“Now, now, no apologies!” exclaimed Mr. Johnson. “I’ll explain everything. You must take dinner with me. It is almost ready. Sambo, show the young gentlemen to the bath room, and tell Mary to put on three extra plates. Delighted to have the opportunity of dining with you,” Mr. Johnson added, bowing to the boys.
“Talk about luck!” said Bob, when they were left alone. “Say, we’re right in it. Who’d ever thought our helping at that fire would have brought us a meal just when we needed it most.”
The other boys were equally impressed by the strange coincidence, and voted it a most fortunate thing that they should have come to the house where cousin Henry was stopping. They were all the more inclined to thank their lucky stars when they saw the bountiful meal that was set upon the table half an hour later.
The boys had to tell their story over again, with all the details, for Mrs. Johnson, and her two daughters, both young ladies were much interested, and asked scores of questions.
“I don’t suppose you heard or saw a motor boat going up the river, did you?” asked Jerry of his host.
“Not personally,” replied Mr. Johnson. “But I did hear Sambo say something about hearing a queer whistle out on the water sometime ago. Maybe that was it. I’ll let you ask him.”
The colored man was summoned, and proved to have even better news. He said he had been down on the river bank several hours previous and had seen a boat, that answered every description of the Dartaway, going up at full speed.
“Could you see who was on board?” asked Jerry.
“’Peared laik there was two men on her,” said Sambo, “a little one an’ a bigger one.”
“We’d better start right off after them,” said Ned.