"And you have been out all night? You must not think of taking a journey without first having something to eat. If you are afraid to come up to camp I"ll have something put in the boat for you,"
declared Cora. "But let me ask you, did you overhear anything about a girl named Miss Blake? I saw Jones leave a hall where she was singing last night, and I suspect he met her as she went out. My brother followed, but I have not seen him since. He stops at the boys" camp," Cora explained.
"Blake? So that was the pretty girl who sang. Well, she had better be careful that she doesn"t join the ghosts at Fern Island," said the woman, mysteriously.
"I know the girl. She"s from my home place. And that is why my brother went to see that nothing happened to her," Cora said.
"Well, you are good people, one can see that," declared Kate. "But wait. I can"t read much, but I picked this up to wrap the ring in."
She handed Cora a soiled and crumpled telegram blank. Upon it was made out, in message form, these words:
"Can place your friend at twenty-five week. Answer at once."
BENEDICT.
Cora pondered for a moment. "Who could have sent Jones such a message?" she asked.
"Sent it?" repeated Kate. "He sends his own messages. He can copy any handwriting. I heard him say the trick worked," she finished.
The truth flashed into Cora"s mind. That man somehow knew the Blakes. He was pretending to place little vain Mabel with some theatrical company. When he left the Casino it was to show her the bogus message. And Jack must have been somewhere around within hearing distance. Surely things were getting complicated and mysterious in the summer colony. But Cora had her ring back, and for the rest she felt certain that the "ghost" of Fern Island, also the wild looking girl of whom they had gotten a glimpse, were in some way being wronged by Jim Peters and his a.s.sociate, the handwriting expert.
CHAPTER XI
THE RACES
"Of course we will enter," declared Cora. "I know my boat and I think it is as good as any little motor craft on the water."
"But suppose we should get stuck away out in the lake," objected Bess. "Then what would we do?"
The girls and boys were talking together a few days after Cora had helped mysterious Kate to get away, and had entered the water contest.
"There would be plenty of boats to give us a tow," replied Cora, "but I have not the slightest idea of getting stuck. My engine works splendidly."
She found an opportunity to whisper to her brother: "What about Miss Blake?"
"I"ll tell you later, sis," he whispered back. "It isn"t very important. Don"t ask me now," and then he went on fussing over the engine and oil cups.
"If we only had our canoe," wailed Jack.
"That was different from any boat I have seen here. It was built on racing lines. Funny what became of it."
"Funny?" repeated Ed. "Tragic I think!" and he gave his sleeves another upward turn just to be doing something.
"Deplorable," added Walter. "I think I looked just sweet in that canoe. Don"t you, Hazel?"
"Well, when I saw you--you did," she admitted, "but three boys in a canoe are not quite as attractive--"
"As one girl and one boy," he put in. "Well, that is my own opinion, but Jack and Ed are so inartistic. I never can get them to see things my way."
"We will race in the Peter Pan," Ed announced. "Of course she cannot be beaten. But it is not half as much fun to depend upon an engine as to rely upon muscle. The canoe for me."
"But the glory!" exclaimed Belle. "That boat is beautiful."
"The boat is! Look at us," and Jack stood almost on his head.
"Boats are all right, but in the beauty cla.s.s we come first."
"What time do they start?" Cora inquired. "I"ve forgotten."
"Motors at three, smaller craft earlier. I am going over to the Point to see the hand-boats," said Jack. "Of course everybody is interested in them."
"Then girls," advised Cora, "get ready. We will have an early lunch, and go out for the afternoon. Perhaps we will bring the cup back."
"Lucky if you bring your boat back," Jack cautioned. "Don"t you want me to look the engine over, Cora?"
"No, indeed. That would be a dangerous thing to do, for I now have every part clear. I have put on a bigger oil cup, have had the water circulation increased so the engine can not heat so, I have had a throttle control put up at the steering wheel so that I can slow down from there, and I tell you, Jackie, I have worked out the secrets of that engine until there are no more."
"I should say you had, sis. I never knew there were so many attachments. Well, I know I can depend upon you to keep up the honor of the Kimball family. Come along fellows. Let"s see that the Peter Pan is not done by the "Peter Petrel." I noticed she was puffing out a lot of oil this morning as we came over."
"Then," said Cora, "you want to be careful. Your oil will run out and the best engine made will stop short if that happens."
"Whew!" exclaimed Ed. "Suppose we get Cora to look over our boat?
She seems to know."
"Better have Paul do it," suggested Cora. "That boat is worth three thousand dollars, and I wonder they ever allowed you boys to rent it."
"They would not if Paul had not vouched for them," Hazel explained.
"They have a great regard for Paul"s skill."
"And is he not going in the races?" asked Bess.
"I haven"t heard him say," replied the sister.
"Bet he"ll be a dark horse," suggested Ed. "Well, we can"t wish Paul any too much good luck, but I do wish he would not stick so dose to his boats and tools. We scarcely see anything of him."
"Nor do I," agreed Hazel with a sigh. "I miss him dreadfully."
"Poor child," and Walter affected to put his big brown arm around the girl. "Let me make up for Paul. Does he kiss you very often?"
and he brushed her cheek.
"Walter Pennington!" gasped the circ.u.mspect Hazel, "Do have sense!"
"That"s what Cora taught me--to help the needy," he floundered.
"Come now, no more nonsense," ordered Cora. "If we are to race we have to get ready." A few hours later Cedar Lake was alive with craft. The rowboats and canoes were lined up first and our friends from Chelton, the girls in the Petrel and the boys in the Peter Pan, kept a sharp look out for the lost canoe. Of course they knew it would be repainted, but the lines being different from those of other boats they hoped to be able to distinguish it, should it appear for the races.
The judges had taken their places. The platform at the Point was gaily decorated for the occasion, and all sorts of banners were flying. The course was to cover one mile, and it ran clear out into the open lake so that the delightful view was un.o.bstructed.