Frank’s mind was on the question of whether there was any possibility of their catching the boat ahead of them, perhaps of passing it. Yet, thought he, the chance was very remote, inasmuch as they had gotten away a full three minutes before the Rocket. Not for a moment did he consider the idea that the Speedaway, if that were the boat, could outdistance the Rocket. Frank Allen considered that the men ahead of him were merely the same distance ahead as at the start.
“I wonder if that is the boat which crossed our path and caused Paul to go over,” remarked Ralph.
“If it is, I want to catch the fellows that are in it and duck all of them,” Paul replied.
Frank paid no heed to the two boys who now started bantering each other, all crouching low to the deck of the boat as it sped along.
“Lanky,” spoke up Frank after everything had grown quiet, “when we get to Columbia I’ll run up to the hospital, and I wish you’d get to police headquarters as quickly as you can, tell them the story of those fellows—where they are going and what we saw to-day. Tell them that the Rocket will see them through. And I wish Paul and Ralph would find some gasoline and fill up the tank.”
The boys agreed at once to this program.
“I have an idea we’re going to have a race this night after those fellows, and we’ll need plenty of gas aboard. So, be sure about it. We’re getting near town now, and I must get this package up to the hospital post haste,” Frank went on.
As they neared the landing place at Columbia Frank cut off the engine, relying on its momentum to send the Rocket to the boat-house, so that he could listen for the exhaust of the boat ahead of them.
“That’s it!” cried Lanky, as all the boys plainly heard the steady put-put of an exhaust ahead of them up the river.
“We’ve come along behind them,” Frank said quietly. “The Rocket must be a pretty speedy boat, after all.”