“Yes,” replied another, who had just landed on the spit of the land. “I raced ’em, but I didn’t beat ’em!”
“Couldn’t you?”
“Couldn’t I? Say, you know what the Pickerel can do when she’s pushed to it. I held back the throttle.”
Cora started. Her suspicions were unexpectedly confirmed.
“You can see them from over here,” whispered Belle, pulling Cora’s sleeve. Cora moved to where an opening in the bushes afforded a glimpse of the strangers.
She saw three men, and one of them she knew in an instant to be the young chap who had raced with her. His boat, too, was on the beach. It was from her that the men had come.
“Well, you know how fast the Chelton can go now, that’s sure,” spoke a voice.
“Yes,” answered the young man, “I know. We needn’t fear her if it comes to a chase. That’s what I wanted to make sure of.”
“Then all we have to do is to get the rest of the evidence, and the property is ours.”
“Yes. We can turn the widow and the daughter out, all right, if we get the necessary papers. Then we can go ahead and build the dam across the brook.”