CHAPTER XI

BILL BERRY’S THREATS

Slowly but surely the rowboat was pulled away from the dangerous brink of the falls. The two girls, who were pale with fear, regained their courage, and ventured to get up from the bottom of the craft, where they were crouched, to peer over the side.

A few minutes later the _Dartaway_ was steaming ahead at full speed, pulling the tiny craft after it. Seeing there was no more danger Jerry slackened the engine and steered over toward shore.

Just then a white-faced woman ran from a cottage toward the river.

“Oh!” she exclaimed. “Are my little girls drowned?”

“Not exactly,” replied Jerry with a smile, as he pointed to the two children in the boat.

“But we near was, mommer!” cried the smaller of the two. “Gertrude and I went out in the boat, and lost an oar, and we drifted toward the falls. The boys come along and pulled us back or we’d got all wet.”

“I guess you’d have gotten a little more than wet,” observed Ned.

“Oh how terrible!” exclaimed the woman. “If you ever go out in a boat alone again I’ll make your father move away from this horrible river.”

Jerry with the aid of Ned and Bob was casting off the rowboat from the _Dartaway_, and tying it to the small dock which extended into the river.

“Will you boys come in a little while and rest?” asked the girls’ mother. “I’m sure I can’t begin to thank you for what you did. You saved the children’s lives.”

“I’m sure we didn’t do any more than any one would have done under the circumstances,” said Jerry, who, like most boys hated to have a fuss made over him or what he did. “I’m afraid we haven’t time.”

“It’s getting late, I guess we’d better be going,” added Ned, who likewise was not fond of praise, and so, bidding the girls and their mother good-bye the boys started away.

The search light, which was set going as soon as it was dark, gave a brilliant path of illumination up the center of the stream, though on either side was gloom. Suddenly the gas lamp, which burned in the bow, went out.

“There, I meant to fill the carbide tank to-day,” said Ned, “but I forgot all about it.”

“Never mind, we can go along just as well in the dark,” said Jerry. “We have the side lights going and we’re not liable to meet any other boats. Better go a little slower, though.”

Ned, accordingly slowed down, and, with scarcely a sound, so well was the engine muffled and so smoothly did it work, the _Dartaway_ glided along. Ned steered over toward the left bank, to be out of the way of any boats that might be on the river.

It was getting quite damp, and a fog was obscuring the view.

“It’s a good thing there are not many motor boats on the river, or we might run into one, or be run into,” said Ned. “I wonder if the police boat is in commission yet.”

“I heard she’d be here next week for good,” spoke Bob.

As every one knows who has been on the water, or for that matter, out in a fog, sounds carry much farther and with much more distinctness under such conditions than ordinarily. It was because of this that the boys heard, borne down the river to them, the sound of voices.

“Now I won’t take any of your threats, Bill Berry!” they heard some one say.

With a quick but noiseless motion Ned slowed the motor down to first speed. The craft made scarcely a sound and glided through the water like a ghost, with one red and one green eye.

“Did you hear that?” asked Bob.

“Keep quiet!” commanded Jerry. “It sounded like Noddy’s voice. If it was we must find out what he’s up to.”

They listened intently, and heard a confused murmur. The words borne to them must have been exceptionally loud or else an echo carried them. Then, again, they heard plainly.

“You needn’t try to scare me, Bill,” spoke the voice, which all three now recognized as Noddy’s. “You’re as deep in this thing as I am, and if you try to give me away I can do the same for you.”

Then came the low tones of some one evidently pleading with Noddy.

“Steer close up, under those overhanging trees,” said Jerry to Ned. At the same time he threw the edge of a tarpaulin over the red and green side lights.

Silently the _Dartaway_ glided into a regular bower under the trees. It was dark, and made an excellent hiding place. Ned threw out the gear, but the engine was allowed to run slowly.

In their hiding place the motor boys could hear the voices more plainly now. They knew Noddy and Bill were plotting together over something. From the direction of the sound of the voices Noddy and Bill appeared to be upon a small hill overlooking the river.

“I’ve got to have that money,” Bill could be heard to say. “I need it, and if you don’t get it for me I’ll--!”

“It won’t do a bit of good to threaten,” interrupted Noddy. “I’m not afraid of you. You were just as bad as I was in the mine and the kidnapping business. You don’t want to go to jail any more than I do.”

“Maybe not,” sneered Bill, “but I’ve got to have money to live. I could do that in jail without any money, but I can’t outside, which is a curious thing. But I need some cash and you’ve got to get it for me.”

“Where can I get any money?” asked Noddy.

“I don’t care where you get it,” said Bill in no gentle tones. “You can beg it or borrow it--or steal it for all I care. You get some, that’s all, or I’ll go to the police and tell them all I know.”

“You’re trying to blackmail me!” exclaimed Noddy, who, from his voice seemed almost ready to burst into tears. “You’re threatening me.”

“It’s the only way to make you do anything,” growled Bill. “Now I tell you what; if I don’t have some cash inside of two weeks there’s going to be trouble for you.”

“I’m not afraid of you!” cried Noddy, stung to sudden anger by the helplessness of his position.

“I’ll make you!” exclaimed Bill.

It sounded as though there was a scuffle between the two in the bushes. Now and then muffled cries could be heard.

“We’d better go and help Noddy!” exclaimed Ned. “He’s no friend of ours, but I don’t want to see that Bill Berry get the best of him.”

The three boys were so excited they forgot to maintain the caution they had observed at first. In moving about in the boat, as the struggle continued, the tarpaulins were knocked from the lamps and the red and green rays glowed out.

All at once the sounds of the struggle ceased. It became very quiet. But, through the darkness came the hoarse whisper from Noddy:

“There’s the police boat! They’re after us! Come on Bill.”