CHAPTER X
SAVED FROM THE FALLS
"Why, I was racing you boys," replied the officer.
"I see you were. But I never knew you went in for motor boats," saidNed. "Is that your craft?"
"Not exactly, though I have an interest in her," the chief went on."You see the Police Commissioners a few meetings ago decided topurchase a motor boat. We have quite a river frontage in Cresville, andlately there have been a number of robberies of boats and places alongthe stream. So it was voted to get a swift craft in which some of ourofficers could patrol the river. This is the boat, and CommissionerJones, here, and I, were out giving her a trial spin. We only got heryesterday."
"She certainly is well named," put in Jerry.
"Well, we hope she'll prove a 'terror' by nature as well as by name,"the chief went on. "She certainly is speedy enough."
By this time Commissioner Jones had thrown a rope to the motor boys.It was made fast to a cleat on the _Dartaway_, and then, the _Terror_being speeded up, the disabled craft was quickly towed down the river.Casting off the line at the _Dartaway's_ dock the _Terror_ shot on downthe river, the chief and commissioner calling back farewells.
"I want you to do us a favor, Andy," said Jerry as the lads were aboutto separate.
"Sure--what is it? Anything--half my kingdom--always willing tooblige--name it!" exclaimed Andy.
"That's the trouble, you're too willing," said Jerry with a smile."What I want is something very simple--that is it would be from any oneelse. I don't know how it will hit you."
"What is it?" asked Andy.
"Just don't say anything about what you heard this afternoon," saidJerry. "That is, I mean, about Noddy and Bill Berry. I believe they areup to some game. If we lay low we may discover what it is. If he findswe are talking about everything connected with him, we may not get atanything."
"I'll promise," said Andy eagerly. He was only too ready to do whateverthe other boys wanted him to, as he had hopes of more rides in the_Dartaway_.
"That's a bargain," went on Jerry. "None of us will say nothing aboutthe occurrence."
The next few days the boys studied hard in readiness for examinations.
"Don't you think it rather strange that the Cresville authoritiesshould buy a motor boat?" asked Jerry of Ned, one evening as they werereturning from a short run down the river.
"Queer; how do you mean?"
"Well, we've always got along without a craft like that before. There'snever been any river stealing to speak of. I wonder what's in the wind."
"Now that you speak of it, there is something out of the ordinary init," agreed Ned. "I never thought of it before. What do you think itmeans? Has Noddy anything to do with it?"
"I don't believe he has; yet," replied Jerry. "I'll tell you somethingI heard the other day. There are some extra detectives in town."
"Are you sure?"
"Andy Rush says so," went on Jerry. "You know he's always hangingaround police headquarters. He wants to be a newspaper reporter someday."
"I would think he'd make a good one," said Ned. "He's always findingout things."
"Well, when he was down to headquarters the other afternoon," went onJerry, "he says he overheard the chief tell the sergeant in chargeto tell the special detectives about some happening. This made Andysuspicious, as he had read about the big private detective agency whichsupplies officers. He says he saw a couple of strange men go into thechief's office a short time afterward, and stay for some time."
"Oh, Andy's always imagining things," said Ned, sending the motor boatcloser in toward the shore.
"But I think he's right this time," spoke Jerry. "He showed me the menhe had reference to, and I think they are detectives of some kind."
"What do you suppose it's all about?" asked Bob, getting his mind offsomething to eat for a few minutes.
"Oh, you've woke up, have you, Chunky?" asked Jerry. "Well," he wenton, "there's some connection between the police boat, the strangedetectives and robberies along the river, that's certain. What it isI haven't found out. But I'm going to. It may be that Noddy and Billare mixed up in it, and if they are, it may concern us. Noddy seemsto have a habit of getting us into trouble along with himself and hiscronies."
"But I haven't heard of any robberies," spoke Ned.
"Of course not," said Jerry. "They're keeping them quiet, that's why.But I happen to know that the grist mill, down near Tiverton falls wasentered the other night, and quite a sum of money stolen."
"You don't mean it!" Ned exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us before?"
"Because I only heard it from Andy Rush a little while ago," Jerryreplied. "It seems he was in police headquarters and overheard thechief talking to one of the men about it. So you see there's somethinggoing on in this old town after all."
