“Giddap!” said Townsend soberly. “Say good-by.”
As it started the car gave forth a weird noise which was not unlike the words good-by. A parrot would have to practice long to say it as well.
“Did you ever hear such a thing in your life?” Mrs. Ripley called back to Doctor Harris. “It’s a broken spring, I think.”
“I’m going to teach it to say, ‘Be Prepared,’” said Townsend to Pee-wee. “The scout motto, good idea, huh?”
There was no sign of a smile on his face.
CHAPTER IX
ADVENTURES WITH A FLIVVER
Townsend’s flivver, as he said himself, was slow but unsure and they were three hours reaching Orange Lake. Here, at a pleasant summer boarding house, Mr. and Mrs. Ripley alighted. It was funny to see with what an air of sober complacency Townsend drove up the winding private roadway and saying, “whoa,” stopped in front of a spacious veranda filled with summer boarders.
“Make it talk for them,” whispered Pee-wee.
“I’ll make it say, ‘hurray,’” said Townsend. He leaned far out of the car, rocking it somewhat, and it undoubtedly did utter an uncanny response which sounded for all the world like that joyous call.