddenly, and there’s only one -thing I know to be done. The drug we need for his heart is not in -town nor at Bellport, and we’ve only one chance to get it—a druggist -at Coville has it. I’ve just telephoned. Can you make it there in -your boat—is it fast enough—can it be trusted to come back at once? -It’s life or death. You’ve got to get to Coville and back with the -utmost speed!” - -Frank stood dazed for a moment. - -“Tell the druggist I’m coming!” he cried, turning to the door. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -RACING FOR A LIFE - - -Fate had taken a hand in affairs. Frank Allen, one of the most loving -and obedient of sons, had grown up to his present age with a fine -respect and a high regard for his father. He was now stricken by this -news from the lips of the doctor. - -“It’s life or death!” resounded in his ears as he turned to run out -of the hospital. - -Paul, Ralph and Lanky had overheard the words of the doctor—and could -not misunderstand. But, as is always the case, the news came to their -ears with an entirely different meaning. Though they regarded Frank -highly, though they loved him, though there was little they would not -do for him and with him as their guide, the words meant not so much -to them as they meant to their sturdy, aggressive leader. - -“It’s life or death!” - -The words were thundered at him by an inner consciousness, literally -throbbing in his mind. - -“Frank, can we go with you? We are going. Tell us what to do and -we’ll do it!” From Lanky came the words, quiet, meaningful, the -words of a friend ready to help in a crisis. - -“The quickest possible way to Coville is by river. It’s our only way -now,” muttered Frank. He was still in a daze at the news which had -been given to him by the doctor. - -“You come along slowly. Don’t run. Take your time. I’ll have the -_Rocket_ ready!” and Lanky turned on his heel and made a dash out of -the door of the silent hospital while the others stood in a small -group near the door. - -The words of Lanky Wallace galvanized all of them into action. He had -thought of the thing to do—prepare the _Rocket_ for the trip, and he -alone had started toward the river to attend to the duty of getting -the boat out of the house. - -Just as the other boys started for the door a girlish figure came -in—Minnie Cuthbert. - -“Oh, Frank!” she exclaimed as she reached out her hand to his. “I’m -so sorry to hear the news. Is there anything I can do? Please tell -me—anything!” - -“The doctor says there’s only one thing to be done—to get a drug -which the druggists around here don’t seem to have. A Coville -druggist has it, so he told me. The quickest way to get it is to -drive the _Rocket_ down. I’m going now to get it.” - -They looked fairly into each other’s eyes, this girl whose -attractiveness held Frank in its grip, and this one boy who had been -the magnet for most of the attention of Minnie Cuthbert. - -“Is there nothing I can do for you?” she asked. “If I can go with you -in the motor boat, or if there is anything I can do for you while you -are gone—tell me, and I’ll be more than glad to be of service.” - -“There isn’t a thing you can do—now—Minnie. God and the doctor have -put everything into my hands. The _Rocket_ must make her real race -to-night—for the life of dad. And mother and Helen! Oh, what will -they find when they reach here! Lanky has gone ahead to get the -_Rocket_ out. I’m going now—every minute means something. The doctor -says it’s life or death.” - -There was the drama which is forced upon people frequently in this -life. A pleasure craft, given to be a thing for joy only, trimmed and -tried for its foremost activity in the ownership of Frank Allen—the -race against the _Speedaway_—was now called into action by the -Fates to race against the greatest contestant in the activities of -life—Death. - -Yet Frank, still not quite out of the realm of dreams, still -suffering the rude shock of the news which the doctor had given to -him, comprehended mentally something of the awful tragedy which he -faced or which faced him, but the body was unwilling to act in unison -with the demands of the moment. - -It is not a simple thing to be told, without warning of any kind, to -be told with words that come as scathingly and as relentlessly as a -bolt of lightning from a stormless sky, that one’s father, beloved, -is lying at death’s door and that one’s own action is the only -possible thing which might save him to the contact of the worldly -things. - -He stepped quickly, lightly, to the front door, screened and swinging -half open in the breeze which was blowing in from the river, and -followed the two boys who had gone out to the broad veranda ahead of -him. - -“There isn’t a minute to spare!” he said, his cap thrown to his head. -“It’s life or death!” - -The three boys fairly raced for the foot of the avenue, Frank knew -that good old Lanky was probably even now swinging open the doors and -loosening the fastenings of the _Rocket_, ready for the race. - -“Hey! Hey!” came a cry from the crossing of Fourth Street as the boys -tore at full speed to the river. - -“Frank! Frank Allen!” came the cry. - -All three of the boys halted almost instantly, for the loud cry came -from one who seemed to call for a purpose. - -It was Chief Berry, hurrying around the corner. He beckoned to Frank. - -“Frank, it is my very sad duty to say to you that you must come to -my office at once. I want you to explain something which has just -been brought to my attention.” - -“I can’t! I’ve got to go to Coville. My father is dying, and the -doctor just told me that I must get to Coville for a medicine which -is necessary to save him.” - -“I cannot help it—you’ve got to come to my office!” sternly announced -the officer of the law. - -Frank was unmindful, however, of anything that any one might tell -him, of any obstacles which might be placed in his way. There was -only one goal, only one activity. Dominated only by the one thought, -he turned and started away. - -“Wait a minute, young man!” exclaimed the officer of the law. “I say -you must come to my office with me at once.” - -“And I told you that I must go to Coville. Now, I’m going to Coville. -Whatever you have to ask me or say to me can wait!” Again Frank -started. - -“I’ll place you under arrest!” - -“Listen!” Frank Allen turned and faced the chief of police. “Don’t -say anything like that to me when I’m in trouble, or, Chief Berry, -I’ll forget myself and I’ll forget your position. I’ll smash your -face if you make a move to stop me.” - -Frank Allen, determined, knowing only one duty in the whole world, -and the chief of police, knowing only that he was trying to stop a -boy whom he had always known as an upstanding, honest, honorable one -on hearsay evidence which had come to him late that afternoon, faced -each other for only one minute, and then, like the flash of a bullet, -Frank Allen left the corner and was gone. - -Racing to the boat-house, putting every ounce of his strength into -the legs which carried him to the _Rocket_ for his race down the -Harrapin River and back again, Frank’s mind was not in any way -crowded with thoughts of the chief of police. - -It was only after he leaped aboard the _Rocket_ which, as he reached -the boat-house, was being pushed out of the little place by Lanky -Wallace, that he gave any thought to the words of the officer of the -law. - -The other two boys had overheard all that passed, and only Paul, of -the two, was anxious. Ralph West was dumbly, silently, unthinkingly, -following Frank, without heed to any one or anything else. - -The _Rocket_ moved out to the river, was met by the current and her -nose turned downstream, while Lanky threw the flywheel around with a -spin, and they were off. - -Frank turned the searchlight full on the stream, seeking for anything -which might interpose itself as an obstacle, but the river was clear. -Stars peeped out overhead, and a new moon shyly looked down. - -Though the words of the chief of police puzzled Frank, though he -thought he recognized in them a threat, there was something far more -important for him to do—his father lay at the point of death back -there in the hospital, the only drug the doctor knew which would save -him was down the river at Coville, and nothing could get that drug -back in time to save this precious life but the _Rocket_ and himself. - -Picking his way carefully downstream for half a mile, getting out -of the zone where trouble might rise, he found himself very shortly -pushing the _Rocket_ faster and faster, her nose well up out of -water, the steady noise of the muffled exhaust telling him that all -was going well. The breeze, to help him along his way, was at his -back. - -Paul and Ralph lay prone on their stomachs as far forward as they -dared to go, while Lanky Wallace kept his place at the side of the -cockpit where he could hear any word that Frank might utter. - -Faster and faster went the _Rocket_. The speed was far beyond any -expectation of Frank’s, the air rushing past his face causing his -eyes to squint until they were almost closed, his hand now and then -directing the searchlight to keep the path ahead well lighted. - -Miles slipped from under them in the night, and Frank, no other -thought in mind save the goal at Coville as quickly as it could be -made, urged the _Rocket_ on its way, having every foot of speed the -engine could give. - -No word passed between the boys. The two forward gasped now and then -as a rush of air suddenly shot down their open mouths. - -Ahead of them loomed a broad raft of logs, and Paul turned his head -involuntarily to signal or to call to Frank. - -But the searchlight had picked it up and Frank held the _Rocket_ far -enough over to make around one end of the raft without lessing speed. - -Was there any chance that the doctor may have failed, in the -excitement at the hospital, in his own sincere and earnest -solicitation over the condition of Mr. Allen—was there any chance -that he might have forgotten to telephone to Coville so that the man -might have the drug ready? - -Could he make it down there and then, returning against the strong -current of the Harrapin River and the wind as well, be back in -Columbia in time to save his father? - -Would this race be a futile one? Was the fast-moving specter of Death -to win this contest? - -Frank thought of all the kind things his father had said and done, of -the counsel his father had given to him. He thought too of his mother -and Helen rushing on toward Columbia, now nearly there, and of what -they would have to face if he, Frank, did not get the drug back in -time. - -He was facing the greatest strain he had ever faced—racing his motor -boat in an effort to save the life of his father—himself, the son, -trusted with the one mission which meant so much to the family, the -life of his father! - -Frank’s involuntary effort was to push on the wheel, to urge, to -force the _Rocket_ to increased speed, to make it fly. What was there -that could be done to give her greater speed? Surely, this was not -all he could get from this boat! - -He leaned over to see that everything exterior was functioning -properly. - -Out of the darkness to one side came the shrill sound of a tug’s -whistle, and Frank threw the searchlight over to find it. It was dead -ahead, whistling the passing signal, which Frank returned at once. - -“Wow! Where are ye goin’ in such a hurry?” came a yell from aft of -the tug as the _Rocket_ shot by only two boat-lengths away, at the -same time striking into the wash from the tug and casting spray in -goodly amounts over the two boys forward. - -Paul and Ralph released their holds to wipe the spray from their eyes. - -Just at this moment something came up the river from the port side, -long and slim, running directly across the path of the _Rocket_! - -The searchlight was shooting a little high, and its rays were cast -upward instead of along the surface of the river. - -There was no time to throw it into place. The spray and the rocking -of the motor boat in the wash of the tug had decreased their ability -to see clearly for just a few seconds. They were almost upon this -obstacle, whatever it was. - -Frank saw two ends of it—recognized they were running squarely into -the midships of a launch which was crossing their path slowly! - -Action was demanded! Something must be done! This thing would be cut -in two! Their own boat would be injured! They might lose in this race -for a life! - -Frank threw the _Rocket’s_ nose far over, the rudder acted instantly, -the _Rocket_ careened, and Paul Bird went tumbling into the river. