LANKY BRINGS NEWS
At about two o'clock Frank wandered down to the river again. It seemed
to have an irresistible attraction for the boys of Columbia these
bright wintry days, and the ice was dotted with numerous skaters,
enjoying a spin.
Merry cries could be heard, as both boys and girls glided hither and
thither. Some were attempting fancy skating, others indulging in a
romping game of tag; while still more simply moved about in constant
enjoyment of the occasion; for it was delightful just to be alive on so
glorious a day, and feel the exhilaration of moving swiftly over the
polished surface of the Harrapin.
But Frank, though carrying his skates, did not care much about going
on. His head rang a little as an after effect of the ugly blow he
had received. For some time it would have a tender sensation at
that particular spot where a lump arose, calculated to bewilder any
professor who prided himself on his ability to tell the strong and
weak points in a boy's character, from the bumps on his head.
Frank turned aside after looking out on the ice, and walking some
little distance up the shore, came to a cove where, just as he
anticipated, he found Lanky busily engaged in making the needed repairs
to his ice-boat.
"Hello! Frank, I was wondering whether you mightn't drift along,"
remarked the worker, as he looked up to greet his chum.
"How's that stump of a mast going to serve?" asked Frank.
"Prime. Just the thing to a dot. To tell the truth I was a little
suspicious of the way my mast was stepped. Now it's firmer than ever,"
came the reply.
"That's the way things go, sometimes; they say there isn't a single
evil that happens to us but what we can get good out of it, Lanky."
"Hey! what's that you're giving me? How about that crack you got this
morning? I'd like to know where you're going to get any profit out of
that," and Lanky shook his head vigorously to emphasize his dissent.
"Oh! well, in the first place I learned my lesson for keeps. It's been
a long time coming, but after this I'm never going to trust that sneak
behind me."
"Hear! hear! I thought you'd have to come to my way of thinking at
last. You've always said there might be a streak of good in Lef. Now
you know he's rotten to the core. If you've arrived at that conclusion,
perhaps that thump wasn't wholly wasted after all, by jinks!" declared
the ice-boat skipper, gleefully.
"Going to take a spin when you're done pottering?" asked Frank.
"Why, yes, I thought of taking a little run, down the river this time,
perhaps as far as Bellport. The wind is just too good to be lost. If it
dies out and leaves me stranded why, this time I can get back on the
trolley. Don't suppose you feel like going with me, after getting a
headache from that hit this morning?"
"I might be tempted. Somehow skating doesn't seem to appeal to me just
now. Yes, I'll go you, Lanky, if you promise not to take any chances,
or try to beat a mile-a-minute gait," laughed the other.
"Done. And five minutes more will see me through here. Glad you dropped
in on me. I never like to go anywhere alone; and yet I can amuse myself
at home by the hour without company."
"How is it you don't want to go up the river this time?" asked Frank,
looking at his chum meaningly.
"I see you're on, all right, Frank. The truth of the matter is I'm just
getting my dander up about that puzzle. I might find out the truth by
going to see Bill, and asking him plainly what his last name is, and
how he comes to know me; but I just won't do it."
"The fact is, you're stubborn by nature, and the more this thing
bothers you the stronger your determination to think it out for
yourself; is that it, Lanky?"
"Sure thing. And just you wait and see if I don't do it too. Now we're
ready to get moving. Help me push out, and we'll be off on the jump,"
and Lanky took hold of his novel craft with a will.
Frank fastened his skates to the framework, so they could not come
loose and be lost. They were regulation hockey skates, with a blunt
end that was calculated not to seriously injure any player with whose
shins they might come in contact. Three of those fellows who backed Lef
Seller in his game had worn skates that would never have been allowed
in a regular match, as their sharp points were a constant menace to all
others who came near the rapidly revolving skaters.
"Wow! ain't this just immense?" cried Lanky, as they rapidly passed
under the railroad bridge and shot away like a streak down the stream,
leaving the last of the shouting skaters far in the lurch.
"It certainly feels fine," admitted his comrade, crouching there on the
framework that constituted the hull of the novel craft.
The wind sent them on at a tremendous pace.
"There's the big island ahead. Why, we've come four miles already! This
beats any traveling I ever did," declared the delighted Frank.
"Might as well go all the way to Bellport, eh?" asked Lanky.
