“Wait until you ride in _our_ boat,” said Ned, with proper pride. “We’ll take you on a little trip before we start for the border.”
With Ned to attend to the engine, to see that it got the right amount of oil, and, occasionally, to adjust the carburetor, and Jerry at the wheel, guiding the craft, the _Eel_ darted up the river. Every eye was on the alert to catch the first glimpse of the boat which they were pursuing.
“Think he can have gotten much ahead of you?” asked Mr. Nestor, after a pause.
“Well, he had quite a start,” observed Ned.
“And our boat can go some, if she’s handled rightly,” added Jerry.
“The fastest on the river--in her class,” added Bob, proudly. “But this is likely to be a long chase. I wish----”
Bob paused, but Ned, with a chuckle, said:
“That we should have brought a lunch along! Am I right?”
“Well, if we’re going to be out half the night we’ll need it,” declared Bob, in self-defense.
“We won’t be out all night if we once get sight of Noddy,” declared Jerry, with conviction. “As soon as he sees us after him he’ll give in--he’s that kind!”
The _Eel_ was making good progress, and Jerry knew he could depend on Ned to get more speed out of her when needed. But as yet they had seen no signs of their own boat.
On up the river they swept, the searchlight throwing out a brilliant gleam, and bringing into bold relief the trees and bushes along the shore. Bob had joined Jerry in the bow, while Ned was at the motor, and the two men and Andy Rush occupied one of the rear seats. Suddenly the stout lad uttered a cry:
“There’s something dead ahead!” Those in the boat thrilled at his words, but a damper was soon put on their enthusiasm when Jerry said:
“False alarm. That’s only a log of wood. It’s a good thing you saw it, though, for we might have rammed it, and, going as fast as we are, we might have stove a hole in the hull. All right, Chunky!”
Once more there was silence, broken only by the chug of the motor, and the slight squeak as the steering rope passed over the pulleys and around the drum.
“There’s the Riverview club house!” remarked Ned, in a low voice, as they made a turn in the stream and saw a lighted building ahead of them.
“We’ll stop there and inquire,” decided Jerry, and a little later they tied up at the dock. As members of the Cresville club our heroes had visiting privileges at the other organization, and they were made welcome.