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -WILL THE RACE BE LOST? - - -Ralph West hung to the tie-hook at the bow with all his might and -main, and succeeded in staying on the _Rocket_. - -Cries went up from the thing in front, which was a motor boat with -several men aboard, while Lanky Wallace yelled as loudly as he could -to attract Frank’s attention to the fact that Paul Bird had gone over. - -But Frank needed no cry, nor warning, to tell him what had happened. -As he threw the _Rocket_ so far over to evade a collision with the -other boat—and succeeded, missing the other craft by the width of a -hair, he saw Paul thrown by centrifugal force into the water. - -Frank knew that Paul could swim. But—was it possible that Paul -had been thrown with enough force to cast him against the other -boat, or might the other boat hit him in the water and thus bring -unconsciousness to him? - -There was no time to look around. No time to go into reverse, for he -would first have to check speed forward. No time to throw a lifeline -or a belt. It was swifter, surer action that was demanded at this -moment. - -All the alertness, the ability to think quickly and to think surely, -the mental strength of Frank Allen, this boy who had been through -just as tight places on the field and the track, who had several -times before thought himself out of a hole, came to his aid now. - -Holding the wheel hard over, Frank sent the _Rocket_ on a complete -circle, and within a radius of about one hundred yards he brought the -boat back again toward the downstream, but above the point where the -collision had so nearly taken place. - -During this narrow circle, with centrifugal force tending to cast -Ralph West off the bow of the _Rocket_, Lanky Wallace was holding -tight to the gunwale, stooping low in an effort to keep his center of -gravity close to the boat. - -As the _Rocket_ now faced downstream again, Frank cut off the speed, -and reached for the searchlight. But the plug had fallen out in the -trip around, and no light was cast forward! - -“Paul! Paul! Are you all right?” yelled Frank as soon as he realized -that his chance of seeing the boy was gone. - -“Here!” came a voice from the water, and Frank got the propeller into -reverse, churning the Harrapin into a wild foam in order not to -go past the point and also in order that he might not run down his -friend. - -Suddenly a hand shot up out of the water, and Lanky grabbed quickly -to give the boy help. In another minute a very wet Paul Bird came -into the boat from the waters of the Harrapin River. - -“Wow! Some wetting!” he gasped. - -In the meanwhile the other boat had gone its way quietly, or it -seemed quietly, for no sound had come from it after the cry that -preceded the sudden swerve of the _Rocket_ which averted the -collision. - -There was no chance to continue down the river without lights, and -Frank called to Lanky to hold the wheel while he made the repair. - -However, Lanky Wallace was not to be denied that single thing which -he could do, for it had become his part of the operation of the -_Rocket_ to see that the lights were in order. - -Instead of obeying Frank and taking hold of the wheel, Lanky, knowing -what had happened, or surmising it as well as Frank, groped his way -to the searchlight and felt around for the loose wire. He found it -in a moment, felt along the fallen wire until he found the plug, and -slipped it back into the socket of the swinging search. It almost -seemed that they heard the swish of the light when the connection was -made and the beam suddenly shot out and lighted the Harrapin in a -bright glare. - -“Where is that other boat?” asked Lanky Wallace, looking around and -moving the light to and fro over the river. But no motor boat was in -sight. Advantage had been taken, if there was any advantage wanted by -the occupants thereof, and it had disappeared. - -“Paul, throw on that rubber coat that’s in the locker aft,” Frank -said to his friend. “I’m as sorry as can be that we gave you that -ducking, but it couldn’t be helped. I had to dodge those fellows, -whoever they were. Wonder why they didn’t stop to help—surely they -knew that some one had gone overboard.” - -“I’ll be all right in a little while,” answered Paul. “I’ll get into -this slicker. Keep her going, Frank. Let’s see if we can’t miss -everything between here and Coville.” - -He said it with a hearty laughing sound in his voice that brought -about a feeling of cheeriness to the others, who had become nervous -as a result of the double incident. - -Frank put the propeller into gear again with the engine, and the -_Rocket_ answered as the steady muffled sound of the exhaust told -them the engine ran smoothly and was ready to do its part of this -arduous night’s duties. - -As the _Rocket_ regained its speed, Frank carefully wiped the surface -of the river clean with the bright beams of the electric light, and, -seeing nothing as they proceeded, he allowed the speed to increase -until, within a few minutes, they were again rushing headlong down -the Harrapin. - -“Hope that delay won’t cost too much,” breathed Frank through gritted -teeth as he firmly grasped the wheel and held the _Rocket_ down the -center of the river. - -Paul and Ralph were no longer lying forward on their stomachs, trying -to see things first. Instead, they were both seated firmly aft of the -cockpit, each holding a rope so that no more such accidents should -happen. - -Paul’s teeth chattered for a while, as the wind struck against him, -but the slicker soon had him warmed, in prisoning the heat of his -body, and though the clothes were soaked thoroughly, he was suffering -no inconvenience. - -Frank’s eyes were even more watchful of the river than they had been -before, and his grip on the wheel was firmer, every muscle tensed, -ready for action. - -A log or two came swinging into sight, floating, but as they were -moving downstream with the steadily flowing current with the narrower -part toward the boat, he was easily able to evade them, though each -of them brought a slight twinge of nervousness. - -“How long have we been coming? How far are we?” asked Lanky. - -“It’s quite a distance yet to Coville,” muttered Frank, speaking -slowly. “We ought to make it pretty soon, but it’s going to take -speed to get us there and back again, I’m afraid. I only wish there -had been some quicker way to get to that drugstore than this. And, -the worst of it is, that we have to go back yet, and we’ll be going -against the current.” - -“Don’t let that worry you, Frank,” replied Lanky reassuringly. “The -_Rocket’s_ showing what’s in her. We’ll get back in nothing flat.” - -It was quite true that the _Rocket_ was showing what was in her, for -the bow stood far out of the water now, with the load well aft, and -the wash of the river showed behind them that they were cutting a -slight, though rapid, furrow through the water. - -Time brings about a healing influence, and time also brings about a -lack of watchfulness. Just so it was this night. - -As the conversation between the boys went on, not spiritedly, but -continuous nevertheless, Frank’s grip on the wheel was relaxed, -though his eyes seemed never to leave the river ahead. - -They came to a hairpin bend in the stream, one which was famous as -a place for picnics on the point which jutted into the Harrapin. -The searchlight, fixed ahead, swung around as Frank negotiated, or -started to negotiate, the bend which he had never met before while in -command of a craft. - -Like a huge mountain there suddenly loomed from out of the darkness a -great bulk which blocked their path! - -“Look out!” yelled Lanky, as the thing came into sight. - -But Frank had seen it, had seen the lights on either side, had -seen the tremendous bulk of the thing which looked down upon them -frowningly. - -Again the call came to the relaxed muscles to act. Again the mind of -wearied Frank Allen awoke to the necessity for dodging the danger -which impended. Again Frank’s alertness was to the fore. - -This time Lanky was ready to help, and a willing and sure hand he -gave as he swung his long body low to the deck of the _Rocket_, and -braced against Frank who stood behind the wheel, turning it as hard -as possible, while his foot reached down to cut off the speed of the -engine. - -An old-time barge, its broad, straight-front nose high out of the -water, was floating easily along upstream, with a tugboat at its -side, the steady puff-puff of the tug plainly heard as the rush of -the wind died down. - -This time there was some co-operation, however, from those on the -other craft. They had seen the flashlight ahead of them in the bend, -and the helmsman of the tug had been wondering what it was. He had -been alert to any danger. - -There was a clanging and clinking of bells, and then the sudden -swish of the water as the towboat’s rudder went into reverse and the -engineer tried hard to slow the pace of the great load which was -hitched alongside. - -The _Rocket’s_ propeller was again in reverse, for the second time -within a very short while, and the motor boat came against the side -of the towboat, where great manila ropes stood outward from the -gunwales, and slid with a bump to the midships of the tug. - -“Hi, there!” called a heavy voice from the wheel-room of the tug. -“What’s down there? Why not a signal?” - -“Beg your pardon, captain,” called back Frank. “I didn’t see you soon -enough. I thought the river was clear and did not slow down much to -make this bend.” - -“Go easy, boy,” answered the man at the wheel of the tug, as half a -dozen faces showed up in the dim lights here and there on the sturdy -craft. “Always take that bend same as you would in an auto. Can’t -always tell about these roads.” - -There was a heartiness about the voice that was reassuring to the -boys on the _Rocket’s_ deck—the heartiness that is so often met among -sea-faring men. - -The boys jollied and talked with the man aboard the tug for a few -minutes, long enough to be courteous, and thanked the skipper for his -work in holding back the speed of the huge bulk until they could get -control of their own craft. - -Then Frank got the _Rocket_ under way again, and was soon well -past the obstacle, past the hairpin bend of the river, and headed -downstream again toward Coville. - -“There it is!” Paul Bird, his spirits still high notwithstanding his -ducking in the river, was the first to sight the far-off lights of -the town to which they were going. - -All the boys looked through the darkness, past the strong beam of -the searchlight as it tried to find everything on the surface of the -water, and saw the flickering lights of the town. - -“But I can’t understand,” Frank was still thinking of the incident, -“what became of that motor boat back there and why it disappeared -right at the moment when most folks would have stopped to help.” - -“Guess they were like a whole lot of folks on the roads,” replied -Lanky Wallace. “You see lots of them in cars who won’t stop to give a -fellow a helping hand when they see he’s in trouble.” - -Fifteen minutes more of steady running of the _Rocket_ brought -them to the landing place at Coville, and there, standing under an -electric light, was a man waving to them to come to him. - -It was the druggist with the package for the doctor at the hospital -in Columbia. - -“Doc told me to meet you boys down here at the wharf—and here is the -package. Keep your motor running and turn her upstream right away. -And here’s another package I brought. It’s a lot of cold drinks for -you and a sandwich for each one. You’ll need them, boys.” - -“That’s mighty good of you.” Frank felt very grateful to the man for -his kindness. “Send the bill up to the doctor and it’ll be paid right -away. Thank you ever so much.” - -Lanky reached out for the packages as the _Rocket_ ran in close to -the wharf, running alongside, Frank holding a foot off so that they -might slip easily by and start back up the Harrapin with the least -possible loss of time. Minutes were counting now. Frank realized it, -and feared it as well. - -“Gee, that was good of him,” Paul was munching on one of the -sandwiches, the _Rocket_ back in the middle of the river, the engine -humming at full speed, and the bow of the motor craft holding high -out of the water as it moved rapidly forward. - -Mile after mile slipped from under them, Frank’s grip on the wheel -sure and steady, while Paul and Ralph lay back and went to sleep. -Lanky, though, was alert to every movement of the boat. - -“Here’s where we passed that boat, about,” he muttered to Frank, when -it seemed that many, many hours had passed. - -Just then the motor spit, puffed, throbbed, popped at the exhaust, -and came to a dead stop. Something had gone wrong. Frank recognized -that series of noises of a gasoline engine. It could be nothing else. -Out on the Harrapin, miles away from home, fighting their way back to -Columbia as hard as they could, they were out of gasoline! - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -SCHEMING VOICES IN THE NIGHT - - -“What’s the matter?” asked Lanky, who, though he had been much with -Frank, failed to recognize the kind of trouble, but merely knew that -they were in trouble when they could least afford it. - -“Out of gas!” muttered Frank, though his reply was mechanical. He was -already thinking hard as to what they should do. - -“Out of gas?” echoed the tall youth. “Oh, Frank, are you sure?” - -“Certainly am,” was the laconic reply. “See for yourself, if you -don’t believe it. Gee, but it’s rotten luck, just at a time like -this!” and Frank gritted his teeth and heaved a long sigh. - -The momentum of the _Rocket_ at the time the engine stopped, when -Frank quickly threw it out of gear, was great enough to carry it -quite a distance against the stream’s current. - -“Wasn’t that an island over there?” came the question from Frank as -he recalled what had been said by Lanky only a few moments before. -“Here, Lanky, grab the oar and paddle awhile, and I’ll turn toward -that island and drift back. The current will take us down stream, and -we ought to land at the island, provided I can get far enough over to -that side.” - -Already Frank was turning the _Rocket_ to the opposite side, trying -to get in line with the island, above it, so that he might drift back -to the boat landings which he remembered were on the upstream side, -for this place had for a long time been a summer resort island. - -Lanky grasped the oar, as he had been bidden, and began using it to -good effect, aiding the _Rocket_ to make through the current as it -began to turn down the river. The trick was to hold it upstream as -much as possible while Frank maneuvered at the wheel to get across. - -He reached for the searchlight, turned it toward the island, the -long beam of light seeking here and there to find the landing. Then, -suddenly, it went out! - -Lanky Wallace quickly pulled the oar from the water and started to -fix the searchlight, when Frank called to him to stop, asking him to -keep on paddling instead, as this was much more necessary than that -the light should be fixed. - -Ahead of him, since his eyes