CONCLUSION
"I hope I am not too late to congratulate you on your victory," said
a pleasant voice, and the boys looked up to see a young gentleman
standing in the doorway of the room, where, having finished the
repast the colonel had provided, they were sitting around talking
over the details of the race.
"I have been looking for you for a couple of weeks," he went
on, coming into the room and offering his hand to Rand. "It was a
splendid race and pluckily rowed, and you deserved to win."
"Thank you," replied Rand. "Did you say you were looking for me?"
"For all of you," replied the gentleman. "I see you don't remember
me. I am Frank Whilden, whose sister you saved from drowning the
other day. Come in, Nellie," he called to a young girl who was
standing outside. "These are the young men who came to our rescue."
"I just want to thank you all--" began Nellie.
"Oh, it was no anything," returned Donald.
"It was very much to me," began Nellie.
"I mean," explained Donald confusedly "it's no great thing to make
a claver about."
"But it was a great thing to have saved you," interposed Rand, with
an emphasis on the you.
"That's very nice," replied Nellie. "Won't you shake hands with
me, all around?"
"Faith, you won't be asking me twice to do myself the favor," replied
Gerald. "Sure I wasn't there to have the pleasure of saving you,
but I would have been there if you had sent me word."
"Don't forget the most important part, Nellie," her brother reminded
her when she had finished shaking hands.
"Mother sends her regards to you all," went on Nellie, "and hopes
you will accept the little present she has sent you."
"But we don't want any reward for what we did," protested Rand.
"It was reward enough to have helped you."
"This isn't a reward," continued Nellie; "just a little token of
her esteem. We had it sent down to-day. Frank and I thought if you
didn't win the race it might console you a little. We do hope you
will like it."
Frank had gone from the room, but returned now with a handsome Dart
motorcycle.
"Crickets!" cried Pepper. "I-i-it's a beauty, ain't it?" while the
boys gathered around it to examine it. "S-s-say----"
"Whistle it, Pepper," said Jack. "I don't know what it is you want
to say, but I guess we all agree with you."
"We can take turns using it."
"We can draw lots for the first ride on it."
"Or toss up for it," proposed Donald.
"I am glad you like it," began Nellie.
"We most certainly do," chorused the boys; "and we are ever so much
obliged. We couldn't have had anything that would have suited us
nearly so well."
"There are five more just like it outside," went on Nellie; "one
for each of you, and we hope you will get a lot of pleasure from
them."
"But we can't accept all these," protested Rand, while the others
stood silent in stupefied amazement.
"Crickets!" exclaimed Pepper. "I will be awful sorry to-morrow."