"Oh, I am. Think what it would mean if the boys had knocked my engine out. And it did seem for a time that there was no "if" in it." Cora jumped lightly out of the boat and was ready to greet the other girls. Soon a discussion of color and its causes was in progress, Cora maintaining that her cause of anxiety had been that awful engine and its troubles.
Ed, Walter and Jack had joined the others.
"I say," began Ed, "where do we, go to look for the wild Olive or was it the mountain Laurel? Jack is in a fit, and Walter can"t be held. What do you say if we all start out in a searching party? No one has been lost for twenty-four hours, and this state of affairs is getting monotonous."
Without waiting for an answer the girls and boys clambered into the Petrel while Bess went to the camp with Cora who insisted upon washing her hands before making the trip.
"Did anything happen, Cora, while we were away?" asked Bess kindly.
"Not a thing, Bess. I only wish something real would happen; we have so many imitations of excitement."
CHAPTER XXII
THE LAW AND THE LIGHTS
"I want to find her this time," insisted Jack. "Cora, please let me? I promise not to frighten her, and not even to speak to her if you object, but I do so want to find her."
"Seems to me you found her last time," objected Walter who was looking particularly well to-night, for his suit of Khaki and his brown skin seemed all of a piece. "You nearly knocked me down in your haste to find the hut first."
"But," Cora said seriously, "Laurel may not want you boys to find her. She may not even want me to do so. I am just taking chances.
Suppose you allow Bess and me or Hazel or any two of us to go up to the hut first? Please do be reasonable, and not silly," Cora finished in a voice she seldom a.s.sumed.
"You may come along as dose as you like, until we are just up to the hut," Bess consented, with marked good sense, "as the woods are so thick and black, but when we get to the hut--"
"We can "hut" it I suppose," snapped Jack. "All right, girls; all I can say is I hope a couple of Brownies, or a mountain lion pay their respects to you both for being so daring."
The boat was running beautifully. The cleaning out that Cora gave the base, and the regulating of the oil cups together with adjusting the wires, helped to make the mechanism run more smoothly, and she glided along without "missing," which means, of course that every explosion was in perfect rhythm to every other explosion. There was a "hot fat" spark as Cora explained.
"There"s a big steamer," remarked Hazel, as a large boat glided along.
Cora swung so that the red light of the Petrel showed she was going to the right. The steamer gave two whistles indicating a left course. Cora answered with one blast which meant right. The steamer insisted on left and gave one more signal.
"What"s the matter with them?" Jack demanded, taking the steering wheel from Cora. "They seem to own the lake."
No sooner had he said this than the big boat came so close to the smaller craft that a huge wave swept over the small forward deck and instantly the colored lights went out, being drenched. For a moment every one seemed stunned! The shock to the Petrel was as if she had been suddenly dipped into the depths of the lake. But as quickly as it happened just as quickly was it righted, and the offending boat steamed off majestically, as if it had merely bowed to an old acquaintance.
"What do you think of that!" exclaimed Walter, indignantly.
"I think a lot of it," replied Ed, "but the captain of that steamer would not likely want to see my thoughts."
"Small trick," declared Jack, "Even if he had the right to pa.s.s us so close, common lake manners obliged him to give in to the smaller boat."
"The lights are both out," Cora said anxiously.
"Well, we are almost to sh.o.r.e," Jack replied, "and it won"t be worth while to stop here. We can light up again when we get in."
This seemed reasonable enough and so they sailed along.
"h.e.l.lo!" exclaimed Walter, "is this another boat trying the same trick?"
A launch was steering very dose to the Petrel. The lights were conspicuously bright, and the engine ran almost noiselessly.
"What is it?" asked Jack, seeing that the captain wanted to speak with some one.
"I want you," replied a voice of authority. "You have no lights."
"Oh, you"re the inspector," said Jack candidly. "Well, that steamer that just pa.s.sed doused our lights, and we are going to land here to relight."
"Sorry, but that"s against the law," replied the officer. "You fellows always have an excuse ready, and I can"t accept it. You will have to come along with me."
"Arrested!" exclaimed Belle aghast.
"That"s about what it amounts to," replied the man coolly. "Can you get in here?"
"Who?" asked Jack.
"The captain," replied the officer grimly.
"Where does he go?" Jack further questioned.
"See here, young man," spoke the inspector rather sharply. "Do you think I"ve got all night to bother with you?"
"I don"t know as I do," replied Jack in the same voice, "but if you will just explain what you want us to do we will give you no further trouble." Jack knew one thing--to refuse to comply with the request of an officer is about the last thing to do if one values either money or liberty.
"That"s the way to talk," replied the inspector. "So just suppose you take this rope and I"ll tow, you along. I fancy the party would, rather come than let one go alone."
"Of course we would," declared Cora. "In fact I am the captain of this boat."
Jack gave her a meaning b.u.mp on the arm--it meant, "let me do the talking," and Cora understood perfectly.
"But where are we going?" wailed Belle, as the man threw the towline to Ed.
"Not far," answered the man. "I just have to take you in, and then you have to do the rest."
"What"s the rest?" inquired Walter.
"Oh, pay a fine," said the man carelessly.
"How much?" inquired Ed.
"From five to twenty-five; as the judge sees fit. There, are you fast?"
"Guess so," growled Jack, to whom the arrest seemed like a case of "Captain Kidding."
"And we can"t go to Laurel?" Hazel inquired with a sigh.