THE ADVENTURE ON THE RIVER ROAD
"Frank! oh, Frank!"
Lanky's voice was more than husky, for he had swallowed considerable
water, and was still spouting as he tried to call aloud.
"All right! I'm here, Lanky! Come this way! I've got hold of the boat.
It's upside down, but floating still!" answered a voice close beside
the swimmer.
"And I've fallen foul of an oar by good luck. Why don't the curs come
back and pick us up? I hear the motor chugging again. Say, d'ye suppose
they did that on purpose?" demanded Lanky, as he brought up alongside
his companion, whom he found clinging to the overturned boat, and
gradually pushing it toward the shore.
"I'm dead sure of it, because I heard somebody laugh just before it
smashed into us," returned Frank, quickly.
"The hounds! They might have drowned a fellow, that's what!" exclaimed
Lanky, indignantly, as he relieved himself of more water which he had
almost swallowed.
"Little some cowards think about that, if they can only have their fun.
That boat was deliberately steered straight at us. I saw the pilot
change its course after you struck that match!" said Frank, with as
much anger as his friend had ever known him to display.
"Oh! how I'd like to get hold of the cur at the wheel! What have we
ever done to any Clifford fellows that they should play such a dirty
joke on us?" groaned Lanky, also striving now to get the boat ashore on
the Columbia side of the river.
"What makes you so sure it was a Clifford crowd in that boat?" demanded
Frank.
"Just seemed to think that way; but it strikes me that you've got some
different sort of a notion. Give us a look-in, won't you, now?" pleaded
the other.
"I'll tell you, then. Just as that boat crashed into the side of our
craft I had something of a squint at the fellow holding the wheel in
the bow. He kept his hat pulled down over his face, and there wasn't
any purple and gold ribbon on the same to tell that he belonged to
Columbia High; but _something_ about him seemed to be familiar to
me."
"Put me wise, Frank; don't badger me so. Was it that Lef Seller?" asked
Lanky.
"That was what I thought. I didn't have time for a good look, because
you see the match went out; then came the crack of the power boat
against us; and the next thing I knew I went under the water," said
Frank, deliberately.
"It would be just like him to do such a dirty trick, and to think of
the shirks deserting us this way. They might claim it was an accident,
and we couldn't ever prove anything else; but how explain why they ran
away?"
"Oh! don't you see, they believe we never could find out who it was.
There are dozens of small motor-boats on the Harrapin, and perhaps lots
of them out every night, with parties of young people aboard. Push
hard, Lanky; and we might land on this point here. It will save us a
longer swim if we do," said Frank.
Between them the two boys managed to get ashore with the boat. For the
second time the damaged craft was hauled out of the water.
"Say, this thing's getting to be a regular habit! I don't like it.
Variety's the spice of life with me, and not a monotonous grind;"
grumbled Lanky, as he shook himself like a water spaniel.
Frank seemed to be thinking deeply, for presently he remarked:
"It does look like the fates wanted to do me out of a boat to-night.
Twice now we've had a chance to get a ducking. The third time might do
us up for good. And as we don't know just how badly damaged the boat
may be, and I dislike cruising down the river with only one oar, I
guess we've got to stump it home, Lanky."
"Oh! I can do that, I guess, though I'm a little lame. Think the old
boat kicked me in the leg when she keeled over. I heard somebody laugh
just as I went souse into the big tank. That wasn't you, was it, Frank?"
"Well, I guess not. I wasn't feeling in a merry mood just then, I tell
you. The chap who laughed held the wheel of the boat that ran us down,"
returned Frank, grimly.
"Wouldn't I like a chance to make him laugh out of the other side of
his mouth, Frank; if we were only _sure_, I give you my word I'd
take it out of Lef Seller's hide, no matter what the consequences,"
and Lanky shook his fist in the air as if in imagination he could see
himself prancing around the object of his detestation.
"Hold on, there, and go slow. It would be foolish to tackle him without
more proof than just a mere laugh. They'd have one on you for that.
Keep quiet and look around. Perhaps we can find some way of proving who
it was damaged my boat. And if we do, he's going to pay for putting her
in commission again, as well as for that lost oar; just stick a pin in
that, will you?" said Frank, firmly.
"Going to leave the boat here?" asked the other, moodily.
"Yes, after we pull her up a little further. There might be a rain
before I find time to come up for her, and the river rising would carry
the boat off. We'll be too busy with our racing shells from this time
out to bother about getting a wreck like this. There, that ought to do,
Lanky, thank you."
"Now what?" demanded the other.
"The road must lie close above here. Let's push through these bushes
and get our bearings in the open," and Frank, as he spoke, commenced
to lead the way, holding the rescued oar in his hands, which he found
valuable in opening a path through the dense thicket.
Presently they arrived on the road. This, for the most part, followed
the course of the river for miles. Clifford was only about three and
a half miles above Columbia, but on the opposite side of the river. A
bridge connected both banks, so that it was easy to drive from one town
to the other.
"I think I'd better hide this oar in the bushes here, as I don't want
to lug it all the way home. When I come up after the boat I can find it
again."
"A good idea, Frank. It's a mile and a half to town from here, and
two waterlogged craft like we are can't be expected to make rapid
progress. We'll sure be late for grub to-night. But my dad won't scold
when he hears the reason. I get in lots of trouble, but I never yarn
out of it, and he believes me every time."
"Who wouldn't with that innocent face of yours? Why, if you told about
our boat being struck and sunk by a shooting star half the population
of old Columbia would be hiking up this way with shovels and dragnets,
hoping to capture a valuable prize. It's a great thing to have a
reputation for never telling fish stories," laughed Frank, as they
started along the dusty road.
