Ned was angry, but not foolish, and he swung the wheel over. But it was too late. The Avis, which had not swerved, came swiftly on, and her sharp bow struck the Neboje squarely amidships, cutting a deep gash and dangerously careening the craft of our heroes.
[CHAPTER XVII]
THE AEROPLANE
“Look out!” yelled Bob, though why, he could not have told. It was too late for that advice.
“What do you mean—running us down?” fiercely demanded Ned.
The Neboje, after heeling well over, swung back, and slowly came to an even keel, while the Avis, under a reversed engine, backed away.
“You did that on purpose!” cried Ned, shaking his fist at Frank, who did not seem at all put out by the accident. “You don’t know any more about steering a boat than a cow!” went on Ned. “You did this deliberately, and you’ll pay for it, too.”
“You got in my way,” said Frank coolly. “You saw the course I was steering. I had a right to it. You should have gone to port.”
“That’s how little you know about boating,” said Jerry as calmly as he could under the circumstances. “It was you who should have steered over.”