The Motor Girls on Cedar Lake | Page 8

this
girl tells you, and fetch her boat," said Ben. "Quick now, we've got
something to do."
"It's up at the new camp," said Cora. "It's the new boat you must have
seen come up this afternoon."
"Oh, yes'm, I know it, and I know where it is," replied the lad, and then
he was off, his bare feet making no sound. He called back through the
darkness "Got any oil or gas?"
"Yes," replied Cora, and away he ran.
"Ain't he a regular dock rat," said Ben with something like pride in his
voice.
"I hope we do not lose sight of that man," remarked Cora.
"Oh Jim can't pull as hard as he thinks, especially on a lazy day when
he has been out some," affirmed Ben. "Now suppose you girls just sit
on this plank while you wait? 'Twon't cost you nothin'."
He dusted off the big plank with his handkerchief, and upon the board,
Cora, Bess and Belle seated themselves.
"I suppose Dan will haul the boat down," said Cora. "It isn't locked, but
he may not want to start the motor."
"Oh, you can trust to Dan to get her here. When he isn't a dock rat he's
a canal mule. There! Ain't that him? Yep, there he comes and he's got
her all right," said old Ben proudly.
The boy could now be seen walking along the water's edge, as he
pulled the motor boat by the bow rope. The girls were quick to follow
Ben to the landing, and there all three, with Ben, got aboard.
The girls helped Cora light the port, starboard and aft-lights; then they
were ready to start.

"Better let me run her," said the man, "as I know all the spots in this
here lake. Besides," and he touched the engine almost fondly, "there
ain't nothin' I like better than a boat, unless it's a fish line."
"This is a very simple motor," explained Cora, showing how readily the
gas could be turned on and how promptly the engine responded to the
spark.
"It's a beauty," agreed Ben, as the "chugchug" answered the first turn of
the flywheel.
Belle and Bess sat in the stem and Cora went forward. It was a
delightful evening and, but for the urgency of their quest, the first night
sail of the Petrel on Cedar Lake would have been a perfect success.
"Isn't that a light?" asked Belle, loud enough for Cora to hear.
"Yes. Ben see, there is a light. Do you suppose that is on Jim's boat?"
asked Cora.
"Never," replied Ben, "he's too stingy to light up on a moonlight night
when the water's clear. Of course the law says he must, but who's goin'
to back up the law?"
"Which way are you going?" she questioned further.
"See that track of foam over yonder? That's Jim's course. We'll just
pick his trail," said Ben. "Now there! Watch him turn! He's headin' for
Far Island!"
At this Ben throttled down, and, a few minutes later he turned off the
gas and cut out the switch.
"We'll just drift a little to give him a chance to settle," he said. "We
don't want to get too close--it might spoil the game."
Belle and Bess were both too nervous to talk. It seemed like some
pirate story, that they should be following a strange fisherman to a wild
island in the night, in hopes of finding the boys--possibly captured

boys!
Cora listened eagerly. She, too, was losing courage--it was so slight a
hope that this man would lead them to where the boys might be.
"There! See that!" exclaimed Ben. "He's talking to some one on land."
"Yes, I heard Jack's voice," exclaimed Cora. "Oh, I am so glad they are
safe!"
"But how do we know?" asked Belle, her voice trembling.
"Jack's voice told me," replied Cora, "for if they were in distress he
would not have shouted like that!"
"But he was mad," said Ben, and in this the old fisherman made no
mistake, for the voices of the boys, in angry protest, could be heard, as
they argued with some one, who succeeded in keeping his part of the
conversation silent from the anxious listeners.

CHAPTER IV
GETTING BACK
A few minutes later the rowboat of Jim Peters came out from Far Island,
and in it were the boys!
"If we have to bale her out all the way" Ed was saying, "I can't see why
we should pay you a quarter a piece. Seems to me we are earning our
fare."
They were now almost alongside the drifting motor boat.
"Jack! Jack," called Cora. "We are here, waiting for you. What ever
happened to you?"
"Well," exclaimed the boys in great surprise. "Glad to see you

girls--never gladder to