THE BOY WHO COULDN’T TALK
The Speedwells were busy boys these days. The excitable Billy had so
many irons in the fire (so he said) that he could barely keep all of
them hot.
Then, there was the secret building of the new iceboat. Dan and Billy
had said little of their scheme outside the family; but it was known in
Riverdale that the Speedwells proposed to rig a “new-fangled” racing
machine that would “just burn up the ice” when the midwinter ice races
were held.
“What’s she going to be driven by, Billy?” asked Biff Hardy, meeting the
Speedwells one afternoon at the edge of the Boat Club Cove.
“Steam—gas—or nitroglycerin? Pa says you’ve brought him some patterns
for things that he believes belong to a combination aeroplane and motor
mowing machine. How about it?”
“Never you mind,” returned Billy, grinning, for Bill Hardy, who worked
in the Darringford Machine Shops, was one of the Speedwells’ staunchest
friends. “I don’t just understand all about the plans myself. But Dan
knows.”
“You bet he does!” rejoined the admiring Biff. “But I’m not going to ask
Dan. If it’s a secret I know very well I couldn’t get at it even if I
hypnotized him!”
The _Fly-up-the-Creek_ was very popular, whether the boys built a
speedier craft, or not. If Mildred and Lettie didn’t care to accompany
Dan and Billy whenever they had time to skim the ice in the big craft,
there were plenty of their schoolmates ready to enjoy such trips as the
Speedwells were willing to give them.
And almost always when Dan and Billy were on the ice, the _White
Albatross_ made its appearance. Barrington Spink was forever trying
conclusions with the bigger iceboat, and was never willing to admit
defeat by her.
It was always “by a fluke,” or because something broke on his own craft,
when Dan and Billy chanced to leave the _White Albatross_ behind. There
was something “bull-doggy” about Barrington Spink. He never knew when he
was beaten.
There was by this time quite a fleet of iceboats on the river, besides
those of the Speedwell boys, Monroe Stevens, and Spink. Fisher Greene
and his cousin had produced the _Flying Squirrel_. Jim Stetson and Alf
Holloway had bought a boat, too, and named it the _Curlew_.
There were, besides, other iceboats appearing on the Colasha, built and
owned by some of the adult members of the boat club. There were a good
many men devoted to sports in Riverdale, and the condition of the ice
this season spurred them into joining the game.
The Oldest Inhabitant could not remember when there had been a winter so
steadily cold. And, fortunately for the ice sports, there was little
snow during these early weeks of the season.
“There are going to be great old times on this river before the winter’s
over, Dan,” declared Billy, confidently.
“Providing the frost continues—eh?”
“It’s bound to! Look at the almanac.”
“Humph!” returned Dan, “I’ve heard of such a thing as an almanac being
mistaken.”
“That’s all right,” said Billy, not at all shaken. “Everybody believes
this will be a great old winter. Robert Darringford is going in for
iceboating, too. He’s having a boat built in the shops—and he says it’s
going to be a wonder.”
“Let ’em all rave,” grunted Dan. “You’ll see, Billy. There won’t one of
’em get the speed out of their craft that we will out of ours.”
“Where’s those plans, Dannie?” asked his brother.
“Right in my pocket,” returned Dan, promptly. “I’m not running the risk
of having them picked up somewhere and so find their way into the hands
of somebody who might catch on to our idea.”
This was on a Saturday when Mildred and Lettie had expressed a desire to
take a long trip in the _Fly-up-the-Creek_.
“We’ve never gone as far as Karnac Lake yet,” Lettie pouted. “Always
something happens before we get there. If you don’t take us this time,
boys, we’ll go over to the enemy in a body!”
“What enemy?” demanded Billy.
“Barrington Spink. He’s always asking us to accompany him on the _White
Albatross_.”
“Why don’t you go with him, then?” snapped Billy. “Nobody’s holding
you.”
“Now, children!” admonished the doctor’s daughter. “Don’t quarrel.”
Dan and Mildred only laughed over the bickerings of the other couple.
Soon the Speedwells’ boat was made ready and the girls got aboard, while
Dan and Billy pushed her out from the landing.
There was no gale blowing, but a good, stiff breeze—and it was fair. The
huge sail of the _Fly-up-the-Creek_ filled almost immediately, and they
moved steadily out of the cove.
Outside, the _White Albatross_ was maneuvering, Spink evidently waiting
as usual to try a brush with the Speedwells’ craft. Barry shot the white
iceboat down toward them as they came out of the cove, and shouted:
“Better come aboard here, girls, if you want to reach the lake. I’m on
my way!”
“Who’s going to tow you?” demanded Billy.