had become somewhat accustomed to the -night-lights of the river, though darkness was prevailing, he could -see the trees of the island and knew that a little more time would -bring to his eyes the bulk of the landing. - -The other boys, Paul and Ralph, were not conscious of any trouble, -sleeping soundly on the small after deck. - -It was a long guess on Frank’s part, yet, when analyzed, it was the -only sensible thing to do, this attempt to land on the island. If -there were other boats tied there, and it was altogether probable -there would be, it should not be very difficult for them to obtain -an amount of gasoline sufficient to take them back to Columbia. And, -whether this should prove true or no, the landing at the island -instead of drifting aimlessly down the stream would be by all odds -the wisest thing to do. - -In a few minutes, sent more and more rapidly down the stream, Frank -saw through the darkness, or what might be described as a night -half-light, the landings at the island. As he drew closer he was able -to make out the blurred outlines of other boats tied there, rocking -slowly to and fro with the lapping of the passing current. - -Now came the problem in Frank’s mind of making a landing safely -without bumping into other boats or without putting the _Rocket_ -against the landing with too much force, nose first. - -“Lanky! Quick! Get forward with your oar. No! Take the oar!” for -Lanky had started to lay it aside in obeying the sudden command. -“Hold it out in front and reach the landing. Then hold us back from -hitting too hard!” - -Lanky did as he was told and his long arms and body reached forward -of the bow, with the oar held as far in front of him as was possible, -until he touched the landing with its blade. All his muscles froze -tight as he felt the rush of the _Rocket_ toward the landing. For -a second it seemed he would be swept back, but he held tensely to -his position. The strength of the lad’s arms was great enough, and -success came of the trial. The _Rocket’s_ speed slowed down. - -Bump! It was only slight, not enough to do damage to the bow of the -boat, but it awoke the sleeping Paul and Ralph. - -“What’s the matter?” cried Paul, rubbing his eyes and tried to locate -himself. “Are we back in town?” - -“No, just at the island where we had that accident. Out of gas and -trying to find some,” muttered Lanky Wallace. - -Frank’s imaginings now were of the worst, though he tried to keep a -stiff upper lip, and did so, thinking hard as to the best course to -take. How long would they be in their quest for gas? What would this -loss of time mean in the race for a life that he was making? Would -his father, fighting for his life back at the Columbia hospital, -be strong enough to hold out until he could get back with the heart -stimulant? Would the doctor fight for all he was worth while waiting -for him, and would he succeed in staying the fatal moment until he -could arrive to give his father one more chance at life? - -All four of the boys stepped to the landing, Lanky taking the end of -the rope to make it fast to the tie-stake. - -“What’s the first move? Where do we find gas?” Paul asked. - -“Let’s look around and see what we’ll do,” slowly said Frank. “I -think the best thing is for you two fellows,” indicating Paul and -Ralph, “to remain here and watch the boat. Lanky and I will scout -around to find some gas. We’ve got to do it quickly, too.” - -“Tell you, Frank!” Lanky was spurred into action. “Let’s hunt in -these boats and see what we can find. You go one way and I’ll go the -other. If you find it, whistle, and I’ll do the same.” - -“Yes,” drawled Frank, thinking the while. “Look, Lanky. If you find -a can of gas in one of the boats, or any way to get some, try to -leave the owner a note telling him who we are so that we shan’t be -stealing. Hear? Got a pencil and paper? Write the owner a note and -tell where he can find us.” - -Lanky Wallace started in one direction along the boat landing and -Frank in the other. - -As Frank came to the first of the several boats which were tied -there, he looked through the gloom to see if there might be a can of -gasoline aboard, carried as an extra for the sake of precaution. - -The first boat was not so provided, nor was the second, and he -wondered if Lanky were having the same sort of luck along his part of -the wharf. - -“But,” thought Frank, “its the law of averages, as the salesmen all -say. That means that if we look into enough boats, provided there -are enough boats tied up there, we’ll find a can of gas, or maybe a -gas-tank filled that we can get at.” - -He had looked in three boats and had come to the end of the string. -Through the darkness he tried to discern more of them tied to the -landing. Stooping low, in order to peer on a level with the wharf, -and aiming his gaze out over the water, he tried hard to see at least -one more boat. - -Faintly, hazily through the gloom, he thought he saw one other craft -moving up and down on the stream, with its nose to the landing. - -“That’s the law of averages,” he smiled to himself at his own humor. -But, deep down in Frank’s heart was a feeling akin to despair, though -it could not be called that properly. He was not despairing, but hope -was having a struggle to reach out far enough to grasp at the very -small straws which were floating his way. - -Picking his way along the wharf, which was of oddly laid planks, -trying to hurry yet fearing to trip if he should run, Frank went -toward the one remaining craft which he could see more plainly now, -though there were trees growing at that spot, their great branches -hanging out over the wharf. - -Suddenly a great hole yawned in front of him! Planks had been removed -from the wharf, or had rotted out. It was too wide to leap, and one -of the big trees leaned out, its branches like ghost-arms, to grasp -at him. - -Turning carefully, picking his steps, he stepped from the wharf to -the sandy shore behind, and started around the big tree trunk. He was -in the midst of half a dozen of them, forming a shady retreat at this -point of the island. - -Pitchy darkness prevailed. Frank realized that the gnarled roots of -the great old trees were sticking up from the ground like giant knees -peeping from a sandpile, and he picked his way carefully. - -At the farther end of this little grove of trees a match suddenly -flared, lighting a limited area, and the man holding the match lifted -it to his cigar and carefully lighted it, the yellow glow of the -light reflected on the man’s face by the cup of his hands. - -Frank Allen stopped. Three men were there, he felt quite certain, -though the others were but shadows dimly limned by the match’s glow. - -This was a queer hour of the night for three men to be standing at -such a place, evidently talking together in low tones, for he had -heard no sound of voices as he came. And it was quite evident they -had not heard him. - -Yet, he thought, if this were not a queer time of night for him to be -groping around on this island, why should he be sitting in judgment -and assume that this was a queer time for these men to be abroad? It -was possible that they belonged on the island, residents during the -summer. - -Whether to step forward to ask them for help was the question. He -decided this was the best action to take, and certainly he stood a -far better chance of getting the gasoline. - -Thereupon he groped forward, still picking his steps, and in being -so careful of his own safety, he was, quite naturally, quiet in his -action. - -The three men had become two. One of them had disappeared as another -match lighted up the little area only a few yards away. - -“Yes, I mean Jed Marmette.” Frank’s keen ears caught the words. He -stopped instantly, all his senses even more alert as this name came -to him. - -Forgotten for the moment was all thought of his errand, his quest for -the necessary gasoline to get him back to Columbia. - -Not that he was forgetful of the duty owing to his father, of -the necessity for getting the stimulant back to the doctor at the -hospital. But, his mind having been filled with the things which he -had learned on the farm of Jed Marmette, is it at all out of the -ordinary for him to have hesitated and to have lost this time in -seeking to learn why that name was spoken here, in this lonely spot, -at this unseemly hour of the night? - -Moreover, was it to be expected that he would now be able to get any -help from these people? For if they were using this name, it was -almost certain they had something to do with the stolen goods that -were in that barn loft. - -The next sentence he could not hear, spoken so quietly as it was—and -he moved, stealthily, every nerve keenly applied to getting closer -unseen and unheard. - -“If we get there to-night and load it all in suitcases we can make a -getaway before any one is the wiser,” said one of the voices. - -A grunt was the only response, and the two stood there smoking in -perfect silence while Frank Allen’s ears were turned to catch every -sound. - -What had become of the third one of the party? And, if they were -going to the Marmette place (provided that was where they were -talking about going) why were they waiting here? - -But that question was very soon answered. It seemed, and Frank often -thought of it afterward, that all the Fates combined at this eerie -hour of night to help him. - -“If the kid would only hurry and get his bags we could get away from -here. If I knew how to run that blamed boat I’d start her off right -now,” said one of the shadows. - -“Oh, well, what’s the use of getting impatient. We’ve loafed along -for a while now, things have died down, we’ve got the police -guessing, the stuff is safe, and we’ll soon be on our way,” the other -shadow replied. - -With this there came the flare of a match as one of them lighted -still another cigarette. Frank started violently as the glow became -bright, fearing lest he be discovered, and held his breath in fear -that they might hear. - -“It is a good thing we’ve got a can of gasoline on board. That was a -wise idea, getting an extra five gallons. We can get a long distance -away before daybreak, and then take a train. I wonder what’s keeping -him so long.” One of them was still very impatient to be on the way. - -A five-gallon can of gasoline aboard that boat! - -The thought struck Frank fairly in the middle of the brain, and he -wondered whether it might be possible to get it. - -Just then the Fates stepped in. - -“Let’s walk along and see if we can help,” one of the men suggested. - -With this the two walked quietly away from Frank toward the center of -the island. - -Their boat was the one he had seen. It was tied to the wharf near by -and it had a five-gallon can of gasoline on board, waiting for him to -help himself? - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -RACING BACK TO HIS FATHER - - -In Frank’s mind there was no idea of theft. Just as he asked Lanky -Wallace to do, he now did. - -When these two men had calmly and slowly sauntered away from the -trees, Frank stole silently to the boat and climbed aboard. - -Here to his hand was a five-gallon can of gasoline waiting for proper -use. And he knew the best use to which it could be put! For a moment -he hesitated. Then, digging deep into one pocket he pulled out a -pencil and a scrap of paper, writing thereon the name and address of -a gasoline man in Columbia and saying that he had taken a five-gallon -can of gasoline, to be charged to F. A. He was not going to give his -own name to these unknown ones. - -In what might have been another minute he was on the wharf with the -can and had made his way stumblingly through the little grove of -trees, over the gnarled knees and rough spots of the ground, breaking -out again on the wharf at the point where the planks had been removed -or had rotted away. - -Just then came a shrill whistle! Through the silent night-atmosphere -it had a ghostly sound, but he knew what it meant—Lanky Wallace had -found a store of gas! - -Frank knew also that both of them, chums, were making their separate -ways back to the boat, each with the needed fuel. - -There was on Frank Allen’s face a smile as he stooped once again and -grabbed up the can which he had filched from the thieves who had -broken into the Parsons’ house. - -Not resting a single time, he made his way back to the _Rocket_, -moving swiftly, surely, as he recalled every step of the way along -the wharf. - -Back at the _Rocket_ he found Paul Bird and Ralph West, each on the -_qui vive_, for they had heard the whistle of one of the boys, not -being sure which it was, but knowing that a can of gasoline had been -found or a cache of some kind was there for their taking. - -These two boys, loyal to the last ditch, had conversed in low tones -over the plight in which they found themselves, each anxious to know -what the two leaders were doing, but knowing that if help of any kind -were to be found on that part of the island, one of these two boys -would find it. - -“Got a can of gas!” he muttered, an optimistic tone in his voice as -Frank told the news to the waiting boys. - -“Did you whistle?” asked Paul. - -“No. That must have been Lanky. He’ll be along in a minute with -another,” replied Frank. - -At that moment out of the gloom came the long, lean body of the lad, -lugging at his side a can of gas, the same size as Frank’s! - -When Frank saw Lanky and Lanky saw Frank they each fell to chuckling. -But Frank had the better of it. - -They hurried in their efforts and poured both cans into the gas tank -aboard the _Rocket_—Lanky’s much-rehearsed duty of pushing off from -land or wharf then became necessary, and the _Rocket_ moved out from -the landing at the island. - -But all four of the lads heard the sudden explosions of a motor from -the distance, along the wharf, and they knew that a boat at the -farther