"Dat's who it am!" exclaimed Washington as he noticed the boys. "My! My! But am you boff dead?"
"No, only one of us," said Mark with a laugh, as he and Jack ran toward the wagon.
"Ha! Ha! Dat's one ob yo' jokes," said Washington. "But hurry up, boys. De perfessor he done sent me to meet you. He reckoned you'd becomin' ober on an early trolley. He's in a hurry to git away."
"Don't you boys dare to leave!" exclaimed Detective Ducket.
"Who's dat?" asked Washington.
"Never mind," said Mark. "He was hurt in the trolley smash, but not badly. We'll send help, from the first farm house we come to. Come on, Washington, we'll go with you."
The boys jumped into the wagon, and Washington started off. He explained that the inventor was anxious to make a start that day, as there would be an unusually high tide which would be followed a little later by a low one, and that would make it difficult to cross the harbor bar.
"So I hired dis wagon an' come after you," said the colored man.
At the first house they came to the boys stopped and told about the accident. The farmer agreed to go and get the detective and the others who were hurt and take them to a hospital.
"I guess we're rid of that detective now," observed Jack, as they started off again.