THE STOLEN LAUNCH
“Duck!” cried Arnold.
But Toby had already dropped to the hatching, and Arnold, releasing his
grasp of the smaller launch, tumbled down beside him. Another shot rang
out and somewhere overhead a second bullet sped whistling past.
“Can you start her without showing your head?” gasped Toby.
“Yes!”
“Then do it, and I’ll take the side wheel. Look out for this line when
she tightens. Let her go!”
Kneeling, his head still below the sides, Arnold grasped the lever and
pulled it back, and the _Frolic_ jumped away. Toby, crouched by the
side wheel, frantically lashed the free end of the painter about the
steering post.
Bang!
There was a sound of splintering wood, and then shouts from the shore.
“Hit us somewhere!” panted Toby, tugging at the small wheel in his
effort to swing the _Frolic_ around. “Better lie flat, Arn!”
“Lie flat yourself, you silly fool! They’ll get you if you sit up like
that!”
Toby crouched lower. “This line’s choked around the wheel and I can
hardly turn her,” he panted. “Is she coming, do you think?”
“Isn’t your line taut?”
“Yes, but――――”
Two more shots sounded above the noise of the engine. A bullet went
harmlessly over the launch and another struck the hull somewhere with a
thud. By this time the _Frolic_ was doing her best and after a moment
Toby sent a cautious glance behind. Even if the thieves had more
cartridges, and Toby didn’t think they had, the distance was now too
great for them. Behind the _Frolic_ came the captured launch.
“All right, Arn!” called Toby. “They couldn’t get us now with a siege
gun! Take that wheel there while I change this line to the stern, will
you?”
Arnold stood up, surveyed the receding beach and laughed gleefully as
he took the wheel.
“I guess we’re bad, Toby!” he exulted. “Talk about your revenue
officers! What’s the matter with us, eh?”
Toby, fixing the towing line at the stern, laughed. “We’re a couple of
marvelous bluffers, Arn! Say, wouldn’t those chaps be peeved if they
ever found out they’d been fooled by a couple of kids?”
“Wouldn’t they? Say, I hope they do find it out some way. Do you know
what I think, Toby? I think they thought we were just going to search
their launch and leave her! And when they saw us putting the line on
her they tumbled and got busy with that revolver. Well, we fooled them
good and plenty!”
“That’s what! Say, what time is it? It must be near midnight.”
“Midnight! It’s only 9.27,” answered the other, holding his watch to
the starboard lantern. “But doesn’t it seem later?”
“I should say so! Then if everything goes all right we ought to be home
by ten-thirty. We’ll just hand this launch over to the Trainors and let
them see what’s in her.”
“You mean the houseboat folks? Well, but they don’t get the launch, do
they?”
“Not so you’d notice it,” answered Toby. “We’ll call around tomorrow
and get it. And then we’ll see if anybody’s lost one. If they haven’t,
we’ll sell her, eh?”
“Or keep her ourselves. She looks pretty good, doesn’t she?” Arnold
peered back at the following launch. “Wonder what her name is?”
“Maybe it’s painted out. She’s a jim-dandy little launch, all right,
and that makes me think those fellows stole her. Look at the lines of
her. She can’t be much over four feet wide. If she only had some gas in
her tank we could get home a lot quicker, because one of us could get
in and run her.”
“It would be you, then,” replied Arnold promptly. “Is she holding us
back much?”
“I guess we’re doing about nine. That’s fast enough. Only dad will give
me the dickens when I get home!”
“He won’t when you tell him what you’ve been doing,” said the other
encouragingly.
“Won’t he?” Toby asked grimly. “You don’t know my dad!”
The journey back was uneventful, which was just as well, since the two
boys were surfeited with adventure for once, and a little bit tired as
well. Sleepy they were not, and Arnold declared that he didn’t believe
he would ever get to sleep before morning. But by the time Nobbs Island
Light was showing well the conversation had begun to dwindle and Toby
was yawning frankly.
Ten o’clock struck over in Johnstown long before the Head was reached,
and it was fully a quarter past before the _Frolic_ pointed her bow
around the point and chugged past Arnold’s residence on her way up
the shore. “Give them your whistle,” said Toby as they ran cautiously
toward the darkened houseboat. Arnold obeyed and the echoes threw back
the alarming screech. “Once more,” Toby called, and again the shrill
sound went forth. Then a dim light showed aboard the shadowy hulk and,
as the _Frolic_ slowed down, a voice hailed them.
