CHAPTER II.
JACK TAKES A BATH.
"Come there, I say, are you going to sleep all day?"
Jack Golden was just dreaming that he had run the Sprite into a bigrock and was much relieved to find that the resulting thump wasnothing more serious than the bang of a pillow thrown at his head byhis brother.
"Hey, cut that out," he mumbled, but half awake. "What time is it,anyway?"
"Time you were up and dressed," was Bob's answer. "Today is Wednesday,and the race is Saturday, and, take it from me, we have a lot of workcut out for us before then if we are going to get the Sprite ready."
"I guess that's right, all right," was the sleepy answer. "If we'regoing to get that new motor installed in the Sprite, we sure have gotto hustle. I'll be dressed in less than half a shake."
It was not yet 5 o'clock, but the Golden boys were early risers,especially when they had work to do.
Quickly dressing, they rushed down to the laboratory where they foundold Mike busily engaged sweeping up the dirt they had made the daybefore. Mike McGinty was an Irishman and was very proud of that fact.It was his boast that "Ivery bone in my body is pure Irish, and don'tyou fergit it, young feller." He was about 40 years old, and for thelast twenty years had been man-of-all-work for the Goldens. He wasvery quick witted, good natured, had a decided mechanical turn, andhis "byes," as he called Bob and Jack, were "the finest iver," and woebetide the person who said anything against them in his hearing. Agood part of his time was spent helping the boys in the laboratory,and he was so careful and trustworthy that they found his help almostindispensable.
While waiting to be called to breakfast, the boys packed up what toolsand material they would need, for as soon as possible they intended tostart for the lake and put a new twenty horsepower electric motor inthe Sprite. Jack had just put the last tool in place when thebreakfast bell rang.
As soon as the meal was finished, Bob said: "Jack, you run over to thegarage and bring round the big car and Mike and I will get the stuffup from the lab."
"Bejabers and do yees think ye're agoing to take all that truck in thecar?"
"Sure, Mike, there's lots of room in the back. Here's Jack now. Easynow with that motor and don't for mercy's sake, drop it. If we breakit there'll be no time to get it fixed."
In addition to the tools and motor they were taking a lot of cookedstuff, for they did not intend to come down till they had finished,and as the family were not at the lake just then, there was no one tocook for them, and the boys did not want to take the time, althoughthey could cook when necessary.
Soon all was packed in the rear of the car and saying goodbye to thefolks, who had come to see them off, they started with Bob at thewheel, Jack beside him, while Mike sandwiched himself in the backseat.
It was a run of about ten miles to the cottage, as it was at theextreme upper end of the lake, but Bob was a fast driver, and in aboutthirty minutes their destination hove in sight.
"Well, byes, here we are, right side up wid care, bejabers," shoutedMike, tumbling out of the machine as it came to a stop. "Sure and Ithought I'd break ivery blessed Irish bone in me body bumping roundwid all that truck."
"I guess Irish bones must be pretty strong," laughed Jack, as heunlocked the door of the boathouse.
It was but a few minutes' work to unload, and soon all three were inthe boathouse busily engaged taking the old engine out of the Spriteand so rapidly did they work, stopping only for a cold bite at noon,that by 6 o'clock it was all apart and out of the boat.
"Now, Jack, while Mike and I are packing this stuff away suppose youtake the canoe and see if you can get a few perch for supper,"proposed Bob. "You will find some worms in that pail in the corner."
"Right you are, son, perch is my middle name," replied Jack, and inalmost less time than it takes to tell it, he had the little canoe inthe water and was paddling across toward a little cove, the bestfishing ground on the lake.
"Guess I'll try trolling first," he said to himself, and baiting ahook, he let out about forty feet of line and began rowing at a ratejust sufficient to keep the canoe in motion. The fish bit well, and inless than a half hour he had a dozen fine perch flopping about in thebottom of the boat.
"No use in catching more than we can use," he thought, as he reeled inhis line and started for the other shore. Hardly had he taken up theoars however, when, looking up, he saw a new motorboat coming rapidlyup the pond, and only a short distance away. "That's the Jenkins boysin their new boat, the Winner, and she sure is some boat," thoughtJack.
"Hello there, sonny, how they biting?" shouted Will Jenkins, as soonas they were within hearing distance.
"Fair," replied Jack as shortly as possible, for he did not relishbeing called "sonny" by them.
"Say," shouted Fred Jenkins, "are you going to enter the Sprite in therace Saturday?"
"Mebbe."
"Well, it won't be any use; we can run circles round your old tub withthis boat."