end of the landing-wharf was moving quickly out into the -stream of the Harrapin. - -Frank alone knew that a race was on between the two craft. One of -them had to win! - -“What is that boat?” asked Paul Bird. - -“Those are the fellows who loaned me one of the cans of gasoline, -only they don’t know yet that they loaned it to me,” laughed Frank -Allen grimly. - -“How about fixing our searchlight before we get going?” asked Lanky. -“We’ll need it to make any speed.” - -“Let’s save every minute we can, Lanky,” replied Frank. “You work on -the searchlight and I’ll get her out and start upstream as fast as we -can without the light.” - -Suiting the action to the word, Frank turned the _Rocket_ as he -backed away from the landing, and soon was headed up the Harrapin. - -It was slow work, while Lanky and Paul worked on the connections at -the light. - -As yet Frank had had no time to tell the other boys what he had -overheard, and reserved the telling of it now until they had finished -the work which was necessary to be done. Frank realized as he swung -the _Rocket_ into the stream that he would have to use the light -before he could go very fast. But, at any rate, they were saving a -little time. - -The _Rocket_ had gone about a mile up the river when Lanky found the -connection which was loose, and, having made it tight, switched on -the search. - -Immediately Frank gave the _Rocket_ the full speed of the engine. The -fast little craft almost moved out from under the boys as it leaped -forward under the suddenly applied power, the propeller churning up -the water furiously. - -Ahead of them, its beams darting here and there, jumping about the -river to pick up anything which might do them injury or which might -hold them back, the searchlight played under the guiding hand of -Lanky Wallace. - -“Fellows,” said Frank, “if you’ll stand close so that I can keep my -eyes on the river, I’ll tell you something that I just learned.” - -Instantly the three boys were alert with interest. - -“That boat that just went out of the island ahead of us is on the way -to Jed Marmette’s place to get that stuff up there. It’s going up -to-night and they are going to make their getaway.” - -Nothing that Frank might have said could have brought to all three of -the boys a greater shock of surprise than this. - -They started to ask questions, but he stopped them: - -“Wait a minute. Don’t be so fast with the questions. I’ll tell you -all about it.” - -Whereupon he recited the proceedings in the little grove of giant -trees, the three boys keen to hear each word, and not a question from -any of them to interrupt him. - -“Now, they’ve pulled out. We’ve got to beat it back just as fast as -possible to get this medicine to dad, and, if the doctor says I may -leave, I’m going to see the police and get up there as quickly as we -can.” - -“But suppose—” started Lanky. - -“I’ve thought about that, too,” answered Frank, knowing what Lanky -had intended when he hesitated. “In case dad is not doing so well, -I’m going to ask you three fellows to go to the police, tell them the -story, tell them everything I saw as well as what you saw; and then -take them up on the _Rocket_ yourselves. Lanky knows exactly where -the place is, and you’ll have to depend on Lanky’s ability to run the -_Rocket_.” - -“But, Frank,” asked Paul Bird, “what boat was that at the island—the -one that’s ahead of us?” - -“The one from which I got the gasoline,” Frank answered, though his -tone was a noncommittal one. - -“Don’t you know what the boat’s name is?” Paul continued. - -“It bore a mighty strong resemblance to the _Speedaway_,” came the -low-spoken words from Frank. - -“The _Speedaway_!” All three of the boys muttered the word at the -same time. - -“I said it very much resembled the _Speedaway_. I could not make out -the name, and I didn’t stop to look closely at it. I was in a hurry -to get the gasoline and I was in a hurry to get away before they -returned.” - -“But,” urged Paul, “that is Fred Cunningham’s boat, and you did not -say you saw him!” - -“I didn’t,” Frank held back from making any accusation or from -saying anything which might be interpreted as an accusation. “There -were only two men there when I got close, though I know there were -three men when I first saw them, and I also know they were waiting -for some one to join them. He must have come along just as I -succeeded in getting away.” - -“Wonder how well filled their gas tank is,” muttered Lanky. “If they -had a full tank they could get quite a distance. The extra gas would -have given them the additional chance.” - -All stood in silence while Frank held the wheel of the _Rocket_ -and sent the sturdy little craft up the Harrapin at a speed that -might have been a little less than the speed they had when going -downstream, but they did not notice any difference. - -Frank’s mind was on the question of whether there was any possibility -of their catching the boat ahead of them, perhaps of passing it. Yet, -thought he, the chance was very remote, inasmuch as they had gotten -away a full three minutes before the _Rocket_. Not for a moment did -he consider the idea that the _Speedaway_, if that were the boat, -could outdistance the _Rocket_. Frank Allen considered that the men -ahead of him were merely the same distance ahead as at the start. - -“I wonder if that is the boat which crossed our path and caused Paul -to go over,” remarked Ralph. - -“If it is, I want to catch the fellows that are in it and duck all of -them,” Paul replied. - -Frank paid no heed to the two boys who now started bantering each -other, all crouching low to the deck of the boat as it sped along. - -“Lanky,” spoke up Frank after everything had grown quiet, “when we -get to Columbia I’ll run up to the hospital, and I wish you’d get to -police headquarters as quickly as you can, tell them the story of -those fellows—where they are going and what we saw to-day. Tell them -that the _Rocket_ will see them through. And I wish Paul and Ralph -would find some gasoline and fill up the tank.” - -The boys agreed at once to this program. - -“I have an idea we’re going to have a race this night after those -fellows, and we’ll need plenty of gas aboard. So, be sure about it. -We’re getting near town now, and I must get this package up to the -hospital post haste,” Frank went on. - -As they neared the landing place at Columbia Frank cut off the -engine, relying on its momentum to send the _Rocket_ to the -boat-house, so that he could listen for the exhaust of the boat ahead -of them. - -“That’s it!” cried Lanky, as all the boys plainly heard the steady -put-put of an exhaust ahead of them up the river. - -“We’ve come along behind them,” Frank said quietly. “The _Rocket_ -must be a pretty speedy boat, after all.” - -They warped the craft into the landing place, did not attempt to -enter the boat-house, but, instead, tied at the outside. The instant -they touched Frank was on the wharf and started on a dead run for -the hospital. He had no idea of the time of night or early morning, -whichever it might be. - -The three boys now conferred in low tones as to the duties of each, -and Lanky started away for police headquarters, all unmindful of the -hour of night. - -Frank dashed up the steps of the hospital, and there at the head of -the steps leading to the second floor stood the doctor. Behind the -medical man were Mrs. Allen and Frank’s sister Helen, who had reached -Columbia an hour before. - -“Is he all right?” gasped Frank. - -“All right, Frank. We need this stimulant badly, but we’ve held him -steady while you were gone. You made a quick trip.” - -“I thought we would never get back here! We had trouble.” - -The doctor took the package and hurried into the room where his -patient lay. Frank greeted his mother and sister with a kiss and -followed close behind. - -The doctor made up his mixture for the hypodermic injection, and -he and the nurse administered it to Mr. Allen, who lay on the cot -breathing slowly, his mouth wide open as if he were trying hard to -get as much air as possible. Frank’s heart went out to his father -and suffered with him and for him. Would the fight be won? Would his -father survive? Had the race been a winning one? - -All was silent as they stood by, the doctor intently watching the -patient with the practiced eyes of the man who has stood with many -close to the shadow and who has seen the battle for life won and lost -many times. - -It seemed they stood there looking down on the man for an -interminable period, when, with a smile on his kindly face, the -doctor turned and laid a hand on Frank’s shoulder and grasped Mrs. -Allen’s hand. - -“He’s winning.” He spoke very quietly. - -Tears came to Frank’s eyes, tears of sheer joy. It had been worth the -while, that race to Coville! He had helped bring his father back! The -doctor listened with his stethoscope, lay it down on the small table -at the head of the cot, and again there appeared that sweet, kindly -smile. - -“You must go now, boy, and get a rest. Come back in the morning, and -I’m sure we’ll find him considerably better. He’s safe now, thanks to -our getting that stimulant in time,” the doctor spoke in low tones. -“Run along now and get a rest.” - -“Yes, go home by all means, and get a good sleep,” said Mrs. Allen. - -“You’ll need it—after such a run on the river,” added Helen. Then -she added impulsively: “Oh, Frank, it was grand of you to get that -medicine! I’m so proud of you!” - -Frank walked slowly out of the room into the hall and down the long -flight of steps to the first floor. - -How much better the whole world seemed! How much lighter the load -on his shoulders. The doctor said his father would be better in the -morning and his mother was here to lift part of the burden from his -shoulders. - -Reaching the front door, walking out into the night, Frank saw three -people running down Main Street, and, just behind, came two more. -As he darted under a street light Frank recognized the lean form of -Lanky Wallace in the lead. - -He had the police! They were on their way to the _Rocket_! Down the -steps he bounded, over the fence of the hospital yard, and before -they reached the boat-landing, Frank had caught up with them. Another -race was on! - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -THE LOOT AND THE LOOTERS - - -“Is there plenty of gas?” he asked as he leaped on the deck of the -_Rocket_, addressing himself to Paul and Ralph. - -“Plenty. We got it at the gas station up the street, and had just got -it when we saw you coming. How is your father?” It was Paul speaking. - -“Getting along all right, the doctor says,” Frank answered with a -smile of gratitude to the thoughtful boy who, even in his moment -of excitement, knowing that they were now proceeding on an errand -fraught with much adventure, had not forgotten the trials through -which his friend had gone. “And mother and Helen have arrived and are -with him,” he added. - -“Good!” shouted Lanky. - -In another moment, with the police chief and his men aboard, the four -boys got the _Rocket_ out into the stream, turned its nose against -the current, and started away. - -“Now, Allen,” the chief edged over close to the cockpit where Frank -was maneuvering the boat, “can you tell me what this story is? -Wallace tried to tell me about it, but I haven’t got it all in my -head.” - -Frank replied by telling the chief that he would be glad to tell him -the story in detail just as soon as he got the _Rocket_ around and -going at a better speed. - -“They’re ahead of us only so much as the time since we landed—how -long has that been, fellows?” he asked the boys. - -“A little more than half an hour. Time has been going slow, all -right, but things have been going fast.” - -Lanky had peered at his wrist watch before replying. - -“That’s long enough to put them up at Jed Marmette’s place,” Frank -muttered, while the bow of the _Rocket_ stood up from the river’s -surface and the muffled exhaust told them they had full speed ahead. -“Keep the spotlight ahead of us, Lanky, and watch close, so I can -talk to the chief. They’re just about landing there now if they -haven’t had any trouble.” - -Frank detailed the story of the day’s exploits. He began with the -search across the Parsons’ lawn; the discovery of the place where the -rowboat had been landed and which they had seen on the night of the -robbery; continued with the story of their lunch under the willows -where the same rowboat had in all probability hidden from them on -that same night; went on through the part of having to do with the -discovery of the Marmette farm, with the old rowboat tied at the -bank, of the trip of Jed Marmette to the barn, of his burying a small -box under the grape arbor, and of their looking into the trunk. - -He told of the things which they had seen in the trunk; then of their -return to town for the purpose of informing the chief of police; -then of the sudden summons for a trip to Coville; ending with the -race back up the river after they had learned at the island of the -proposed trip of another motor boat that night to the farm of Jed -Marmette for the sole purpose of getting away with the loot from the -Parsons place. - -“Have you any idea who the men are?” asked the chief, when Frank had -finished the story. - -“I haven’t the slightest, Mr. Berry. The only thing that I am -guessing at is that the _Speedaway_ is the boat that left the island -to-night and went up ahead of us.” - -“What about Fred Cunningham? Did you see him? Is he on the -_Speedaway_? Surely, he is not mixed up in this thing!” and the chief -of police showed his surprise. - -“No, I did not see Cunningham. I don’t know who is running the boat, -and I am not sure it is the _Speedaway_. I said I was guessing. -I couldn’t see well in the dark what boat it was, but it had her -lines.” Frank wished to get his position very plain and definite