"Just as you say. The breeze seems to hold out all right, and is fair
to take us back again, being in the west. Hit her up, my boy. Nothing
in the way ahead. We'll be apt to surprise the Bellport slow wagons
when we arrive in style."
Frank had apparently forgotten all his troubles of the morning. Even
the pain in his head was for the time being ignored, such was the
exhilaration of that rapid flight along the frozen river.
Bellport was speedily reached, and here another lot of skaters crowded
around to examine the boat, and offer comments, wholly favorable.
"I just guess there'll be a dozen of the craft on the move hereabouts
soon," remarked Lanky, as they once more started back home.
"You certainly stirred up a lot of breeze. I heard three fellows
declare they'd have a skooter like this inside of a week," laughed
Frank.
"The more the merrier. Perhaps some fellow would like to race with
my _Humming Bird_ then. I wish we had a broad lake for the sport. A
winding river is poor for ice-boats, since the wind is apt to head a
fellow off so easy. There, it's trying to shift into the northwest now.
I'll have to try tacking a bit till we reach around that next bend."
But while it took very much longer to get back than it had done going,
they finally reached their starting place.
"Just been gone an hour," remarked Frank, looking at his watch.
"And part of that was taken up jawing those jays at Bellport. Sixteen
miles in all. I don't think we were more than eight minutes going
down," declared the owner of the marvel, exultantly.
"Well, I think I've had enough for to-day; and as I don't hanker after
skating just now I'll meander home. Ralph will be around soon anyhow;
and Lanky, you're going to drop in after supper, you promised."
"If I get back safe and sound from my second trip down the river.
There's Paul Bird, and I promised to give him a spin. So-long, Frank.
Keep on using that lotion on that bump, and I reckon it won't hurt much
by Monday," and Lanky began to make motions with his extended arms in
the endeavor to attract the attention of the other chum who had just
arrived on the river bank with his skates.
An hour later, Frank, at home, saw Ralph coming up the walk.
"I wondered if you got back," said the other, on entering; "for I saw
you flying down the river with Lanky on that wonderful affair he calls
an ice-boat. Phew! but you were hustling along to beat the band."
"You saw us, then? Where were you, for I'm sure neither of us set eyes
on you?" asked Frank, as they entered the house.
"Oh! I had an errand down below the town, and happened to be walking
along the road when I heard the sound of cutting steel, and looked out
just in time to see you whizz by. I reckon you went all of a mile a
minute. It nearly made me dizzy to watch you whirl down the river. I
don't believe I'd like that sort of thing overly much," confessed Ralph.
Supper over, the boys were seated in the library, Mr. Allen being out
of town for a short time.
"Lanky promised to drop in, and it's about time for him to show up. I
didn't tell him this afternoon, but I've got several suggestions to
make in connection with our play for Wednesday that I'd like to get his
opinion on. There, that must be his ring now," declared Frank.
It proved to be so, for Lanky immediately burst into the room. One look
at his excited face told Frank that something had occurred to stir his
friend up.
"You're bringing news of some sort, old fellow, I can see," he
remarked, immediately. "What's happened now? Have another adventure
this afternoon with Paul? They're getting to be the regular diet in
your case, apparently. Come, out with it; what's happened?"
Lanky shook his head, even as he dropped into a chair, panting.
"No, it ain't that, Frank. Run all the way here from headquarters to
tell you the news. Gee! it galls me to think that I've made such a fool
of myself!" he gasped.
"About what? Relieve our suspense, please. You get us worked up to
top-notch eagerness, and then you hold off. Explain a little," cried
Ralph.
"I was on an errand. Dad sent me to see Chief Hogg about something. You
know we had a robbery at our place not long ago, and since then dad,
being a councilman, has had a lot to do with the police. He really acts
as mayor of the town, being president of the council," went on Lanky.
"All right. We understand that. Now, you went to police headquarters.
What's that got to do with your looking so disgusted? Did that fellow
who robbed your father escape, after all?" asked Frank.
"No. But the chief had just got word that another notorious rascal had
broken out of jail, and it was believed that he was last seen heading
for this part of the country," remarked Lanky, shaking his head
dolefully.
"Well, what's that got to do with you or me?" demanded Frank.
"Why, hang the luck, you don't just understand. Perhaps you'll
see better when I tell you that the name of this escaped rogue is
Brockholt--plain Bill Brockholt!"