"She certainly does look fast," replied Jack.
"Fast? She's a streak, and look at her name--that's no lie."
While talking the Jenkins boys had shut down their engine, and the twoboats were only about thirty feet apart.
"Well, so long, we'll see you Saturday, if you can manage to keep insight," taunted Fred, as he threw over the fly wheel of his engine.
The Winner started off at a good speed straight for the canoe.Probably Fred did not intend to run Jack down, but he evidentlypurposed to come as close as possible without hitting and give him agood scare. But just as he was going to turn to avoid hitting thecanoe, something went wrong with the tiller and the next moment Jackwas in the water. He could swim like a fish and shaking the water outof his eyes he struck out for the canoe which was floating bottom up afew feet away.
"You clumsy Claudes," he shouted as he caught hold of the canoe."Isn't the lake big enough for you to turn your old scow in?" Jack wasmad clear through, for it had looked to him as though Fred had hit himintentionally. Fortunately, the canoe was so light, that it was notstove in, and he had little trouble in righting it and climbing in.Meanwhile, the Winner had come about.
"Say, Jack, I didn't mean to hit you; my tiller rope stuck and Icouldn't turn her," said Fred. "Are you all right?"
"I guess so, but the next time you want to give me a wider berth orI'll be tempted to put a head on you."
"Ho, ho, hear the young bantam! Suppose you learn how to spell able."
Jack said nothing more but paddled about and managed to pick up allbut two or three of his fish, while the Winner headed down the lakeand was soon lost to sight round the bend.
"Just the same I don't believe he tried very hard not to hit me,"muttered Jack as he headed the canoe toward the cottage.
He found that Bob and Mike had just finished packing away the oldengine and told them what had happened.
"Begorra," said Mike, "that was a mean trick. If I had them two youngsaplin's in me hands I'd rap their two heads together, so I would."
"Well," said Bob, "perhaps it was as Fred said and only an accident,but he ought to be taught to be more careful. However no great harm isdone and now let's go up to the house and get some supper; I'm hungryenough to eat those fish raw."
Supper over and the dishes washed, it was nearly 9 o'clock, and theboys decided that they would go to bed and be up bright and early inthe morning.
It seemed to Bob that he had hardly touched the pillow when some onebegan to shake him and opening his sleepy eyes he saw Mike standing byhis bed, holding a lantern in his hand.
"Jump up and dress quick," he said, "some one is trying to get in tothe boathouse. I was smoking a last pipe by the window and saw himsneaking round."
By this time Jack also was awake and in less than a minute they wereout of bed and had pulled on trousers and shoes.
"Now, Mike, you slip down by the shore, and Jack and I will go roundthrough the woods. Go easy now, for I want to find out who it is."
The boathouse was about 100 f
eet from the cottage, and the boys creptquickly through the trees, which were not very dense. It was a brightmoon-light night, and as they emerged from the woods and were withinabout twenty feet of the boathouse, they saw two boys close to thehouse, evidently trying to get a window open.
"Come on now," whispered Bob, "let's make a rush for them."
Springing from the bushes the two boys darted toward the boathouse,and before the intruders could recover from their surprise, they weregrabbed and thrown to the ground. It is not to be supposed that theygave in without a struggle, and for a few moments the fight waged fastand furious. But the Golden boys were strong and the fight was over bythe time Mike showed up.
"Ah, I thought so," muttered Bob, as he turned his captive over. "Whatare you doing here this time of night, Will Jenkins?"
"You let me up," was the dogged reply. "Can't a fellow take a walkwithout being jumped on?"
"Yes," replied Bob, "but you can't get into our boathouse in themiddle of the night, not if we see you first."
"Aw, we weren't trying to get into your old shack. We were onlywalking by and happened to look in," was the sullen answer.
"I don't believe a word of it," said Jack, letting up his captive, whoproved to be Fred Jenkins. "They were trying to get in to find outwhat we have been doing."
"Now see here," said Bob, letting his captive up, "you hike out ofhere and what's more you keep away, see?"
"Yis and begorry," broke in Mike, "if I catch yees sneaking roundhere again sure and it's meself that'll be timpted to throw yees intothe drink."
Muttering something about getting even, the two crestfallen boys slunkaway.
"Now you byes go up to the house and go to bed," ordered Mike. "I'magoing to sleep in the boathouse, and if them fellers come back herethey'll think the auld bye hisself is after them."
"All right," agreed Bob, "I guess that will be the best plan. Come on,Jack, it is nearly 1 o'clock, and we have a big day's work ahead fortomorrow."