CHAPTER IV
A STRANGE RACE
Suddenly the _Water Witch's_ whistle sent out a series of piping toots.
"What's the meaning of that?" asked Chester of Detective Calvert, who hadquietly resumed his seat in one of the wicker chairs in front of theyouth.
"It's a challenge to a race."
"I accept it," said Alvin, with a flash of his eyes. At the same momenthe swung the wheel over and began circling out to the left, so as to turnin the shortest possible space. "If that boat can outrun me I want toknow it."
"Be keerful ye don't run over him," cautioned Mike, catching theexcitement, "as Tam McMurray said whin he started to overtake alocomotive."
Alvin quickly hit up the pace of the launch, which sped down theSheepscot with so sudden a burst of speed that all felt the impulse. Thesharp bow cut the current like a knife, the water curving over in abeautiful arch on each side and foaming away from the churning screw.Even with the wind-shield they caught the impact of the breeze, caused bytheir swiftness, and each was thrilled by the battle for mastery.
"Are you doing your best?" asked Calvert, watching the actions of theyouthful Captain.
"No; I am making about two-thirds of the other's speed."
"Then don't do any better, is my advice," said the detective.
Alvin glanced over his shoulder.
"Why not?"
"It may be wise at this stage of the game not to let them know that youcan surpass them. Wait till the necessity arises."
"I agree with Mr. Calvert," added Chester, and the Captain was impressedby the logic of the counsel. He was on the point of increasing the pace,but refrained. In truth he was already wondering what they would do ifthey overtook the other and what could be gained by passing the boat.
Again the whistle piped several times and it was evident that thefugitive, as it may be called, had "put on more steam."
"Do you wish me to let her get away from us?" asked Alvin.
"Not for the present, but that may be the best course. Hold your own forawhile and then gradually fall back."
When the race opened, less than an eighth of a mile separated thecontestants. The abrupt burst lessened this slightly and then it appearedto be stationary as the two glided down the river.
Such were the relative positions when the _Water Witch_ shot past RamIsland, holding the middle of the stream, and a few minutes later cameabreast of Isle of Springs.
"Those two young fellows have a man with them," remarked Calvert. "Hetried to keep out of sight when we first met, but now he doesn't seem tocare. You can see him plainly without the help of the glasses."
Such was the fact, and Chester said:
"They must know that we also have a friend with us."
"I don't see that it matters either way. I think you are gaining."
"But not half fast enough," added Mike, who was standing and impatient tobeat their opponent. "We must come up wid the spalpeens before they gitto Boothbay."
"They are not heading for Boothbay," observed Calvert, whose keen eyeshad detected the change in the line of flight. His companions saw he wasright. The front boat had made so abrupt a change of course that it wasalmost at right angles to that of the pursuer. The side of the launch wasexposed, showing the two youths, one of whom held the wheel, while theman with a mustache sat directly beside the other. It might be said ofthe two craft and their crews that they were twins, so marked was theirresemblance.
Naturally Alvin shifted his line of pursuit. You may recall that,opposite the Isle of Springs, Goose Rock Passage connects Sheepscot Riverwith Knubble Bay, which leads into Montsweag Bay, reaching northward onthe western side of the long island of Westport. In their first tripnorthward our young friends had gone to the eastward of Westport, as theyhad been doing during this race. Montsweag Bay takes the name of BackRiver at the northern end of the island and that and the Sheepscot uniteabove before reaching Wiscasset.
The _Water Witch_ dived into Goose Neck Passage past Newdick Point, whereit turned northward into Knubble Bay. This is the path taken by thesteamers from Bath and other places on the Kennebec when going toBoothbay Harbor, Squirrel Island and other points. To the westward ofthese bodies of water sweeps the noble Kennebec to the sea.
Just ahead was discerned a swiftly approaching mass of tumbling water,above which the deck, pilot house and puffing smokestack of a littlesteamer showed. This was the "pony of the Kennebec"--the _Gardiner_,plowing ahead in such desperate haste that one might well believe thefate of a score of persons depended upon its not losing a half minute.Alvin took good care to give her plenty of room and saluted with severalwhistle toots. There was no reply. The captain merely glanced at the twocraft and sped onward like an arrow from the bow of the hunter.
