CHAPTER XXI

THE RACE

The meal was eaten with appetites such as only come from perfect health and a life in the open. The boys filled themselves with no fear of future consequences, and then, having let down the side curtains, and seeing that all was snug, they pulled out the bunks and went to sleep.

They arose about nine o’clock and, after a bath donned their old clothes, for they anticipated rough work in making camp, and prepared breakfast.

“Shall we use lake water or get some from a spring for coffee?” asked Ned.

“Better hunt for a spring,” suggested Jerry. “There’s a house up there,” and he pointed to one quite a way from the river. “Maybe you can get some there.”

Ned took a pail and jumped to the bank. As he did so he uttered a cry.

“Sprain your ankle?” asked Jerry.

“No, but look here!” exclaimed Ned.

In an instant Jerry was at his side. Ned pointed to the ground close to a big tree to which the bow line of the _Dartaway_ was fastened.

There, in the soil was the imprint of a foot, and in the center of it was the mark of an arrow worked in hob nails.

“The man who robbed my father’s store!” exclaimed Ned.

“Or one with the same kind of shoes,” added Jerry.

“There would hardly be two alike,” spoke Ned. “I’m sure it’s the same one.”

“How can you be?” asked Jerry.

“Because I noticed that in the prints in the dust on the window sill,” replied Ned, “that there was a nail missing from the shaft of the arrow. See, there is a nail out in this one,” and he showed his companion that this was so.

Jerry bent closer to the print.

“You’re right!” he said. “This mystery is deepening. But the prints might have been there for some time.”

“No,” said Ned. “It rained after we went to bed last night. Not much, but a shower sufficient to make mud. That print was made after the rain.”

“Then the man was spying on us,” said Jerry.

“He certainly was around here,” put in Bob, who had come ashore. “Say, let’s send for Chief Dalton.”

“Maybe we can do a little detective work ourselves,” suggested Ned.

“I think it would be better to let the chief know the man may be in this neighborhood,” spoke Jerry. “Probably the information will not amount to anything, but if something should happen they could not blame us for keeping still.”

“Are you going back to Cresville?” asked Bob.

“No, I think it will do to drop him a note,” said Jerry. “We can run to some post-office after breakfast.”

The meal was hurried along and then, Jerry having written a note to Chief Dalton, the lines were cast off and the boat started for Eastport, a little village about five miles off, where, as the boys learned from the house where they got the water, they could post letters.

They all went ashore at the post-office, which was near the edge of the lake. Inside they found quite a large crowd.

“Mail must come in early,” said Ned, for it was hardly ten o’clock.

But it was not the arrival of the mail which had attracted the throng. Instead they were all staring at a big poster on the wall. On top the boys saw in big letters:

REWARD!

Underneath was a lot of reading matter, which, as the boys hastily perused it, they saw was an account of the robbery of Mr. Slade’s store, and a description of Noddy, who, it was stated, had been kidnapped by a gang of river thieves. A reward of $500 was offered for the arrest and conviction of the thieves, while Mr. Nixon offered to pay a like sum for the return of his son. The posters were signed by Chief Dalton.

“Well, things are certainly doing back in Cresville,” remarked Ned, as Jerry posted the letter. “Mr. Nixon still thinks Noddy was stolen away.”

“Wouldn’t it be fun if we could land the thieves and Noddy too,” said Bob. “That would be a thousand dollars.”

“I guess if we landed the thieves Noddy would not be far off,” spoke Jerry in a low tone. “I don’t believe he would rob the store, but I’m afraid he’s gotten in with a bad gang that would. Hello, here’s another notice.”

There was one on the opposite wall. It was not so large as the other, and was an announcement that the following Saturday there would be a regatta at the lake, in which there would be rowing, sailing, swimming and motor boat races.

“What’s the matter with us entering?” asked Bob.

“I guess we could,” commented Jerry. “I see our friend John Smith is in charge. We can probably find out all particulars from him. But come on, we’d better be getting to the island or we’ll find it taken.”

They learned from the postmaster how to get to Deer Island, and, purchasing a few supplies, and some butter, which they had neglected to bring along, they set out.

Deer Island was about an hour’s run from the village of Eastport, and as they neared it they saw the boat they had met the evening before cruising about.

“_Dartaway_ ahoy!” exclaimed Mr. Smith, who, as the boys could now see, was a man about twenty-five years old.

“On board the _Tortoise_!” called back Jerry, reading the name of Mr. Smith’s craft on the bow.

“I was wondering if you’d show up,” went on Mr. Smith. “That’s a nice boat you got there. Can she go?”

“Well, we think so,” replied Jerry modestly.

“Come on out and have a brush,” invited Mr. Smith, running up along side. The boys saw his craft was a powerful six cylindered one.

“Thank you, but I guess we’d better get our camp in shape first,” spoke Jerry. “Afterward why perhaps we can have a race.”

“Tell you what, you’re just in time for the regatta,” went on Mr. Smith. “I’m in charge of the motor boat contests. Let me enter you. The prize is a silver cup.”

“Oh I guess you can put us down all right,” went on Ned.

“What are the names?” asked Mr. Smith, slowing down his craft and producing paper and pencil.

Ned gave the names of his friends and his own, and Mr. Smith jotted them down. “I’ll send you an entry blank this afternoon,” he said, “and you can fill it up. I’ll show you over the course whenever you like. Good-bye, I’ve got to run over for the mail,” and, opening the throttle, he sent his boat ahead in a smother of foam while the cylinders fairly thundered with the explosions.