“What do you want?” inquired a sleepy voice.
“We’ve got your things,” answered Arnold.
“Got what? Oh! Well, all right! Come on!” Voices sounded aboard, a
light glimmered from a window, a lantern appeared on deck, and the
houseboat awoke to activity as the launch sidled up to her. Two men,
hastily attired, deluged the boys with questions.
“We caught them over near North Sea Harbor. They ran out of gas. We
made them leave the launch and I guess everything’s in there. We’ll
pull her up and you can have a look. If you don’t mind, we’ll leave her
here until morning. Did they steal much?”
“Not a great deal; just some blankets and a lot of provisions,”
answered one of the men as Toby pulled the smaller launch up and handed
the painter over. “At least, that’s all we’ve missed. We were on shore
and got back before they’d had much of a chance, I suppose. My brother
fired three shots at them, but it was too dark to see much.”
“Just blankets and grub!” said Arnold disappointedly. “Gee, I thought
they’d got away with your solid silver and jewels! Well, anyway, I
guess you’ll find the stuff there all right. We’ll call for the launch
in the morning.”
“We’re very much obliged to you,” replied one of the men, raising the
lantern and peering at the boys. “Who was with you?”
“With us? No one.”
“What! You mean that you two kids chased those chaps and made them give
up the whole shooting match? Why, there were four or five of them,
weren’t they?”
“Three,” answered Toby, with a yawn. “They couldn’t see how many we
had. Arn bluffed them finely.”
“Well, what do you know about that?” gasped the other man. “Say, you
chaps are wonders! What are your names?”
Arnold told him, and just then a woman’s voice spoke from behind a
darkened window. “Jim, dear, ask them if they wouldn’t like a cup of
coffee or something. They must be tired out.”
“No, ma’am; thanks,” replied Arnold. “We’re all right. Only sleepy. If
you’ll look after their launch until morning――――”
“We will. And, I say, how about――er――――”
“Of course, Jack!” chimed in the woman. “They ought to have something.
I’ll find my purse.”
“No, thanks,” said Arnold, hurriedly. “We don’t want anything. We just
did it for the fun of it. And――and we’ve got the launch, anyway. Toby
thinks they stole it, and maybe the owner’s offered a reward. I’m glad
we got your things back, ma’am.”
“It was awfully brave of you. And I do think we ought to give you
something besides just our thanks. Why, they might have hurt you!”
“Yes’m,” said Toby. “They did try to. They fired at us, but they didn’t
hit anything but the launch. Come on, Arn.”
“Well, all right, fellows,” said the man called Jack. “It’s up to you.
We’d be glad enough to slip you a fiver. If you won’t take that, why,
you won’t. We’ll keep the launch safe for you. Much obliged to you
both. See you in the morning. Good-night.”
“Good-night,” replied Arnold, and “G’night,” muttered Toby, and the
_Frolic_ backed off and headed across the bay.
“Blankets and grub!” said Arnold disappointedly when they were out of
hearing. “Isn’t that the limit? No wonder those fellows were so willing
to give them up!”
“Where we fooled them,” said Toby, “was in taking their boat. Look
here, Arn, supposing that launch is really theirs?”
“But you said you thought they’d――――”
“Yes, and maybe they did. But supposing they didn’t? Then what?”
“Then,” answered the other after a moment’s consideration, “they’ll
have to come and get it!”
“They’d be likely to!” jeered Toby. “I don’t see but what we may be
thieves ourselves!”
“Well, that isn’t bothering me much,” answered Arnold. “What is
bothering me is that I’ve got to come all the way back from town alone.”
“If you like you can leave the _Frolic_ at the landing and I’ll take
you back in the _Turnover_.”
“No, I guess not. After chasing robbers and being fired at, I suppose
I ought to have nerve enough to run a launch! Much obliged, just the
same.”
An hour later two very tired boys were fast asleep, and, although
nearly three miles apart, their dreams were strangely similar!
The next morning they were at the houseboat bright and early. In fact,
the owners were still at breakfast on deck when the _Turnover_ ranged
alongside.