with -the chief. - -Silence prevailed for several minutes, while Frank looked far ahead -along the river, trying to make short cuts so that every foot of -the distance which could be would be saved. The only sound was the -exhaust of the _Rocket_ as it slipped its best along the Harrapin -River. - -“I am trying to picture this whole thing over again. Will you tell me -why you went back to the Parsons place?” - -“Sure,” Frank replied like a shot. “Lanky Wallace and I both had -the same idea—that the rowboat we met on the river that night as we -came home was the same rowboat that we saw in front of the Parsons -place at the river bank. And both of us were puzzled about the fact -that those men left in a car after Mrs. Parsons had come home in a -car, yet her chauffeur had not seen the robber’s car—and everything -pointing to their being in the house all the time.” - -“Why didn’t you tell me these things at the hearing?” asked the chief. - -“Because I wanted to tell what I knew and not what I was guessing at. -Also, chief, don’t you remember that you practically accused Lanky -and me of having a hand in the robbery?” - -The chief did not make answer to this. - -“And why did you try to have me come to your office when you saw I -was in trouble? Something was the matter. Some one had put some kind -of a notion into your head. Is that so?” - -The chief was standing at the cockpit, saying nothing while Frank -continued to pour out his thoughts. - -“Those men down at the island said to-night they had the police -fooled, so they’ve caused some kind of a story to get to your ears. -Now, chief, there’s more to this than we think. They planned things -out pretty well, and it is only an accident that we have any trail of -them.” - -Frank continued to talk at and to the chief while he kept an eye on -the river, covered as it was with the spotlight handled by the lean -lad. He went on: - -“I’ll make the guess that they got the loot into that rowboat a short -distance up the river, then one of them took the auto into town while -the others saw to the safe conduct of the stuff to Jed Marmette’s -place. And they’ve trusted the stuff with Jed because they felt that -he would not get away. But he was double-crossing them, just as -thieves will do.” - -“I guess that part is right.” The chief spoke for the first time in -several minutes. - -“If they get that stuff packed into suitcases at Marmette’s place, -they will load it aboard the boat they’ve got, and then, to play -safe, they can run up the river for a short distance and get away by -train,” continued Frank. “Only, they’ll get away without the jewels -in that box unless some one takes an inventory.” - -The chief started noticeably. - -“By jove,” he exclaimed, “that’s a fact! They are taking suitcases to -pack that stuff in, and that means that Jed will have to make good -with the jewels. Wonder what that might do to things?” - -Frank was developing the same idea in his own mind. The whole thing -was exciting to the last degree. There might be a showdown between -Jed Marmette and these two men who seemed to have engineered and -carried out the plans for the robbery—in which case there might yet -be a chance to catch them. - -“There’s the place!” Lanky called out in a hoarse whisper. “Shall I -keep the spotlight open or shut it off?” - -Frank peered far over the wheel and they saw they had reached the -island where the willows grew so far over the river. - -“Turn it off, Lanky. I’ll slip in as easily as I can, though we’ve -got to keep the motor going. Every one keep still.” - -When the light snapped out they were in total darkness for several -seconds, but finally their eyes accustomed themselves to the peculiar -light that stretches over bodies of water at night. - -Frank reduced the speed of the _Rocket_, and it seemed that the -exhaust did not make as much noise as they might have expected. -However, any one with an ear for such noises could easily have -recognized the exhaust of a motor-engine from a long distance. - -“Look! See that light?” The chief pointed to a yellow spot which -dodged here and there for a moment through the bushes and small trees -along the river bank on Marmette’s side. - -“I’m going in right here and we’ll crawl up there,” Frank suggested, -looking at the chief, who nodded his approval of the scheme. - -In a few minutes they touched at the bank, running slowly with the -motor cut off, the three boys poling with the oar and pulling along -by grabbing at bushes and trees until the _Rocket_ touched at a firm -spot. - -All crawled off the craft and made their way up to the bank through -the bushes. They were about a hundred yards below the flicker of -light which they could see moving toward the bank. - -“I’ll take the lead,” said the chief. “You boys be ready with your -guns and we’ll catch these fellows.” He was issuing instructions to -his policemen. - -Slowly, stealthily, in Indian file, they made their way along -the river’s bank, now and then catching a glimpse of the yellow -lantern-light. - -Not a word was spoken by any of them, though the boys behind the -police were breathless in their excitement. Frank wanted to see more -of what was going on, but he had to sacrifice his desire to the -general scheme of keeping quiet and unseen as well. The darkness of -the night was an ally of the robbers. - -Now they were close enough to hear angry words passing between men, -but not plainly enough to give them an understanding. - -A few paces more and they were fairly upon the group of four -men—three of them together, while a fourth one held a lantern and led -the way. They were on the path which the boys had followed before, -the one leading from the river bank to the barn. - -Stealthily, like cats, lifting their feet slowly, without causing the -slightest noise of a bush or twig, the entire party moved along with -their chief still leading, never having stopped his advance upon -these men. - -Now they were within a few yards of the spot where they would cross -at right angles the path leading to Marmette’s barn. And the little -group from Jed Marmette’s was at the crossing! - -With the little light shed by the lantern over the scene, they saw -that two men were holding a third one, each carried a suitcase, and -the man with the lantern also carried a traveling case. The loot was -ready to be gotten away with! - -“Look here, Marmette,” one of the men spoke in low but harsh tones, -deadly anger buried in his words. “We’re going to play fair. You’re -to get a hundred dollars. That’s what you get, and we’ll pay you. But -you’ve got to tell us where that box is.” - -“I told you I don’t know anything about no box,” sullenly replied the -man in the center. - -One of the men put down his suitcase as they came to a halt on the -river bank. The man with the lantern also set down his bag. - -The fellow who had set down his suitcase first now reached back -of the center man and brought a rope more tightly around him. The -watching party saw that Jed Marmette was bound tightly with a heavy -rope, his only freedom being his legs. - -“You know that the chest was not in that place when we put it there. -Some one uncovered it. You were the only one who knew where it was, -and you uncovered it. You’ve been into it. You got that little box -out of there, and we want to know where it is.” The second man spoke -tensely, hoarsely, a severe threat in every tone of his low-voiced -words. - -Again the prisoner said he knew nothing of the box. - -“All right then, bo, we’ll see what we can do about it,” and he, too, -set his suitcase on the ground. - -With this he helped the first man tighten the rope around Jed -Marmette, pinioning his arms securely to his sides, fixing him so -that he could offer no resistance. - -The party of trailers stood in the shadow of the bushes, looking on -at this drama between thieves, catching every word that was said, -seeing every move that was made. - -The chief made no attempt to regain the silver which was in all -probability in the three suitcases. - -Paul and Ralph wondered why he waited. Why did he not step forward, -armed as all of the police were, and get these fellows while the -chance was good? There were only three, really, as the fourth was -trussed so that he could do nothing. - -But the chief was waiting for further disclosures. It was evident -they were getting more and more information as this drama unfolded -itself, and all of this conversation could be used against the -thieves when the trial came. - -“Now, Jed, we’ll give you one more chance. When we leave here you’ve -got no more than a Chinaman’s chance.” - -“I don’t know a thing about where that box is,” gruffly, morosely -came the answer from the prisoner. - -“If you don’t tell us where that box is, do you know what will -happen?” The leader was speaking slowly, intently, trying to make Jed -know how serious the matter was. - -But Jed was quiet this time. - -“When we start out in that boat—” his thumb indicating the motor -boat—“you go with us. And when we get to the middle of the river you -go overboard. We’ve got enough rope to tie your feet, and you haven’t -got a chance. See? Now, tell what you know, or down you go.” - -Every one waited for the man to reply, which he did: - -“All right, I’ll tell. That young feller that has that motor boat -came up here with some of his friends and got the box!” - -He was accusing Frank Allen of getting the jewels! - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -THE _ROCKET_ RACES THE _SPEEDAWAY_ - - -Lanky Wallace made a move as if would leap out and throttle the -fellow for making such an accusation. - -Frank’s arm restrained him, though, and the chief of police quickly -signaled for all of them to be quiet. - -“Marmette, you’re not telling the truth. That young fellow knew -nothing about this. If he had known as much as you say, he would have -had the police on us by this time.” - -The leader of the little gang spoke menacingly to the prisoner. There -was no answer from Jed Marmette, and he continued: - -“You’ve hidden that box somewhere. No use to lie out of it. Come -across, or you go down in the river. No more foolishness!” - -These were tense moments. Frank Allen wondered why the chief did not -step forward and take command of the situation, for he was surely -backed by a crowd large enough to take these three prisoners. - -What had Jed Marmette done with the jewels? Was it possible that he -had seen the boys or was this merely a ruse which had risen suddenly -in his mind? - -“I tell you those young fellows were up here in their boat—I seen -’em! And there were five of them—too many for me to stop. They went -into the barn, two of them, while the other three watched outside. -And they got away with the box. I seen ’em!” - -Frank was startled by the things this fellow Marmette was telling. -Then, he had really seen them! He had known they were there—had seen -them go into the barn—else how would he have known they were five? - -What would the chief think now? But what was the use of worrying -about it? Frank knew where the jewels were buried, under the grape -arbor, and it would be an easy matter to recover the metal box just -as soon as these fellows were taken prisoner. - -“You’re lying, Marmette! You can’t pull that stuff on us. We’ll put -him aboard, fellows, and throw him in. Get that other rope ready. Is -everything ready to go?” - -The leader was preparing to settle matters for Jed Marmette. - -“Throw up your hands—all of you!” - -Into the small circle cast by the lantern’s light stepped the chief -of police, his revolver drawn. The other police were directly behind -him, all with drawn weapons. It had been done so quickly that even -Frank, behind them, did not realize that the chief had given his -signal to act. - -The four conspirators turned at the sound of the voice. The fellow -with the lantern made a move toward the boat, still holding the light. - -“Halt! Stand where you are or I’ll fire!” commanded Chief Berry. The -fellow stood still. “Now, get your hands up, all of you!” - -This command was obeyed. - -“Boys, while I keep them covered, you take the ropes and tie them. -Slip the handcuffs on those two big fellows, and tie the one with the -lantern. Hang the lantern where we can have light.” The chief was in -full control of the situation. - -“Chief,” whispered Frank while the men performed their duties. “Let -us four go up there and get the box of jewels. I know where they are -buried—in the grape arbor!” - -“Sure,” the chief acquiesced in the scheme. “Take the boys and go -along. Here is a box of matches and here is a flashlight,” and he -slipped a long cylinder out of his pocket, handing it to Frank. - -Immediately the four boys started along the trail leading to the -barn, through the barnyard, and thence up toward the grape arbor by -the dilapidated old farmhouse. The flashlight helped them on the way. - -Not a word passed between the boys as they filed, Indian fashion, -through the long weeds. It was only when they reached the grape arbor -that anything was said. It was Frank who spoke: - -“I wonder why Marmette tried to pull such a stunt as that? Yet, of -course he didn’t know we were standing there listening to all of it.” - -“Just the same, Frank,” Lanky argued the matter, “if we had not been -there his story would not have gotten him anywhere. That fellow -didn’t believe it—wasn’t he going to drown Jed?” - -At this moment they were at the entrance to the grape arbor. Frank -flashed the light under the dark place and saw that the stone was -still in place! - -Frank started the work post haste. - -“Paul, you and Ralph pull that flagstone aside. There is a new hole -right there and the box is in there.” - -The two boys heartily grabbed the stone and laid it aside. One of -them stooped and started pulling aside the dirt with his hands, but -Frank halted him. - -“You can’t get it away quickly enough