Motor Boat Boys' River Chase Part 18

Well, saying that it was ten minutes, and the boat was going at the rate of twelve miles an hour that would mean the stolen craft had a lead of about two miles all told. Jack knew that they should cut this down before an hour had crept by, unless something happened to hold them up, an accident to the Wireless, or to his own motor.

So when something like half an hour had gone, he began to exhibit more or less anxiety as to whether any signs of the white boat could be seen down-stream. In order to find this out at the earliest opportunity Jack had stationed his "crew" up forward in the bow, where he could have nothing in the way; and as the moon was about in the east he was not compelled to stare into its bright shaft of silvery light.

Every once in a while Jack would call out to ask whether there had anything appeared in sight. Josh answered him three separate times, and then laughingly said:

"Say, d'ye know what you make me think of, Jack? Remember in the old nursery tale of Bluebeard, where the poor wife, whose head is going to be cut off by the bad man keeps calling up to her sister, who is watching the road for the coming of their brothers: 'Sister Ann, Sister Ann, is there anything coming?' Well, just now, Jack, I can't even say I see a cloud of dust in the distance, as Sister Ann--hold on there, Josh, don't be in such a big hurry. Is that a moving object, or are you seeing things that hadn't ought to be there?"

He bent forward the better to look. Just then from the other boat the voice of Andy was heard to call out eagerly:

"Sure, 'tis something I say beyant there; and to me way of thinkin' it looks as much loike a white boat as two peas resimble aich ither!"

That started Josh, who did not exactly relish the idea of having to play what he called "second fiddle."

"Right you are, Andy, though a bit late, because I was just telling Jack here that our intended prey was in sight. But I'm real glad to hear you say you can see it too, better two heads than one, even if--well, I won't finish that sentence, because you might think I was comparing your coco to a mere vegetable. There, Jack, look for yourself and see," he went on, as the skipper managed to leave his engine long enough to push forward a little.

So Jack did take a good look, and when he had done so, he added his opinion to that of the other two boys.

"Guess there isn't a shadow of doubt about that, fellows; because I can see the thing moving right along; yes, that's the runaway motor boat, and we're going to catch up with the same inside of twenty minutes, unless something that isn't down on the bills comes to pa.s.s."

CHAPTER XVIII

OVERHAULED

"Well, I like that!" George was heard to exclaim; and it was noticed that he seemed to be greatly amused over something or other.

"What d'ye mean, George?" asked Josh; for the two boats were so close together all this while that those aboard could exchange comments without great difficulty; although they had to raise their voices considerably, because of the furious rattling of the exhausts.

"It must be a joke, be the powers;" broke in Andy, "because he's been laughin' that quiet loike till himsilf this long toime."

"That's what it is, a joke!" declared George; "and by that, I mean the wonderful Saunterer. Our new friend, Algernon, didn't you hear him call his expensive craft a speed boat? Say, it's a wonder, that's what! The only thing I'm surprised at is his giving her such a gentle name. He ought to have called her Chain-Lightning, Blue Streak, or something like that. Why? Because she goes like a shot--nit. A speed boat, that thing?

Well, and her doing about twelve miles an hour at her best too! I could cut circles all around her, if only you'd let me go, Jack. And look at the Tramp walking up on her; yet when did you call your craft a speed boat, I'd like to know?"

"Oh! that's what's so funny to you, is it?" Jack went on to say. "But you must remember who owns the Saunterer, George. Perhaps, when she's doing her best she seems to be flying through the water like mad to Algernon. Everybody doesn't happen to be built the same as you, George."

"Well, I should say not," declared the other, immediately.

"And there are a whole lot of people who are mighty glad of it," put in Josh.

"Arrah! that's thrue, ivery word av it," echoed Andy. "Sure the world'd be turned upside-down in a hurry, av there were many Georges runnin'

around loose, thryin' to bate ivery other George. I do be sayin' 'em wid their tongues hangin' out av their mouths and, always lookin' for a race. Now, belave me the ould Comfort is a hape more to me likin' than a boat that cuts through the wather loike a knife; and kapes ye thinkin'

ye are sittin' on the sharp edge all the while."

"Oh! well, there have to be different kinds of people in this old world," sang out the undaunted George, "and we happen to be built on different models, that's all. You never saw a race horse, one of the thoroughbred type, but what he was nervous, and finely strung. I suppose that's the way I am constructed. Can't help it, to save me. I'm really unhappy to be going slow at any time."

And that was really a fact, for George ate his meals in a hurry, studied his lessons with a rush; and when he played football was always a terror upon the lines, carrying things with him; though apt to prove a weak defense in the end from over-exertion.