“I don’t need any towing,” returned Spink, sharply. “There’s one thing
sure, I can beat that old milkwagon of yours. Better take up my offer,
girls!” he added, grinning impudently.
He _did_ shoot away in advance at a good pace, and Lettie cried, under
her breath: “Oh! don’t you dare to let him beat us, Dan Speedwell!”
“The race is not always to the swift,” returned Dan, smiling.
“I really wouldn’t pay any attention to that fellow,” said Mildred. “He
is not worth noticing. And I don’t see any reason why he should be so
mean to us.”
“Looks to me as though he wanted to cut Dan and me out with you girls,”
chuckled Billy.
“Well!” said Lettie Parker, in earnest for once, “that might be, too.
But the particular reason why he dislikes you boys is because you don’t
‘make much’ of him as some of the others do. You know, Barry’s mother is
rich.”
“Seems to me I’ve heard something about that before,” said Dan,
laughing.
“He got in bad with you boys at the start. Billy only charged him a
nickel for saving his life—isn’t that so, Billy?” asked Lettie, with a
giggle.
“I didn’t want to overcharge the poor chap,” returned Billy, with an
answering grin.
“Well, you can’t expect him to feel very kindly towards you, then,” said
Lettie.
“He’s going to build a wonderful boat to beat anything you boys can put
on the river,” sighed Mildred. “He’s going to win all the ice races at
the regatta Mr. Darringford is arranging. Oh! I heard him telling all
about it the other evening at Mary Greene’s.”
“Don’t let that worry you for a little minute,” Billy broke in, with
some excitement. “Dan’s got the plans of a boat right in his pocket now
that will knock the eye out of any craft that will be on the ice _this_
winter.”
“I admire your slang!” exclaimed Lettie, with scorn.
“I bet I caught it from you,” returned Billy, ready to “scrap” on the
instant.
“Be good! be good!” cried Mildred. “Oh, Dannie! you are overtaking that
white boat.”
“That’s what we’re here for,” returned the older boy, who had been
attending strictly to business since Spink had challenged them.
The _Fly-up-the-Creek_ was making good its name. They were rushing up
the river at a terrific pace. The _White Albatross_, whenever she
tacked, lost ground. And finally when they came to the lower end of
Island Number One, she had to make a long leg towards the farther side
of the river, and so get to the leeward of the island.
Billy was staring at the island all the time they were passing.
“What’s the matter, Billy?” demanded Lettie Parker. “What do you expect
to see over yonder?”
“Billy’s looking for Robinson Crusoe,” chuckled Dan. “He believes
there’s a fellow living over there.”
“Oh! you told us before,” cried Lettie. “And, do you know, I told father
and he said Sheriff Kimball ought to know about that.”
“About _what_?” queried Mildred.
“Not that poor dummy?” cried Billy. “There isn’t an ounce of harm in
that fellow, I am sure.”
“No. About there being something buried on the island. I don’t know just
what father meant. But you know, he is very friendly with the sheriff.”
“Say! we don’t want to get that poor chap into trouble,” Billy urged.
“Just like a girl—telling everything she knows!”
Before Miss Parker could “flare up” at this statement and speak her
mind, Mildred gave a little shriek.
“What’s the matter?” demanded Dan, flashing a look around, too.
“See him? There!”
“It’s Dummy!” yelled Billy, who was out on the crossbeam at his usual
station and could see behind the bellowing sail.
There, upon a high rock on the shore of the island stood the figure of
the boy Billy and Dan had knocked over in the snowstorm, weeks before.
They could not be mistaken.
He was gazing across the end of the island toward the open ice on the
far side. Suddenly he turned about and waved both arms madly at the
_Fly-up-the-Creek_ and her crew. But although he opened his mouth and
babbled something or other, neither the boys nor their guests could
understand what he said.
“He wants something of us!” cried Lettie.
“He’s warning us!” gasped Mildred.
Dan swerved the helm and in a moment the iceboat came up into the wind
and lost headway. They drifted past the end of the island, which was
heavily wooded. And at that moment the _White Albatross_ swooped around
the head of the island, aimed directly for the Speedwells’ craft.
“Look out!” yelled Billy, leaping up and waving his hand.
The girls screamed, too. There was not enough headway on the
_Fly-up-the-Creek_ for Dan to swerve her out of the track of the other
boat.
There was a crash. The bow of the _White Albatross_ struck the other
craft a glancing blow and the latter whirled in a complete circle.
Fortunately Dan had let go the halyards and the sail came down with a
rush. But it went over the side, tangled in the runners, and the iceboat
stopped dead, while Barry Spink and his companion, both grinning over
their shoulders at their rivals, shot on up the river.
“Guess you know who’ll reach Karnac first this time!” called Spink,
waving his hand.
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