“Here are some fish we caught,” he said, offering them to Mr. Hardack.
“Well now! Say, that’s kind of you. I was just wishing for some blues, and I haven’t time to get any. I told my helper to get some, but he’s not as spry as he might be.”
“What’s his name,” asked Jerry, thinking this a good opening to find out what he wanted to know.
“Merry—no, it ain’t Merry, it’s Cherry—no, it ain’t Cherry either—land I am forgetful. It’s some name like that. Berry—that’s it—William Berry. I’ve only had him a few weeks. My other man took sick and I had to get one in a hurry.”
The boys looked at each other. None of them dared to make a remark, but Jerry seemed much excited.
“Come on in,” went on Mr. Hardack. “Well I declare, there’s another boat coming. That must be Jessica. She went out for a cruise with a young chap she met at an entertainment or something the other night.”
The boys looked and saw the craft they had lately raced with coming to the dock. In a little while it was so close they could make out the features of those in the motor boat.
The girl was Jessica, and the youth was Noddy Nixon.