While this little heart-to-heart talk was going on, they kept drawing steadily closer to the white boat.

Jack had begun to speculate on what was apt to happen when finally the pursuers were able to overtake the fugitive craft. He knew that the desperate men who were aboard would not be apt to think of surrendering easily, and especially when they knew or suspected that their foes consisted for the most part simply of half-grown boys.

They were armed, too, which was a fact calculated to make Jack act cautiously. True, he carried his reliable Marlin along with him, and at close range a shotgun is a serious weapon to consider, especially one of hard-shooting, modern kind, but Jack did not much fancy having to use this, except as the very last resort.

One thing surprised him not a little; he wondered why the escaping bank thieves had not thought to run their boat ash.o.r.e, and escape to dry land. Surely they must have realized before now that the motor boats were in pursuit of them, and bound to overtake them at that, before long.

Perhaps they were still a little in doubt. Then, again, it might be they scorned to show the white feather in connection with a pursuit conducted by mere striplings. But Jack secretly believed there must be another and more likely reason for their sticking to the boat. If they landed, they were going to have a hard time of it avoiding the many officers who, spurred on by the reward that had likely been offered for their apprehension, and the return of the stolen plunder, would be on the lookout at every cross road in the country south.

Now, if only they could get a chance to change the color of their craft they might keep right on moving down the great river, and snap their fingers at every inquisitive person; for it would be a white boat that these watchers would be looking for.

Yes, these things must weigh heavily with the two men, and make them want to stick by the stolen motor boat as long as possible. They may have laid out their plans, and hated to alter them; and these had to do with a voyage on the river, running by night, until they reached a certain place of refuge; it might be down at St. Louis, for all Jack knew.

No matter what the reason, there was the white boat, still keeping to the middle of the wide river, and apparently doing her best to outrun the two pursuing craft.

When ten minutes had pa.s.sed they had cut down that lead to less than half; and it really looked as if Jack's prediction was about to come true.

"What can that dark thing away ahead be, I wonder?" Jack heard Josh saying about this time.

As it was of the utmost importance that he keep in close touch with everything that went on, no matter how trivial it seemed, the skipper immediately raised his head, and asked:

"Where-abouts, Josh?"

"Why, look beyond the white boat, and you'll see something low down on the water, Jack. Yes, and there's a dark spot in the middle of it, too, just like a cheese box on a raft. Can that be another island, d'ye reckon; and are they meanin' to go ash.o.r.e there, and hold us off?"

"Oh! I guess not," remarked Jack, after taking a good look, "what you see, Josh, is what you'd call a raft of logs floating down the river.

We've seen such pa.s.s up our way many a time. And generally the two men aboard will have a little cabin, where they take turns sleeping, when voyaging at night, which they don't often do, I reckon. Yes, I believe I can see signs of a couple of lighted lanterns. They're to tell steamboats to sheer off; and they always do, because a collision with all those big logs would go hard with any boat."

"Guess you're right, Jack," admitted the other, yielding readily to the argument which he realized was convincing. "But say, d'ye think our men see that same old raft? Could they be making for it, now, meanin' to board the same, and keep us off?"

That idea had flashed into Jack's mind, but as yet he could not say; for he was unable to see just what advantage such a course would be to the fugitives. True, the pursuers had been overhauling them so fast of late that it began to appear as though they were having trouble with the engine Jenks had fixed. If that proved to be the case, then they might have been seized with a fear that they were going to be overhauled; and as it was too late now to reach land, the next best thing would be to make a floating battery of the raft, and keep their persistent enemies off, until they could steer the clumsy float nearer the sh.o.r.e.

"What's the programme, Jack?" called George, who was doubtless fairly quivering with excitement, and eager for hostilities to begin.

"You come up on the left, while we take the right," replied the other, just as though he had figured all this out, as he undoubtedly had.

"Do we board the pirate boat?" George went on.

"We'll have to, if we expect to retake it for Algernon," Jack answered.

"They'll put up a stiff fight, Jack, don't forget that," the skipper of the Wireless went on to say.

"Well, if only they'd get cold feet it'd make it all the easier for us,"

Josh broke in with, just then. "And don't I wish every fellow had a gun like Jack, here. Then we'd have 'em dead to rights, and they'd soon throw up the sponge, when we started in to bombard the lot with shot.

Say, Jack, you expect to use that same little Marlin, I hope; for what's the good of a gun when you won't make it squeal?"

"I'll use it to let them know we're armed, first of all," Jack explained, "and that might go a good ways toward making them surrender."