"You don't know as much as you might," said Sam tartly.
"By which you mean?" inquired Grant.
"By which I mean just this," responded Sam warmly. "The people that own the Varmint II are a tough crowd. They are some young fellows that have got more money than they have sense."
"More dollars than cents, you mean, don't you?" interrupted George.
"That's what I said," retorted Sam. "They are betting all sorts of money on their boat. From what I heard over at the Bay they have staked more money than you would believe on their boat winning the race."
"Who told you about it?" inquired Fred.
"Never you mind that," said Sam. "I know and that's enough. Now, if they've got so much staked they wouldn't feel so very bad, would they, if anything happened to the Growler? It seems she's the only boat they are afraid of anyway, and if she isn't in the race why the Varmint II will just walk away with the cup."
"And do you really think," inquired Fred, "that they will try to damage our boat so that she can't be in the race?"
"I'm not saying THEY will," answered Sam, "but somebody might. Perhaps they wouldn't know anything about it."
"Do you think those men who were here to-night came to do that?"