"Oh! have your fun, old fellow, if you want. I know it's only done to
hide an aching heart, and that you're just as sore over that smash-up
on the river as I am. I'm going to make a solemn vow, Frank, d'ye
hear?" demanded Lanky, striding along at his companion's side.
"Never to drink again?" asked his friend, humorously.
"Well, Nature abhors a vacuum, and a fellow can't well get on without
swallowing a certain amount of water; but what I object to is having
gallons of it actually rammed down your throat whether you feel thirsty
or not. I don't want another drop for a week," grumbled the other.
"And I don't believe that Harrapin river water is as pure as it might
be, with Clifford right above. But what about that terrible vow you're
going to take? Have pity on my feelings and tell me."
"Listen then. I declare that I'll never rest easy again until I've
solved the dreadful mystery that hangs over us--that I'll devote all my
spare minutes, yes, and cash too if necessary, to discovering who held
the wheel of that measly little motor-boat when it knocked us silly
just now. You're a witness to that, Frank. Just make a note of it,
please, will you, and give me a punch if you think I'm shirking my duty
at any time?"
Frank pretended to be as much in earnest as his chum.
"All right, then, I turn over the job to you, the youthful detective of
Columbia High. When you get good and ready to confront the rascal with
positive evidence of his villainy, give me the tip, will you? Meanwhile
I'm going to keep nagging you about the same, and you can expect to
have no rest unless you get real busy, and do something worth while."
"Bully for you, Frank! You're the chum worth tying to." Lanky drew
a long breath, "I understand that the new eight-oared shell arrived
to-day at the station. I suppose the company will deliver it to-morrow,
and we can take a spin or two before the race. Have you seen it yet?"
"No, just heard about it when on the way to get you to take this jaunt
to look over the course again. It hasn't been taken out of the crate
yet, but several of the fellows tell me it bids fair to beat the old
one all hollow," replied Frank, turning his head as if to listen.
"Well this must sure be Columbia's boss year," remarked Lanky, with
a trace of pride in his voice. "We won the baseball championship
after the fiercest fight ever; and now with this new shell, and the
four-oared one in fine shape, there's no reason why we shouldn't walk
away with the honors in the river regatta--anyhow taking two events out
of three."
"You forget that Buster Billings has entered for the tub race, and
promises to bring that prize to Columbia too," laughed Frank; for the
comrade mentioned was the stoutest boy in the school, and as jolly as
he was fat.
"And before the great day is over I reckon there'll be more than a few
chaps trying the water of the Harrapin as we've been doing to-night.
But what are you turning your head that way so often for, Frank?"
"I hear wheels back there somewhere," replied the other.
"Wheels? Now you give me great joy! I'm glad it was you that heard 'em
first. If it had been myself I'd have been afraid the wheels were in
my head, for I've had a ringing in my ears ever since I soused into
the river. Wheels? I believe you hit the right nail on the head when
you said that!" exclaimed the tall lad, pausing to listen.
"Yes, I was sure it must be that. Some sort of vehicle is bearing down
on us, and at a pretty fair pace, too," Frank continued, positively.
"I see your idea, and it's a clever one all right. What's the use of
our trudging along like a couple of hoboes when by merely asking we may
have the privilege of riding to town in style. I'm with you in holding
'em up, Frank."
"Then let's just wait here," said Frank.
"Yes, 'wait for the wagon, and we'll all take a ride,'" sang Lanky.
"Honest, now, I never felt more like riding in my whole life. These
clothes seem to weigh a ton, and every step I take I can hear the water
scrouging around in my shoes like mush."
"You do illustrate your feelings the greatest way I ever heard. Yes,
that vehicle's coming this way. There's a side road leading off toward
Newtown above us, and I was a little afraid they might turn in there;
but by now they have passed the lane. Perhaps it may only be a crusty
old farmer, and he'll say no," suggested Frank, just to hear what his
comrade would reply.
"Not after he hears the bleat I'll set up. He must have a heart of
stone to refuse me, feeling as squdgy as I do. Suppose we stand here
where he can see us. I don't hanker after being run down again. Once
bit, twice shy, you know. It's bad enough to be kicked overboard in the
river; this old road would be harder stuff to knock on."
The two boys awaited the coming of the vehicle with more or less
eagerness, for a lift to town would be very acceptable in their soaked
condition.
"Well, here it is! You do the talking then, Lanky!" exclaimed Frank,
suddenly, as a buggy drawn by a seemingly tired horse came out of the
gathering gloom.
Both boys immediately stepped forward. To their surprise the driver
instantly drew in his horse as though the apparition of those two
figures had given him a complete fright.
Lanky saw one of the men in the vehicle half rise in his seat, and make
a vicious cut at him with the whip he held.
"Here, quit that, you!" shouted the astonished boy, as he ducked his
head in time to avoid being struck by the whistling lash; "we only want
you----"
[Illustration: "HERE, QUIT THAT, YOU!" SHOUTED THE ASTONISHED BOY.]
He got no further in his hurried explanation, for both men had without
warning jumped hurriedly from the buggy. Frank, believing that they
were about to be assaulted as possible highway robbers, half drew
back, thinking to defend himself until explanations could be given.
To the utter amazement of both lads, however, the men, instead of
rushing at them, turned and ran back along the road as fast as their
legs would carry them; and all the while uttering exclamations that
told of both fright, and a desire to escape.
Frank and Lanky were left there with the vehicle and horse on their
hands, staring at each other as though unable to believe their eyes!