“Guess we wouldn’t have much chance with him in the race,” observed Bob.

“Oh I don’t know,” Jerry said. “The _Dartaway_ is a pretty fast boat. I’ll not give up until we’re beaten.”

The boys found Deer Island a pleasant place to camp. There were no parties on it yet, though it was big enough for several. There was a natural harbor, in a little cove, and some one had built a small dock, and a boathouse, with merely a roof and no sides, where the _Dartaway_ could be kept.

“Say, this is all right,” commented Ned. “This is going to be jolly sport.”

The boys spent a busy morning. They set up the tent, made up the cots, and took the gasolene stove ashore, as they decided to do their cooking on land rather than in the boat, where quarters were not any too large. This done they found they had their appetites with them, and proceeded to make a meal off canned stuff.

In the afternoon Mr. Smith came over with the entry blanks, which the boys signed. Then, at their new friend’s suggestion, they followed him over the course, a triangular one of three miles to each leg. Mr. Smith showed them where the stake buoys were, and told them there was a clear course, and plenty of water all around.

The day of the regatta could not have been better had it been made to order. There was enough of a breeze to make sailing a pleasure, but not enough to make the water rough. One after another the different events were run off until it came time for the motor boat contest.

There were ten craft entered, and a pretty sight they made as they came up to the starting line. Some of the boats were small and were given a time allowance, while the larger ones were handicapped. Mr. Smith’s boat, having the reputation, as the boys learned, of being the fastest on the lake was held back ten minutes. The _Dartaway_ with Jerry steering was placed on “scratchy” time, that is starting off with the five boats judged to be about on an even footing as regarded speed.

At the signal off went the boats having a time allowance. Then the five, including the _Dartaway_, got off together. Behind it came three rated higher than the Cresville boys’ craft, and then the _Giant_, a big boat, but with a smaller engine than the _Tortoise’s_. Last came Mr. Smith’s craft, and what a noise she made when her captain, who, with two friends was running her, threw in the high speed gear.

The race was on. Several power boats that had not entered followed the contestants. The Judge’s boat was also going part way over the course. At the two outer buoys were stationed markers to see that the boats kept fairly to the course.

For the first few minutes the boys were so excited that they did not know whether they had a chance to win or not. They kept pace with the five boats in the company of which they started. Jerry called to Bob and Ned to oil the engine more, and then he put on a little additional speed.

The _Dartaway_ seemed to leap forward, and left the four boats behind. Seeing this their owners increased their speeds, but Jerry, once he found his craft was behaving finely, shoved the lever over another notch or two, and soon was two lengths ahead of the nearest of the four.

“Now to overhaul some of those ahead,” spoke Bob.

“I’m afraid we can’t,” remarked Ned.

But the boys found they were slowly but surely coming up to the leaders. Gradually they lessened the space between them until the _Dartaway_ was in line with the first boat that got away.

But during this time the _Giant_ and _Tortoise_ had not been idle. With their powerful engines they were slowly cutting down the _Dartaway’s_ lead. For a while the two larger craft were in line, but the _Giant_, finding the load too much for her motors, dropped slowly to the rear.

Not so the _Tortoise_. In a smother of foam she came on, the explosions roaring like a blast furnace.

“He’s going to catch us,” shouted Ned, for one had to yell to be heard above the roar of the _Dartaway’s_ engine which had been cut off from the muffler to give a little more power.

“The race isn’t over yet,” called back Jerry, shoving the levers over almost to the last notch.

Shortly after the first buoy had been passed it became evident that the struggle for the winning place was between the _Dartaway_ and the _Tortoise_. The others had either given up or were racing among themselves for third and fourth prizes.

Rounding the second buoy the _Tortoise_ passed the _Dartaway_. It was to have been expected, but the boys felt none the less chagrined. They had hoped to win, but it was a big thing to go up against a six cylindered craft with a four.

But Jerry had not given up yet. He had the motor running at top speed now. The spark had been advanced to the last notch, and the cylinders were taking all the gasolene they could use and not choke. Slowly but surely the _Tortoise_ drew away.

Suddenly there seemed to be some commotion on board the leading boat. The two friends of Mr. Smith were seen to be busy over the motor.

“Hark!” cried Jerry. “One of his cylinders is missing! We have a chance now.”

Sure enough the explosions from the _Tortoise_ were not so regular as they had been. One of the cylinders had become clogged, and with five going the engine worked unevenly.

“I think we can beat him!” exclaimed Jerry grimly. He was not rejoicing over a contestant’s misfortune, but it is on such mishaps as this that motor boat and automobile races are won and lost.

Now the _Dartaway_ was creeping up on her rival. True it was but a slow advance, for there were still five cylinders in the _Tortoise_ against her four. But the boys’ craft was doing nobly, and their hearts beat high with hope.

Mr. Smith was not going to give up without a struggle. His two companions worked like Trojans over the silent cylinder, but could not get it to respond.

Then to the boys’ delight they found themselves on even terms with the redoubtable _Tortoise_. They were on the home stretch with less than a mile to go. Already they could hear the shouts, the cries and the applause of the watching throngs, with which mingled the shrill whistles of steam and motor boats.

Three minutes later the _Dartaway_ had regained the lead she had at the start, and thirty seconds later had increased it. With two big waves rolling away on either side of her cut-water she forged ahead. Foot by foot she approached the stake boat. With one last look back, which showed him the _Tortoise_ five lengths to the rear, Jerry with a final turn of the wheel to clear the judges’ boat safely, sent the _Dartaway_ over the line a winner.