CHAPTER XXI

A RACE WITH NODDY

For a few moments the boys were too surprised to know what to say. They trailed along after Noddy and the girl, noting that the two seemed to be enjoying themselves. As the couple entered an ice cream store Jerry remarked:

“Well, it’s a free country. He can take out any girl he likes, I suppose, and we haven’t anything to do with her.”

“It makes me mad to see a nice girl like that out with such a fellow as Noddy,” exclaimed Ned.

“Ah, I guess Ned’s lost his heart,” spoke Bob.

“Lost nothing!” sputtered Ned. “But you know what sort of a chap Noddy Nixon is. Would you want him to go out with any girl you knew?”

“But you don’t know this one,” said Jerry.

“I’ve been introduced to her,” replied Ned. “But I suppose it’s none of our business. Come on, let’s go home.”

“I guess Ned is rather smitten with Jessica,” remarked Jerry in a low voice to Bob, as they started for Harmon Beach.

“Don’t blame him,” came from Bob. “She’s a fine girl.”

On the way home the chums talked over Noddy’s sudden reappearance. They agreed he was not a pleasant acquaintance to have, but decided as long as he did not interfere with them they could do nothing.

“I wonder if Bill Berry is still around,” said Ned. “Haven’t heard anything from him lately.”

“That’s one thing I forgot when we were at the lighthouse,” spoke Jerry. “I meant to ask Mr. Hardack if he had a helper, but it slipped my mind.”

“Perhaps you were too busy looking at Jessica,” came from Bob.

“Not exactly,” replied his chum. “But I must admit I had a strange feeling when I heard the keeper call her Jessica. I thought of the man in the wreck.”

“She can’t be the same one,” argued Ned. “He was an old man, and his daughter must be quite a woman by this time. Jessica is only a girl. Besides, her name is different.”

“Jess and Jessica might be the same,” put in Bob.

“There are lots of things that might happen,” Jerry commented. “We’ll have to wait and see what turns up.”

“Are you going to the lighthouse again?” asked Ned.

“We might,” Jerry replied. “I want to ask about Bill Berry. But you needn’t come along.”

“I guess I’ve got as good a right there as you have.”

“Oh, of course, but I thought you might not like to see Jessica, seeing that she had such bad taste as to go out with Noddy Nixon.”

“She doesn’t know him as well as we do,” said Ned hotly.

“Never mind, I was only joking,” Jerry added. “We’ll all go to the lighthouse, and see what we can learn.”

When the boys got home that night they found Sam awaiting them. He was in the dining room and was telling Mrs. Hopkins some of his sea stories. Jerry’s mother was much interested in the old sailor.

“Want to go blue fishing to-morrow?” Sam asked, when the boys had begun eating a little lunch the cook sent in, probably in honor of Bob.

“Sure!” was the cry in a chorus.

“They’re running fine,” the sailor replied. “Old Pete Scud went out to-day and got forty-five.”

They arranged to go the next day, and started early in the morning. They had excellent sport, and the boys landed several beauties.

“What will we do with them all?” asked Jerry as he looked at the pile of fish in the big basket in the boat.

“We can sell most of ’em,” replied the sailor. “The rest you can give to your friends.”

“Can I have a couple of the big ones?” asked Ned.

“Sure,” answered Jerry. “What do you want ’em for?”

“I’m going to make a present of them.”

Sam was given the larger part of the catch, the boys keeping enough for the cottage, while Ned took two of the finest ones.

“What are you going to do with them?” asked Jerry, as they got back to the dock about noon.

“Well if you must know I thought I’d take them to Mr. Hardack at the lighthouse. He probably likes fish.”

“Probably Jessica does, also,” put in Bob, with a grin that caused Ned to make a sudden lunge at his chum.

“We’ll go with you,” said Jerry. “Take the fish along, Ned. It will be a sort of love offering,” and he laughed, while Ned blushed.

That afternoon the three boys in their boat started for the South Light, as it was called to distinguished it from the next one above, or the North. The fish had been packed in ice to keep them fresh, Ned attending to this item with much care.

The day was a fine one, and as the _Dartaway_ sped out of the harbor and round the point, preparatory to going down the coast, the boys chanted one of Salt Water Sam’s odd songs.

“This is glorious!” cried Bob. “I wish it would last forever. A life on the ocean wave for me all right.”

“Except when we run out of grub,” put in Ned, with a grin.

As they swung down along the coast, the boat making good speed, their attention was attracted to the puffing of a craft just behind them. They looked and saw another motor boat coming along at a lively clip. In it were two figures.

“Don’t let them pass us,” called Jerry to Ned, who was at the wheel.

“Don’t worry. It’ll have to be a pretty good boat to pass the _Dartaway_.”

The newcomer seemed inclined to race. He was getting his engine up to top speed, and the pile of water in front of the bow of his craft showed he meant business.

The boys began to sit up and take notice. They saw that the other boat was a swift one, and, as it was a trifle smaller than theirs, and narrower, it stood a better chance. But they were not going to give up so easily.

Jerry and Bob began oiling the motor while Ned settled down to business. He shoved the levers over, and, for a while ran the _Dartaway_ on second speed. By this time the other boat was about opposite them.

“Can you see who’s in it?” asked Jerry of Ned.

“No. Seems to be a fellow and a girl. He has a cap on, and I can’t see his face. Her hair blows about her so I can’t make out who she is.”

The occupant of the other boat evidently had accepted the race, and was doing his best to win. He was steering a straight course, and the two craft were not more than a hundred yards apart.

They kept it up for a couple of miles, the engines exploding away like a battery of Gatling guns in full action. Gradually the _Dartaway_ began to draw ahead. Inch by inch she left her opponent behind, until he was hopelessly out of the race.

“Better slow down now,” cautioned Jerry. “We’re close to the lighthouse.”

Ned shut off some power, and, a few minutes later, steered the boat up to the small dock at the base of the lighthouse.

“Glad to see you!” called a voice, and the keeper came down the stone steps to welcome them. “Haven’t been out in any more storms, have you?”

“Not lately,” replied Jerry. “How are you?”

“Oh, things are always the same here. Come in and have a bite to eat. My niece is away but I’m pretty good at setting the table.”

Ned’s face showed the disappointment he felt.

“Here are some fish we caught,” he said, offering them to Mr. Hardack.

“Well now! Say, that’s kind of you. I was just wishing for some blues, and I haven’t time to get any. I told my helper to get some, but he’s not as spry as he might be.”

“What’s his name,” asked Jerry, thinking this a good opening to find out what he wanted to know.

“Merry--no, it ain’t Merry, it’s Cherry--no, it ain’t Cherry either--land I am forgetful. It’s some name like that. Berry--that’s it--William Berry. I’ve only had him a few weeks. My other man took sick and I had to get one in a hurry.”

The boys looked at each other. None of them dared to make a remark, but Jerry seemed much excited.

“Come on in,” went on Mr. Hardack. “Well I declare, there’s another boat coming. That must be Jessica. She went out for a cruise with a young chap she met at an entertainment or something the other night.”

The boys looked and saw the craft they had lately raced with coming to the dock. In a little while it was so close they could make out the features of those in the motor boat.

The girl was Jessica, and the youth was Noddy Nixon.