The Hilltop Boys on the River | Page 5

hate to have them pass us. They'd never grow tired of telling it all over the Academy."
"Let them," said Jack, keeping on at the same steady speed, and making for the wharf.
Herring, who evidently owned the boat, put her to her speed so as to pass Jack, and Merritt shouted derisively as they drew nearer:
"We'll give you a tow, you fellows!"
The ferry boat running from Riverton to the town on the other side of the river had just put out, and was coming on at a good gait, blowing her whistle to warn the smaller boats to keep out of the way.
Jack went on across her bow with plenty of room to spare, but Herring slowed up and caught her wash, his boat dancing and rocking in the liveliest fashion, taking in water and causing both him and Merritt to shout and go into a panic.
They turned and took in more water, and Merritt, jumping up excitedly, waving his arms and scolding both Herring and the steamer captain, suddenly lost his balance and fell into the river.
"He can swim, can't he?" asked Jack, seeing the accident.
"Yes, and there are other boats on the river. Let them pick the fellow up. Serves him right, anyhow. He ought to keep still in a boat."
Merritt speedily came up, swam to the boat and tried to clamber aboard, Herring shouting at him and warning him off.
"Get out, you'll upset me!" he shouted. "Why didn't you keep still? You're as clumsy as a cow in a boat, you are. Get out of here, or I'll hit you! Keep away, I tell you!"
"There is a rowboat coming," said Percival, turning his head. "He will be all right, but he'll have to go back to the Academy in wet clothes. No danger of catching cold now, but he'll be a sight all the same, and serves him just right."
Herring kept on, but made for the railroad wharf, while the rowboat that Dick had seen took in Merritt, and shortly landed him at one of the docks along the river.
By this time the boys had reached the dock of the machine shops and Jack tied up, covered his engine and walked up to the street with Percival, the latter saying:
"It will be like those fellows to say that we were the cause of Merritt's going overboard. They did not pass us at any rate."
"Let them talk," laughed Jack. "Talk costs nothing, and won't hurt us."
The boys went to the office of the News where Jack gave the editor a few little items, writing them out on the typewriter, Percival looking on in great admiration, although he had seen Jack write before.
"One would think you had been born at a typewriter, Jack," he said. "Now I could not do that. The very noise of the thing would bother me and then, having that bell ring every few seconds would get on my nerves."
"Don't listen to it, Dick. You don't mind the chug of an auto or of a motor-boat, do you? This is not nearly as bad."
"Well, no, I suppose not, but I don't see how you can think with that thing making such a clatter. It would drive all the thoughts out of my head in a minute. None too many there, to start with!"
Leaving the office at length they came upon Herring on the main street, his late companion not being with him.
"You fouled us!" growled the bully. "I'd have passed you in another second. You'll have to pay for Erne's clothes and his doctor's bills, too. He's taken an awful cold. It'll cost you something, let me tell you."
Just then Merritt himself, in a ready made suit of clothes came out of a hotel on the corner, the boys seeing him before he saw them or Herring got sight of him.
"He does not seem to have suffered any," said Percival in a whisper.
"No, he has bought another suit of clothes, and does not appear to suffer from colds or influenza or any of those things," laughed Jack.
"Hello, Pete, why didn't you wait?" Merritt called out, and then Herring saw him and he saw the boys.
"Huh! you made me fall into the river!" Merritt snorted, "and I had to buy a suit of clothes. You'll have to pay for them."
"And for the doctor's prescription?" said Percival pointedly, for the bully's breath smelled of something stronger than milk or lemonade. "Spirits may be good to prevent a chill, Merritt, but you want to be careful how you use them."
"Come on, Pete," snarled Merritt, turning red. "They aren't worth wasting time on," and the bullies went one way while Jack and Dick went another.
"There won't be any trouble, Dick," said Jack.
"No, I don't think there will"

CHAPTER III
EVIL INTENTIONS THWARTED
The Hilltop boys marched down to their camp the next day,