that way. The hole is deep. -Lanky, find a spade or a stick of wood.” - -In only a moment or two Lanky Wallace found a sharp stick that could -be used for the purpose, and went at the work of uncovering the metal -box with a willing vim. - -Pound after pound of the soft earth came out of the hole, but there -was no evidence of the box containing the jewels. - -Frank was becoming nervous with the excitement of this search, and, -particularly, because there was as yet no indication of success. - -“Push the stick straight down to see how far it goes before it -strikes the box!” he hoarsely called to the boys. - -Lanky sent the stick downward, then pushed on it with his foot, but, -despite the stick’s length of about a foot and one-half, it struck -nothing to impede its progress. - -“That box isn’t there, fellows!” said Frank. “I know the hole was not -that deep. Jed Marmette took it out and has hidden it somewhere else!” - -Just now it came forcibly home to Frank Allen that the boys had -been seen by Jed Marmette. Of course, he knew they had not taken -the jewels, as well as Marmette knew it, but Marmette had used this -fact as his excuse for not having the jewels, and, unthoughtedly, -unknowingly, he had evidenced to Frank that, having seen the five -boys on the place and having feared they would come back or send back -to get the metal box, he had dug it up and placed it in some other -spot after they had gone. - -The three boys looked askance at Frank. - -“What’ll we do?” he took the question from their lips before they had -done so. “We’ll go into the house and see what evidences there are -there of Jed’s having placed it somewhere around inside.” - -With this all four of them trooped into the small farmhouse, and -their nostrils were struck by the odors of dankness, of old coffee, -of burned grease, showing that this ill-kept man did not permit the -fresh air that nature so freely gave to every living being to pass -through the house. - -The beams of the flashlight darted here and there, and Frank handed -his supply of matches to Lanky to use so that they could get a better -light. In a few seconds Paul saw an oil-lamp, which was immediately -lighted, and with this as an aid they stood at the center of the back -room and carefully studied the general features. - -Nothing in this room gave the boys any indication of a hiding place, -and Frank led the way, holding the lamp, into the next room, a -combination of bedroom and general living room. Two broken chairs, -a wobbly old table, a box used for a washstand or dresser and a cot -were the only pieces of furniture. - -All four of the boys stood, rather breathless, at the doorway and -peered in. - -“What’s that?” Frank nodded his head toward the broad, old-fashioned -fireplace. “Go over there and see what those ashes are. It looks to -me like burned string lying there.” - -Lanky was the first to get there. He knelt and studied the hearth -closely, not disturbing anything with his hands. - -“This is a piece of burned string, Frank,” he said, “and it looks -as if this is the ash of a piece of paper. Looks to me as if he had -burned the wrapper around the box.” - -“Yep, look here!” It was Paul Bird who had found something else. -“Here is a little fresh earth, yellow, too!” - -The lamp was brought close, and all four of the boys on their knees -looked carefully and closely at the little specks of brown or yellow -on the floor. There was no mistaking it—it was damp earth from -outside under the grape arbor! - -“I don’t think that this was brought in on his feet,” ventured Ralph -West, “for I don’t see any heel print right here, and the heel would -have brought it in.” - -For a long minute the four boys looked here and there along the -floor, at the hearth, at the fresh particles of earth, and at each -other. - -“Let us go through everything in this room,” said Frank decisively. -“I believe he has unwrapped the box, burned the paper and string, and -has hidden the box somewhere in the house, so that he could guard it -more closely.” - -With this the boys, having set the lamp on one of the wooden boxes, -started a search of the room. Under the cot, behind the boxes, back -of the clothes hanging on the hooks along the wall opposite the -fireplace, they looked closely for a metal box. But to no avail. -Several minutes were passed in this search. - -From here the search spread into the kitchen, or combination kitchen -and dining room. Into all sorts of boxes and tin cans and cardboard -containers they went, finding particles of food in all these places. -A looking glass on one wall was brought down for fear the jewel-box -might rest behind it. - -The search was getting nowhere, excepting failure. - -“Let’s look in the stove,” said Lanky Wallace, as he reached for the -lid-lifter and started to raise part of the top. - -“That gives me an idea!” cried Frank, wheeling on his heel and -looking toward the bedroom which was now dark. - -Grabbing up the lantern he strode into that room, the other boys -directly and very breathlessly behind him. What kind of idea had -their leader now? They instinctively felt it was a good one, and -probably a winner—but what was it? - -“That box was black. All such document boxes are black—they are made -of thin iron and are japanned, as they call it.” - -Frank was starting the disclosure of his idea by setting down a -premise on which to work logically to his conclusion. - -“Now, if it is black, then the logical place to hide it is where -everything else is black. Is that right?” - -“Up the flue!” exclaimed Lanky Wallace happily. - -Before Frank could answer, before he could turn to make an -investigation, the lean lad had dived past him to the fireplace, had -stooped to the hearth, and a long arm was reaching far up the flue—on -to the ledge which is formed at the top of all fireplaces, and out of -there, covered with soot, bringing down a perfect storm of the black, -sifting, fine powder, he brought a metal box! - -He shook it. There was no doubt. It was black—it was metal—and it -contained a great many pieces of things which seemed to be small. - -Frank took it and looked at the lock. It was locked, he ascertained. -Was this the thing they wanted? Every circumstantial indication -pointed to an affirmative. But he thought they should be sure, rather -than take back a box full of something else than jewels. - -He remembered seeing an old case-knife on the kitchen table, and one -of the boys brought it quickly. - -With this they pried open the top, tearing the lock loose, and opened -the cover. There, exposed to their gaze in the dim yellow glow of the -oil-lamp, lay diamonds, sapphires, rings, necklaces, all sorts and -kinds of jewels and fancy pieces of women’s jeweled wear! The loot -from the Parsons’ safe! - -They had expected this—yet they gasped in surprise and delight. - -“Come on, fellows. We’ve got what Jed Marmette stole from his -thieving friends, and we’ve found the jewels for Mrs. Parsons. This -is all too good to be true! Let’s get back to the chief.” - -Frank took the box, tucked it under his arm, and indicated that they -should turn out the oil-lamp while he switched on his flashlight. - -Out of the house they trooped, a happy crowd of boys, all but the end -of the mystery solved—in fact, the mystery itself was solved, the -trial and conviction of these thieves being the only thing left. - -The flashlight darted hither and yon as the four boys found the trail -and started for the barnyard. - -Bang! A shot rent the air just as they got to the barn. It came from -the direction of the crowd on the river bank! - -All was quiet for a moment, then they heard the call of one man. - -“Halt! Halt, or I’ll kill!” - -Another crack of a weapon tore through the air. - -The boys stopped dead in their tracks at the first shot, as they -heard the command to halt. But started on a wild run for the river -bank when the second shot was fired. - -Crashing and breaking through the weeds and brush, they came to the -little cleared place, where they saw the entire party looking toward -the river. - -The chief was just taking aim to fire again. The motor boat was -already out from shore, its motor had started, and the occupant was -turning it downstream! - -“What’s the matter? Who is it?” cried Frank. - -“It’s Fred Cunningham! He was the third one. He got away and is on -that motor boat!” - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -WHEN THE _ROCKET_ SHOWED HER SPEED - - -It was the _Speedaway_! And it was Fred Cunningham running it! He was -a party to this robbing of Mrs. Parsons—at least, all the evidence -was that he was a party to the plan to get away with the loot this -night! - -Out into the stream the _Speedaway_ was moving, the engine running in -excellent shape. - -“Get your boat and catch him!” cried the chief of police. “Men, watch -those fellows close. Don’t let one of them get away. Shoot to kill if -one of them starts. I’ll go with the boys to help ’em get off!” - -Saying this, the chief pushed Frank roughly by the shoulder, and all -five of them, the four boys and the chief, dashed through the weeds -and brush along the bank of the river to the point where the _Rocket_ -was tied. - -Out on the river they could plainly hear the put-put of an exhaust. -They reached the _Rocket_. Frank stopped a moment to listen. - -“He’s going downstream, chief. If I catch him I’ll take him to the -jail. But how shall we get you?” - -“Send some one back here to get us,” replied the chief sharply, as he -urged the boys to get aboard and start quickly. - -Already Paul and Ralph were on board, and Lanky had untied and thrown -the rope to the deck of the sturdy little craft that was now entering -another race for the day. - -Over to the deck of the boat Frank went, Lanky cast the boat off from -shore, leaping aboard at the same moment. Frank gave a twist to the -flywheel of the motor and they were off on the race! - -It was when he reached to take the flywheel that he laid down the -package which he had been carrying. - -“Chief,” he called as the motor started and they were moving out to -the stream, “I’ve got the box of jewels. I forgot to give them to -you. We found the place where he had them hidden—so they’re safe!” - -“Fine work, lad! Good luck to you! Catch that fellow and we’ve done a -good day’s work!” called back Chief Berry. - -Lanky had the searchlight going in another second, flooding the -river’s surface in front of them. - -Downstream they started, skirting past the island on the bank side -instead of going around it, thus saving some distance. - -The steady exhaust of their own engine kept them from hearing -anything of the boat which was in front. And, quite naturally, their -failure to hear the engine of the _Speedaway_ caused Frank to raise a -question as to whether they might miss the wily fellow in front. - -What if he should duck to one side of the river in the darkness of -the early morning—for it was well pass the midnight hour and the -darkest time of the night—and disappear in the shadows of the growth -along some island or along one of the shores of the Harrapin? - -Studying over this problem, Frank brought a solution to mind and -determined that after they had run a mile or so he would put his plan -into effect. - -It was not a meandering or shambling or loitering gait that the -_Rocket_ had taken—quite the contrary. The bow of the craft was well -up from the surface of the river, the propeller blades were churning -and whirling the water into foam behind them, and the breeze created -by the speed was at once cooling and invigorating. - -Frank had his accustomed position in the cockpit, his steady hand on -the wheel. Ralph and Paul had their places, flat on the after deck, -helping hold the bow out of the water and permitting the _Rocket_ to -skim and glide along the Harrapin at the fastest rate of speed it had -ever made. - -This was a race worth the while—a race with a thief to be caught or -one who had conspired with thieves, and also a race between the two -motor boats. - -“See him?” asked Frank of Lanky, as that long lad twisted the -searchlight from side to side. - -“Not a see,” muttered Wallace. “If this light were only stronger we -might see him ahead of us. I can’t even hear the exhaust.” - -Just at this moment Frank cut off the motor. All was silent on the -_Rocket_. From far ahead of them came the steady, rapidly firing -put-put of the _Speedaway_! It was ahead of them down the stream! -Were they gaining or losing in the race? It was almost, if not quite, -impossible to determine. - -Before they could lose much of their momentum Frank had whirled the -flywheel over again, the heated engine picked up explosions at the -first turn, and the Rocket seemed to fairly leap from under them as -it dashed forward. - -Feeling sure of their quarry now, Frank’s mind went back to some -of the doings of the past few hours and the past few days. To his -mind came, for a second, a thought of his father, and he wondered if -everything at the hospital was going on as the doctor had said it -would and that his father would show improvement after his heart had -been stimulated by the drug. Then came a brief thanksgiving that his -mother had reached home. - -Who was Fred Cunningham? Was he one of the gang of thieves or had he -merely fallen in with these fellows because he owned a fast motor -boat and they could use one? - -Why had he come to Columbia, unheralded by any one who knew him or -knew anything of him? Was it he and his influence that had caused -Mrs. Parsons to turn against Frank and his boy friends after they had -been the cause of her release? - -How had these men got the silver and the jewels to that rowboat? Had -they gone up the river or down? Was their car really standing outside -on the road during the time when Mrs. Parsons’ car came in? - -And, since there were two robbers who looted the house and tied