Seen by daylight, the Trainors――Mr. and Mrs. Trainor and Brother
Jim――were very nice, jolly-looking folks, and very hospitable folks,
too, for they insisted on the boys joining them at breakfast, and
wouldn’t take “No” for an answer. And so, although they didn’t actually
sit at the table, which was a modest if well-laden affair, they did
partake of strawberries and cream and some delicious hot rolls and some
equally delicious coffee. And while they ate, Arnold, occasionally
prompted by Toby, gave a detailed account of the pursuit and bloodless
defeat of the thieves. Mrs. Trainor, who was small and pretty,
applauded delightedly and quite forgot her breakfast, while her husband
gravely arose and shook Arnold and Toby by the hands.
“Boys,” he said. “You’re a brace of heroes! I take off my hat to you!
Or I will when I get it on!”
Brother Jim echoed the sentiments, even if he didn’t stop eating for a
moment.
“And you chaps have got a real prize in that launch, too,” said Mr.
Trainor, reseating himself at the little table. “She’s a wonder. I’ll
give you five hundred for her any time you say the word.”
Toby and Arnold stared at each other in amazed silence. Finally: “Five
hundred!” stammered Toby. “You’re fooling, I guess!”
“You take a look at her,” replied the man, nodding his head toward
the shoreward side of the houseboat. “We tied her around there for
safekeeping. She’s somebody’s darling, that’s what she is!”
The boys set down their plates and hurried around the deck. There,
nestling against the rail of the houseboat, was as trim and pretty a
speed launch as either had ever seen. Mr. Trainor, who had followed
them, smiled at their amazement. “I suppose you couldn’t see much
of her last night,” he said. “Look at that engine, will you? A
six-cylinder Thurston and as light as a feather! If that launch can’t
do her twenty-two or -three miles I’m a goat! See the way she’s cut
down aft, eh? Some lines, boys! And just cast your eyes over her
fittings, will you? Everything A-1, and just about as complete as they
make them. Why, some one paid a good round thousand for that little
sixteen feet of boat! She’s dirty and her brass is tarnished, and some
idiot has daubed a coat of gray paint over a dandy mahogany hull,
but she’s a peach, just the same, and it’s dollars to doughnuts that
those thieving rascals never owned her in their lives. They swiped her
somewhere around here, I’ll bet, and I guess you’ve only to read the
papers to find her owner. When you do find him, fellows, you make him
hand over some real money.”
“Gee, she’s sweet, ain’t she?” murmured Toby.
“A beauty!” agreed Arnold, in awe.
“I guess some one will claim her, all right,” mourned Toby.
And Mr. Trainor laughed.
“That’s the way I felt when I saw her, son. I wanted awfully to hide
her some place where you couldn’t find her! If you shouldn’t hear from
the owner, and you want to sell her, why, my offer stands for all time.”
“If she was really mine,” said Toby, simply, “I wouldn’t sell her for
anything, Mr. Trainor!”
“Tucker, you have the soul of an artist!” replied the man, patting him
on the shoulder. “Those are my sentiments exactly.”
“She――she’d be pretty unsteady, though, wouldn’t she?” asked Arnold.
“She isn’t very wide across.”
“Well, she isn’t meant for rough seas, Deering. She’s a racer, pure and
simple, and I’ll wager anything she’s won more than once. Still, maybe
not, for she can’t have been built more than a year. Everything looks
too new. Question now is, what are you going to do with her, boys? If
we had some gasoline we might try her out.”
But Toby shook his head. “I’d rather not do that, sir. I――I’d be afraid
I wouldn’t ever want to give her up again!”
“By Jove, I believe you’re right! You’d better tow her home with you.
If you leave her around here I might steal her. She’d be a constant
temptation to dishonesty! Take her away! Take her away!”
Mr. Trainor gestured dramatically.
“I’ll pull her around and get the line to the launch,” said Toby
soberly. “Wasn’t it a shame to smear that old gray paint on her, sir?
Will it ever come off again all right?”
“Oh, yes, a painter can take that off. She’d have to be revarnished,
of course. I tried to see her name under the paint, but couldn’t.”
Presently the boys said good-by to their hosts, receiving three very
hearty invitations to come again, and, with the stolen launch swaying
gracefully behind the _Turnover_, set off for Greenhaven.