The Saturday afternoon following this trip the boys made an early starton a journey down the river. They were in need of some lubricatingoil, and though they could have bought it in Cresville they decidedto combine business with pleasure and make a little longer jaunt thanusual.
They went to a town called Newton, about twenty miles below Cresville.On the way they passed the mill at Tiverton falls.
"There's the place that was robbed," said Jerry.
"Don't seem as if it put them out of business," remarked Ned as thesound of the machinery came to the ears of the boys.
"They've been making some improvements," observed Jerry, who was at thewheel. "They've built a new dam and flume. Rather dangerous too. If aboat got caught in that current it would be all up with it."
He pointed to where the mill owners had constructed a new wall to holdback the water. It was higher than the old one, and the manner in whichthe stream poured over the edge showed there was much power back of it.
The river was somewhat divided at this point. While the main streamcontinued in the regular course there was an arm that shot off above asmall island, and it was this which was dammed. Just above the dam theflume took what water was needed to run the mill. Falling over the damthe water dashed down on some sharp rocks.
Arriving at Newton the boys spent a little time viewing the town. Then,having purchased the oil they started back up the river.
"Hark! What's that?" suddenly asked Bob, who was at the wheel.
"Sounds like another boat coming up the river," said Jerry. "Maybe it'sthe _Terror_."
"No, it's the noise of the falls you hear," put in Ned. "We are almostat the grist mill."
"Oh sure enough, so we are," said Jerry.
Swinging around a bend in the river the boys came in sight of the dam,over which the water was pouring in a large volume as the mill had shutdown and none was being diverted into the big flume. At the same timethe occupants of the _Dartaway_ caught sight of something that causedthem to exclaim in terror.
In the grasp of the powerful current was a small rowboat, in which weretwo girls. They were struggling frantically at the oars, but, in spiteof their efforts to stem the stream, and get beyond the pull of thewaterfall they were slowly drifting nearer and nearer the edge.
"Put her over there! We've got to save 'em!" cried Ned to Bob. "Put herover!"
"Wait a minute!" came from Jerry. "If you steer over there we'll becaught in the current too! Let me take the wheel, Bob. Ned you lookafter the engine! Bob you go to the stern and stand ready to toss 'em aline. I only hope they'll know enough to keep hold of it or tie it totheir boat."
Having issued his orders, Jerry hurried to the wheel, while the otherstook the positions designated. Jerry at once threw the engine to fullspeed ahead, and the _Dartaway_ shot forward.
"You're not going to leave 'em, are you?" called Ned.
"I guess not!" said Jerry. "I've got to back down to 'em, and standready to start ahead suddenly!"
"Save us!" the girls in the boat cried.
One of them had lost an oar, and the other was too frightened to doanything, even had she the strength to stem the flow of water. Nearerand nearer to the dam drifted the boa
t.
"Sit still! We'll save you!" cried Jerry.
By this time the motor boat was some distance above the small craft.Jerry sent it toward the left shore in a long curve. This placed the_Dartaway_ just above the rowboat. Then he reversed the engine, and themotor boat began to back down the stream.
"Stand ready to heave the line!" called Jerry to Bob. "Now girls!" hewent on, "you catch the rope when he throws it! Wind it around an oarlock, and hold on to it!"
Bob sent the coils spinning through the air. They straightened out andseveral twists fell over the bow of the small drifting boat.
"Catch hold!" cried Jerry.
The girl forward obeyed. Quickly she wound the coils about one of theoar locks, and held the loose end tightly.
"Hold on!" sung out Jerry.
With a quick motion he set the clutch for the first speed forward. Thewater at the stern of the _Dartaway_ was churned into foam.
"We're drifting back!" cried Bob from the stern. "We'll go over thedam!"
"Here's for full speed ahead!" cried Jerry as he threw the lever overto the last notch, and swung the gasolene and spark handles wellforward.
The foam at the stern became thicker and whiter. The _Dartaway_trembled from bow to rudder. The rope creaked with the strain.
"Hurrah! We're gaining!" cried Ned. "We're moving!"
The powerful motor boat had triumphed over the current and was pullingthe occupants in the small craft out of danger.