Mrs. -Parsons, who was it driving the automobile that took the thieves -away? That is, there must have been a third one if the auto was -really standing outside the place and had received a signal from the -house. - -After all, was the lighting of the match on the river a signal? - -“Stop the motor again and see if we can hear him,” Lanky interrupted -Frank’s thoughts. - -Frank cut off the engine, and from a distance down the river came the -sound of the exhaust from the _Speedaway_. Instantly the engine was -started again. - -“Was it closer this time?” asked Frank. - -“I couldn’t tell with certainty, but I believe it was. I believe -we’ve gained a little, but the next mile will tell the story. He has -to go around the broad island, and he’s running without lights—taking -all kinds of chances.” - -“Well, he ran upriver without lights,” replied Frank. “I wondered -while we were coming up behind him to-night how he was doing it.” - -There was no way to increase speed. The engine was doing its utmost. -There was only one way to gain—except that the _Rocket_ might be -faster than the _Speedaway_—and that was to beat Cunningham at -maneuvering. - -Frank set his mind to the task. From the several recent trips up and -down the river he began to put together the knowledge he had gained. - -Standing steadfastly at the wheel, his entire being now put into this -purpose of catching the man on the _Speedaway_, Frank Allen cut off -every inch in the bends and around the islands that could possibly be -cut. - -“Better be careful, old boy,” called Lanky, as Frank made one close -shave past a bank at a bend in an effort to cut off distance. - -“Can’t—right now.” Frank smiled as the spirit of this race seized -full control of him. He was determined, more than ever, to catch the -_Speedaway_! - -Taking a long chance at losing some of the space that he felt he had -gained, he suddenly cut off the engine and listened. - -They were nearer! They were gaining rapidly! There was no doubt of it -now. - -The lights of Columbia came in sight on the far side of the river. -Their engine was running full tilt and the _Rocket_ was bounding -forward like a smoothly running race-horse. - -“We’ll catch him right in front of the town!” called Lanky Wallace as -he swung the searchlight about the river. - -“Hope so. It’ll make things easy. But maybe he has a gun,” suggested -Frank. - -“Couldn’t have, unless it was on the boat. The chief’s men disarmed -them,” laconically replied Lanky. - -The lights of the town, only a few in number but enough to act as -beacons to the boys, came closer and closer. They could not yet -discern the _Speedaway_ ahead of them, though they knew it must be -close. - -“What do we do when we catch up?” Paul Bird sat up and asked. “Better -lay out a plan so we’ll all do the right thing.” - -Frank was once again making a short cut on the last bend above -Columbia. “Well,” he said, “we shall try to get alongside. Then you -two fellows go over and engage him if he shows fight, while I hold -the _Rocket_ close up, and Lanky can take the tie line with him to -tie him.” - -That was all there was to the plan. Just general in nature. No use, -thought Frank, of crossing this particular bridge until they got to -it. Time enough to do the right thing after they had caught up with -their man. - -“There he is!” cried Lanky excitedly, pointing to the motor boat that -loomed directly in front of them as Frank made the last twist to gain -ground. - -Cunningham was peering back over his shoulder as the searchlight from -the _Rocket_ lighted that part of the river. - -Suddenly he veered to one side; probably, thought Frank, in an effort -to get to the side opposite Columbia and there beach his craft and -run for it. - -Lanky shot the search behind him. - -“Look out!” Frank fairly screamed as he saw a tremendous obstacle -loom in front of the _Speedaway_, less than fifteen feet away—too -close to permit the helmsman to again maneuver his boat. - -Up out of the darkness, totally unexpectedly, arose the great bulk of -a barge, loaded and piled high with boxes and bales, the towboat on -the farther side. - -So exciting had been the chase that neither Fred Cunningham in the -first boat nor Frank and his friends in the second had seen the small -lights of the tug as it steadily pulled its great burden upstream. - -Crash! There was nothing else to be expected! Into the side of the -big barge went the _Speedaway_, full power ahead! - -There was a noise of splintering wood, cries and yells of warning and -of horror from the men on the barge, yells from the four boys on the -_Rocket_. - -The bow of the _Speedaway_ telescoped as if a giant were squeezing -down on it, and the stern dipped deeply into the stream. - -There was a flash of light for a second, then the gasoline tank -exploded, spreading gasoline to all parts of the water. - -The _Rocket_, being far enough to the rear, could be properly -maneuvered to avoid a repetition of such an accident. - -Frank Allen threw the boat over slightly, cut off the engine and -tried to reverse. Even in his excitement, though, he realized that -his momentum was too great to permit anything of the kind. - -Throwing the engine into action again, he went down past the barge -and made a wide circle, coming back upstream in a minute or two after -the plunge of the _Speedaway_ against the barge. - -The three boys watched closely as Lanky Wallace turned the -searchlight from point to point, seeking to find the wreck. - -Débris was scattered over all parts of the rapidly flowing Harrapin. - -“Where is Cunningham?” asked Paul Bird. - -The wreck of the _Speedaway_ was slowly settling into the river as -the water rushed into it and the weight of the engine helped to drag -it down. - -The skipper of the towboat was now around on their side of the barge -and five or six men had ropes, ready to cast them for a rescue. - -Suddenly a head bobbed up out of the water. It was Fred Cunningham! -There was a faint cry for help, and he sank again. - -“Lanky, hold the light there. Paul, take the wheel and keep going -around in a circle,” ordered Frank, at the same time grabbing the boy -and pulling him into the cockpit. - -Splash! Over the side of the _Rocket_ went Frank Allen, to rescue the -fellow who, if not actually his enemy, was certainly no friend to the -boy who was risking his own life to keep him from drowning. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -WHEN ALL ENDS WELL - - -Though Frank Allen was an expert swimmer, the best in Columbia and -the surrounding country, he found trouble in going to the aid of Fred -Cunningham. - -The explosion of the tank had spread blazing gasoline over the -surface of the river; the wreck of the _Speedaway_ was settling by -the stern quite rapidly; the hundreds of splintered pieces were -moving here and there, jagged and rough, a menace to the swimmer; the -barge had come to a stop and was rocking to and fro while the tug -held it. - -Men aboard the barge were yelling and calling warnings and -suggestions and the searchlight of the _Rocket_ danced about the -water as Lanky tried to compensate for the failure of Paul Bird, not -very expert at the wheel, to hold the _Rocket_ where it belonged. - -Down into the river went the intrepid boy, bent on bringing -Cunningham to the surface if possible—and determined that it was -possible. - -It seemed hours to the three boys on the _Rocket_ before they spied -Frank’s head on the surface, bobbing suddenly from the water, and saw -that he was tugging at a heavy load. - -“Here, Ralph! You take the searchlight! Keep it squarely on Frank and -I’ll get the boat over!” - -Lanky got Ralph West into active service, and, as he felt he could -handle the _Rocket_ better than Paul Bird was doing, he took hold of -the wheel and brought the _Rocket_ around to the spot where Frank -struggled to keep himself above water and hold the other at the same -time. - -“Paul, give him a hand! Grab him when I get up close!” called -Wallace, the engine cut down to low speed, as he glided easily toward -the boy in the water. - -It was the work of but a few more seconds to get Frank out of the -water and to drag Fred Cunningham along with him. - -“Let’s try to save him,” gasped Frank, unmindful of his own condition. - -A cry went up from the barge when they pulled the two boys over to -the deck of the _Rocket_, and now the skipper of the towboat yelled: - -“Ahoy there! Can I help you any? Is he all right, or can you get him -over to town?” - -“I’ll attend to him. Thank you ever so much!” called Frank, as -three of the boys turned their attention to the injured lad. Lanky -had already started the _Rocket_ for the landing at Columbia. The -searchlight was bearing straight ahead, since it had been abandoned -in that position, and Lanky could see his way. - -Frank gave instructions to the others at once, with a snap like an -officer, and they went to work with vim. - -Just as they touched the landing at Columbia Frank heaved a sigh of -relief—Fred Cunningham was showing signs of coming back to life. -Frank saw the first flush and noted that he was gasping for breath. - -As they landed they saw a dozen people standing on the wharf, having -been attracted by the crash of the motor boat against the barge and -also by the sight of the fire. - -Into an automobile the boys placed Cunningham’s limp body quickly, -Frank giving directions: - -“Get him to the hospital! Quick! Don’t waste a minute!” - -As the automobile pulled out, Frank turned, soaking wet, a laughable -sight notwithstanding the seriousness of it all and the stress and -tragedy of the race. - -“I’m going back for the chief. You fellows want to come along?” he -asked. - -The question was almost unnecessary. Lanky and Paul and Ralph, weary -and worn as they were, ready to drop off to sleep except for the -excitement of the day and night, were ready to follow their leader. -But a thought came suddenly to Frank. - -“I’ll tell you, fellows. Paul and Ralph ought to stay here to take -care of that fellow and see that he doesn’t get away if he revives -quickly. Maybe he’s not badly hurt and he could be released from the -hospital. You two fellows stay here and see that things are ready -when we get back. Tell the doctor I’ll be back in an hour or so to -see dad—and all that, you know. Tell mother, too, if she’s still at -the hospital.” - -The two boys, sensible, realizing a division of forces was now the -best, grabbed Frank and Lanky by the hands, wished them well and -promised to see about Cunningham. - -Before the _Rocket_ left the wharf, they brought back a bottle of hot -coffee and warm rolls, which Frank and Lanky barely gave thanks for -as they grabbed, in their hunger, for the viands. - -Just as the sun broke through the far horizon and shot its first -shafts of light into the world, the _Rocket_ got away from the -landing at Columbia and started back to the Jed Marmette farm. - -Though as tired as two boys can ever be, a morning breeze which blew -across the Harrapin was an invigorating one, their worries were -almost over—the principal ones were over except for Frank’s father, -and the boys fell to chatting gaily while they raced the _Rocket_ -upstream as rapidly as the engine would take it. - -“Frank,” said Lanky, as they had gained their full speed and stood -looking ahead of them along the river, “the _Rocket_ is a better boat -than the _Speedaway_.” - -“Right now, you mean?” laughed Frank. - -“No, I mean she always was. She gained on the _Speedaway_ to-night in -straight running.” - -“Not to-night.” Frank felt in a teasing humor. - -“Well, last night, then. But, believe me, Frank, you surely did do -some clever headwork! By jove, that was good the way you made those -bends and beat him to the punch.” - -Full daylight was upon them as they made the landing at the Marmette -place. - -“Did you catch him? I know you did!” called the chief as the _Rocket_ -warped into the shore. - -“I’ll say we caught him—out of the water!” cried Lanky from the bow. -“He smashed into a barge and tore his boat all to pieces!” - -The chief had to hear the entire story before he brought his charges -on board, which was done very shortly. - -The two strangers and Jed Marmette were led aboard, their arms -pinioned and locked with handcuffs. - -“Here is the jewel box!” said Frank, when they were ready to leave -the shore. He reached down into a locker and brought out the black -iron box, no longer mat-surfaced with soot, but shining brightly from -the new japanning on it. - -The chief took it, raised the cover and peered within. Then he gasped -with surprise. Here, surely, was a fortune which these fellows had -almost made away with. He carefully closed the box and tied it with a -piece of the rope which his sharp knife clipped off from the arms of -Marmette. - -The trip down the river was without event. The chief asked many -questions of the two boys, and the boys, in turn, asked how things -had gone after they had left so hurriedly. - -“What’s all the crowd about? Some one hurt?” asked Chief Berry, -pointing to the throng that had gathered at the river in Columbia. - -They had not long to wait for the answer. As glasses in the hands of -some of the people told them the approaching boat was the _Rocket_, a -series of wild cheers went up, hats were thrown into the air, and as -rapidly as cheers died away someone started them over again. - -“What’s it all about?” asked Frank. - -“Sounds as if they’re cheering this boat for some reason.” The chief -seemed to understand. - -“Three cheers for Frank Allen and Lanky Wallace!” they heard some one -cry from the shore, and the cry was followed by wild cheering by the -crowd. - -Frank brought the _Rocket_ up to the main landing, with the crowd -laughing, cheering, waving and talking, and allowed the chief and -his policemen to take the three prisoners off the boat. Then he very -easily pulled out