“I’ll say we will! Wait a minute! I’m a sea-faring man, I am, and I’ve got to speak correctly. You can lay to that we will sir, aye, aye! Blow me, just show these landlubbers what she’s got in her.” Ending this speech, Lanky bent his shoulders forward and hitched his trousers in imitation of vaudeville sailors.
Getting past the few boats that were on the river in front of Columbia, clearing past the first of the islands, Frank gradually opened up the speed of the Rocket. Taking the very middle of the stream, moving against the current, the bow lifted clear, and the Rocket skimmed at a merry pace for four miles, the boys uttering exclamations of delight the while. The speed was the best that Frank had yet gotten out of the Rocket, but at that he realized that he was not up to the top-notch.
“The Speedaway’s in for a trimming, sure!” cried Ralph hilariously. “It’s too bad Fred Cunningham isn’t along to see this so that he wouldn’t have to waste his gasoline.”
Making one of the wide bends of the river, seeing two other boats beyond, Frank blew his whistle in signal, and also cut down the speed, fearing that he might run into trouble.
“Where do we go first?” Lanky asked.
“I think the wise plan is to go up to the Parsons place and look around. I’d like to get to the place, Lanky, where we saw that rowboat tied, if we can find it, for I’ve an idea in my head.”
Frank only shook his head negatively when asked what his idea might be.
“Might not be worth anything. Let’s wait until we get there and see if I am right. If I am right, fellows, we’ve got something to think about.” At this there came a chorus from all four, begging, pleading with Frank to tell—to no avail.
In a short while they were standing off the shore of the Parsons place. Frank ran a quarter of a mile up the river, and then turned and came slowly downstream, drifting.
Lanky lay forward as far as he could stretch, his eyes glued on the shore line. Once he looked quickly back to catch Frank’s eye, but that young man was easing the Rocket over to shore, his eyes also fixed on the slightly inclining bank.