The _Deerfoot_ rocked and plunged in the swell made by the steamer,which, spreading out like a fan from its bow, ran tumbling and foamingalong the rocky shores, keeping pace with the headlong charge of theboat, and trying to engulf everything in its path. One small catboat thatwas tied to a rickety, home-made landing, after a couple of divescapsized, as if it were a giant flapjack under which a housewife had slidher turning iron.
"They're gaining!" exclaimed Chester, who was closely watching theprogress of the racers. "Do you mean to let them get away, Alvin?"
"Mr. Calvert will answer that question."
"I do so by advising that you neither gain nor lose for the present."
The Captain gave the launch a little more power, and it became clear toall that the pursuer was picking up the ground, or rather water, that shehad lost. Then for several minutes no difference in speed wasperceptible. A space of a furlong separated the two when they shot pastthe point of land bearing the odd name of Thomas Great Toe, which is onthe western side of the lower part of Westport, some two miles aboveGoose Neck Passage. Here the water is a mile in width, and is filled withislands of varying sizes, until the large bay to the northward isreached.
The _Water Witch_ persisted in hugging the eastern shore, while herpursuer kept well out, as if to make sure of having plenty of room inwhich to pass her, when the chance came. But all the same the chance didnot come. It was soon seen that the fugitive was drawing away from herpursuer. Mike Murphy fumed, but held his peace.
"It's mesilf that hasn't any inflooence here," he reflected, "as Iobsarved to mysilf whin dad and mither agreed that a thundering biglicking was due me."
"Can you overhaul her?" asked Detective Calvert.
"Easiest thing in the world; I can shoot past her as if she were lyingstill."
"Well, don't do it."
Mike could remain silent no longer.
"That's a dooce of a way to run a race! Whin ye find ye can bate theither out of sight ye fall back and let her doot. That's the style I usedto run races wid the ither boys at school, but the raison was I couldn'thelp it. If ye'll allow me to utter a few words of wisdom I'll do thesame."
Alvin nodded his head.
"It is that ye signal to that pirut ahead to wait and give us a tow,being that's the only way we can howld our own wid 'em."
Now while it was trying to Alvin and Chester to engage in a race of thenature described and voluntarily allow the contestant to beat them, whenthey knew they had the power of winning, yet they believed it was thetrue policy, since Detective Calvert had said so. They understood thedisgust of Mike and could not forbear having a little fun at his expense.
"You see," said Chester gravely, "those two young men who gave you andAlvin such a warm time the other night are on the other boat, and if weshould come to close quarters with them they would be pretty sure to evenup matters with you."
Mike glared at the speaker, as if doubting the evidence of his ears.
"Phwat is that ye're saying?" he demanded. "Isn't that the dearest objectof yer heart? I shall niver die contint till I squar' matters wid 'em,and ye knows the same."
"You forget," added Calvert, with the same seriousness, "that they have afull-grown man to help them out."
"And haven't we a full-grown man wid us, as me dad said whin heinthrodooced me to his friends at Donnybrook, I being 'liven years old?Begorra, I'm thinking we haven't any such person on boord."
It was a pretty sharp retort, but the officer could not repress hisamusement at the angry words. Alvin looked over his shoulder and winkedat Calvert and Chester, making sure that Mike did not observe the signal.In his impatience, he had turned his back upon them and was lookinggloomily over the stern at the foaming wake.
"I wonder if there isn't some tub along the shore that'll put out and runus down. I hope, Captain, that whin we git back home ye'll kaap this asecret from dad."
"And why?"
"He'll sure give me the greatest walloping of me life."
"For what reason?"
"For consoorting wid a party that run away from the finest chance in thewurrld for a shindy. It's a sin that can be wiped out in no ither way."
"I'll explain to him," said Calvert, "that you couldn't help yourself."
"And it's mighty little difference that will make, as Terry McCarthy saidwhen he had the ch'ice of foighting two Tipperary byes or threeCorkonians."
"Wouldn't your father prefer to have us bring you home safe and unhurtrather than to have your beauty battered out of you?" inquired thedetective, with a solemn visage.
Mike, who had risen to his feet and was still staring over the stern,slowly turned and faced the questioner. Then, with an expression ofcontempt, he said:
"Ye haven't the honor of an acquaintance wid me dad."