and circled to the boat-house where the _Rocket_ -slipped in easily, seeming still to have the same go and pep that it -had in the beginning. - -“She doesn’t seem to be a bit tired,” said Frank. - -To this Lanky replied that the indicator on the gas tank said she -ought to be feeling quite run down, inasmuch as the pin was standing -close to the word “empty.” - -“Oh, well, before we take her out again we can fill her,” and the two -boys walked out of the house and locked the door. - -Instantly they were seized by friends in the crowd, and a thousand -questions of all kinds were shot at them. - -Frank spied the doctor in the crowd, and before answering any of the -questions, before hardly being civil to his friends, he called to -that gentleman: - -“Doctor, how’s dad? Any good news this morning?” - -“Nothing else but good news, boy!” the doctor waved back at him. -“Don’t worry—he’s getting along nicely. Going to get well, quick!” - -Tears of joy welled up into the lad’s eyes as he heard these words so -cheerily spoken by the man who had fought so sturdily at his father’s -bedside. - -Just then Minnie Cuthbert accompanied by Helen Allen made her way -through the crowd close about these two boys and grasped Frank by the -hand. - -“You’re a real hero! I’m so glad you did all those things they tell -about you,” she exclaimed, her eyes shining brightly. - -“Who tells about me?” asked Frank. - -“Why, Paul Bird and Ralph West haven’t done anything else since early -this morning but tell every one on the streets and telephone all -those they didn’t see!” she laughed. - -So that was what caused this crowd to be here! - -“Come on, Lanky, let’s get away from here as soon as we can. I want -to catch those two fellows and lay them across my knee,” muttered -Frank in an undertone to his chum. - -The two boys finally got free of the crowd, Minnie and Helen walking -along with the heroes of the hour, while the crowd followed behind, -talking loudly, cheering every once in a while. - -“There’s Mrs. Parsons. She’s trying to attract your attention.” -Minnie nudged Frank and nodded toward the street, where an -automobile was moving slowly along. - -Looking that way, he could not help but see the excited beckonings of -the wealthy widow up the river, who had been robbed. - -“Frank, I want to apologize to you and to your friends for the way -in which I have acted. I’m not going to explain anything—I’m just -awfully sorry for the way I treated you.” - -“Mrs. Parsons,” and Frank spoke very evenly, though pleasantly, “that -is all right. I know that things were awfully exciting, and you -probably didn’t think of lots of things. I don’t blame you at all.” - -“And that’s the way all of us feel,” spoke up Lanky. - -“I am awfully glad to hear you say that. I’ll tell you!” and a happy -smile spread over her face, “won’t you organize a party and come up to -my place on a great big picnic—just any day you say? Minnie, can’t -you organize it?” - -“Surely! We’ll make it day after to-morrow, too!” cried the young -lady. - -“You are to bring absolutely nothing to eat with you. I shall have -all the things that a really nice picnic needs. Now, I’m going to -depend on you, Minnie, to get up the picnic and be there day after -to-morrow—the whole day!” Saying this she gave a nod to the driver -of her car and waved the young people a happy good-bye. - -“I guess I can organize a picnic, all right,” Minnie laughed gaily, -as she took Frank’s arm and they stepped back to the sidewalk. “She -ought to give you boys a first-class picnic, and I’ll see that she -does.” - -The girls said good-bye, and then over to the hospital walked Frank, -his clothes dried on him, but looking slouchy, rough-dried, and -anything but the neatly dressed boy that Frank Allen was. Lanky -walked alongside. - -There the news the nurse gave was of the very best, and Frank walked -into the room, to see his father lying on the bed smiling happily, -holding up his arms as if he would take his boy in them. - -Fred Cunningham had suffered contusions which were very painful, and -the doctor kept him in bed, announcing that he would not allow the -young man to leave the hospital for several days. - -At the preliminary hearing it was learned, through telegrams which -Chief Berry sent out, coupled with the admissions of the men -themselves, added to which were letters on their persons, that these -men were professionals who looted the homes of wealthy people after -careful, painstaking study of the locale, of the habits of the -people, their friends, and their goings and comings. - -It was shown that Fred Cunningham was a tool of one of them who had -some things on the young man. It could not be learned exactly what -that “something” was, though it was surmised that it was a boyish -indiscretion which had been multiplied strongly by the man in order -to force the boy to do his bidding. - -The picnic turned out as Minnie Cuthbert had planned it should: a -perfect repayment by Mrs. Parsons for all the insulting looks and -remarks she had made about these boys. The picnic was an entire -success. - -But Mrs. Parsons was to do still more for Frank and his chums, and -what that was will be related in the next volume, to be called, -“Frank Allen at Old Moose Lake; or, The Trail in the Snow.” In that -volume we shall learn the particulars of a stirring vacation in a -winter camp and solve a very perplexing mystery. - - -THE END - - - - -The New Western Series - -Exciting, Thrilling Stories of the Old West - - - TEXAS MEN AND TEXAS CATTLE E. E. Harriman - THE SCOURGE OF THE LITTLE “C” J. E. Grinstead - THE LONE HAND TRACKER William W. Winter - WHEN DEATH RODE THE RANGE William W. Winter - RAW GOLD Clem Yore - DON QUICKSHOT LOOKING FOR TROUBLE Stephen Chalmers - THE LAST SHOT William MacLeod Raine - STRAIGHT SHOOTING W. C. Tuttle - SAD SONTAG PLAYS HIS HUNCH W. C. Tuttle - THE SENTENCE OF THE SIX GUN Anthony M. Rud - THE OUTLAWS OF FLOWER-POT CANYON Frank C. Robertson - THE CLEAN-UP ON DEAD MAN Frank C. Robertson - THE MASTER SQUATTER J. E. Grinstead - SIX GUN QUARANTINE E. E. Harriman - THE VALLEY OF SUSPICION J. U. Giesy - TREASURE TRAIL Robert Russell Strang - MOUNTAIN MEN Ernest Haycox - BATTLING HERDS W. C. Tuttle - HOSTAGES OF HATE Anthony M. Rud - TAKE-A-CHANCE TAMERLANE Stephen Chalmers - HASKELL OF THE DUG-OUT HILLS Frank C. Robertson - GUNPOWDER VALLEY Murray Leinster - RUSTLERS’ RANGE George C. Shedd - TROUBLE TRAIL Clem Yore - - - Garden City Publishing Company, _Inc._ - Garden City New York - - - - -The Movie Boys Series - -_By_ VICTOR APPLETON - - - THE MOVIE BOYS ON CALL, - or Filming the Perils of A Great City. - THE MOVIE BOYS IN THE WILD WEST, - or Stirring Days Among the Cowboys and Indians. - - THE MOVIE BOYS AND THE WRECKERS, - or Facing the Perils of the Deep. - THE MOVIE BOYS IN THE JUNGLE, - or Lively Times Among the Wild Beasts. - THE MOVIE BOYS IN EARTHQUAKE LAND, - or Filming Pictures and Strange Perils. - THE MOVIE BOYS AND THE FLOOD, - or Perilous Days on the Mighty Mississippi. - THE MOVIE BOYS IN PERIL, - or Strenuous Days Along the Panama Canal. - - THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER THE SEA, - or The Treasure of the Lost Ship. - THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER FIRE, - or The Search for the Stolen Film. - THE MOVIE BOYS UNDER UNCLE SAM, - or Taking Pictures for the Army. - THE MOVIE BOYS’ FIRST SHOWHOUSE, - or Fighting for a Foothold in Fairlands. - THE MOVIE BOYS AT SEASIDE PARK, - or The Rival Photo Houses of the Boardwalk. - - THE MOVIE BOYS ON BROADWAY, - or The Mystery of the Missing Cash Box. - - THE MOVIE BOYS’ OUTDOOR EXHIBITION, - or the Film that Solved the Mystery. - THE MOVIE BOYS’ NEW IDEA, - or Getting the Best of Their Enemies. - THE MOVIE BOYS AT THE BIG FAIR, - or The Greatest Film Ever Exhibited. - THE MOVIE BOYS’ WAR SPECTACLE, - or The Film that Won the Prize. - - - Garden City Publishing Co., _Inc._ - Garden City New York - - - - -The Dave Fearless Series - -_By_ ROY ROCKWOOD - - - DAVE FEARLESS AFTER A SUNKEN TREASURE, - or The Rival Ocean Divers - - DAVE FEARLESS ON A FLOATING ISLAND, - or The Cruise of the Treasure Ship - - DAVE FEARLESS AND THE CAVE OF MYSTERY, - or Adrift on the Pacific - - DAVE FEARLESS AMONG THE ICEBERGS, - or The Secret of the Eskimo Igloo - - DAVE FEARLESS WRECKED AMONG SAVAGES, - or The Captives of the Head Hunters - - DAVE FEARLESS AND HIS BIG RAFT, - or Alone on the Broad Pacific - - DAVE FEARLESS ON VOLCANO ISLAND, - or The Magic Cave of Blue Fire - - DAVE FEARLESS CAPTURED BY APES, - or In Gorilla Land - - DAVE FEARLESS AND THE MUTINEERS, - or Prisoners on the Ship of Death - - DAVE FEARLESS UNDER THE OCEAN, - or The Treasure of the Lost Submarine - - DAVE FEARLESS IN THE BLACK JUNGLE, - or Lost Among the Cannibals - - DAVE FEARLESS NEAR THE SOUTH POLE, - or The Giant Whales of Snow Island - - DAVE FEARLESS CAUGHT BY MALAY PIRATES, - or The Secret of Bamboo Island - - DAVE FEARLESS ON THE SHIP OF MYSTERY, - or The Strange Hermit of Shark Cove - - DAVE FEARLESS ON THE LOST BRIG, - or Abandoned in the Big Hurricane - - DAVE FEARLESS AT WHIRLPOOL POINT, - or The Mystery of the Water Caves - - DAVE FEARLESS AMONG THE CANNIBALS, - or The Defense of the Hut in the Swamp - - - Garden City Publishing Company, _Inc._ - Garden City New York - - - - -The Larry Dexter Series - -_By_ RAYMOND SPERRY - - - LARRY DEXTER AT THE BIG FLOOD, - or The Perils of a Reporter - - LARRY DEXTER AND THE LAND SWINDLERS, - or Queer Adventures in a Great City - - LARRY DEXTER AND THE MISSING MILLIONAIRE, - or The Great Search - - LARRY DEXTER AND THE BANK MYSTERY, - or Exciting Days in Wall Street - - LARRY DEXTER AND THE STOLEN BOY, - or A Chase on the Great Lakes - - LARRY DEXTER AT THE BATTLE FRONT, - or A War Correspondent’s Double Mission - - LARRY DEXTER AND THE WARD DIAMONDS, - or The Young Reporter at Sea Cliff - - LARRY DEXTER’S GREAT CHASE, - or The Young Reporter Across the Continent - - - Garden City Publishing Company, _Inc._ - Garden City New York - - - - -_The_ - -FRANK ALLEN SERIES - -_By_ GRAHAM B. FORBES - - - FRANK ALLEN’S SCHOOLDAYS, - or The All Around Rivals of Columbia High - - FRANK ALLEN PLAYING TO WIN, - or The Boys of Columbia High on the Ice - - FRANK ALLEN IN WINTER SPORTS, - or Columbia High on Skates and Iceboats - - FRANK ALLEN AND HIS RIVALS, - or The Boys of Columbia High in Track Athletics - - FRANK ALLEN—PITCHER, - or The Boys of Columbia High on the Diamond - - FRANK ALLEN—HEAD OF THE CREW, - or The Boys of Columbia High on the River - - FRANK ALLEN IN CAMP, - or Columbia High and the School League Rivals - - FRANK ALLEN AT ROCKSPUR RANCH, - or The Old Cowboy’s Secret - - FRANK ALLEN AT GOLD FORK, - or Locating the Lost Claim - - FRANK ALLEN AND HIS MOTORBOAT, - or Racing to Save a Life - - FRANK ALLEN CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM, - or The Boys of Columbia High on the Gridiron - - FRANK ALLEN AT OLD MOOSE LAKE, - or The Trail in the Snow - - FRANK ALLEN AT ZERO CAMP, - or The Queer Old Man of the Hills - - FRANK ALLEN SNOWBOUND, - or Fighting for Life in the Big Blizzard - - FRANK ALLEN AFTER BIG GAME, - or With Guns and Snowshoes in the Rockies - - FRANK ALLEN WITH THE CIRCUS, - or The Old Ringmaster’s Secret - - FRANK ALLEN PITCHING HIS BEST, - or The Baseball Rivals of Columbia - - - Garden City Publishing Company, _Inc._ - Garden City New York - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - - pg 8 Changed Rocket was going up-stream to: upstream - pg 19 Changed between the Pasons to: Parsons - pg 23 Changed Lanky was siting to: sitting - pg 26 Changed for the police head-quarters to: headquarters - pg 36 Changed spread of carpetted to: carpeted - pg 93 Added missing quote before: Let’s get her out - pg 95 Changed period to comma: Perhaps they can, Frank replied - pg 99 Changed if you are geting to: getting - pg 102 Added comma after: finished their work - pg 121 Changed way along the trial to: trail - pg 121 Changed Rocket toward mid-stream to: midstream - pg 136 Added hyphen to: Racing to the boathouse: boat-house - pg 136 Added hyphen to: reached the boathouse: boat-house - pg 137 Changed Ralph lay pone to: prone - pg 143 Changed to be denied hat to: that - pg 145 Changed soon had him warmed, inprisoning to: imprisoning - pg 176 Changed colon to semi-colon after: seen in the trunk - pg 194 Changed switched on his flash-light to: flashlight - pg 212 Changed good news his morning to: this - pg 214 Added quote before: won’t you organize a party - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRANK ALLEN AND HIS MOTOR -BOAT *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for -copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very -easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation -of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project -Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may -do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected -by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark -license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country other than the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where - you are located before using this eBook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm website -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that: - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of -the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the Foundation as set -forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, -Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up -to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's website -and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without -widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our website which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This website includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |