CHAPTER XVII
FINDING THE DARTAWAY
Right after dinner each of the boys wrote a message home, and thecolored man drove off with them to the village about five miles away.Then, having recovered from their fatigue, the boys went to look atMr. Johnson's collection of craft. They found he had several largerowboats, and they selected one which two could pull, while a thirdperson in the stern could steer. It was rather a heavy craft, but itwas large and roomy, and on a pinch they could sleep in it at night.
"This will be just the thing to make the search in," said Jerry. "Couldwe take her for three or four days?"
"As long as you like," said Mr. Johnson heartily. "Just keep it and useit until you find your boat, and you can then tow it back. Now comeinto the house. I want to pack up some lunch for you, and give you someblankets to camp out with, since you are determined to start to-night."
Having packed some provisions in the boat, taking along a pot tomake coffee in, a supply of the commodity and a small oil stove, somekerosene, and a lantern, the searchers started off.
They camped out under a big tree at dusk and ate with good appetitesin spite of their gloomy spirits and then, having built a fire on thebank, they prepared to spend the night.
"Forward again!" cried Jerry when after breakfast the simple campoutfit had been packed into the boat. At noon they came to a smallvillage where they stopped for lunch, and to stretch their weary legs.
There they learned that the _Dartaway_ had passed early the previousafternoon. It had made a short stop for gasolene. Of the dealer in thefuel the boys learned that two rough looking men were aboard the craft.Neither of them had said anything to give a clue to their identity.
It was about three o'clock, when, as the boys were rowing in a widestretch of the river, Jerry, who was at the tiller ropes, cried:
"Hark! Cease rowing! I hear something!"
Bob and Ned rested on their oars. The sound of puffing was borne tothem on the wind which was blowing up stream.
"It's a motor boat!" exclaimed Jerry.
"Or an automobile," said Bob.
"Automobiles don't run along the river," said Jerry. "There's no goodroad within a mile of the stream, Mr. Johnson said. It's a motor boat."
"But it's coming up stream," said Bob. "It can't be our boat."
"Unless it went down past us in the night," remarked Ned. "But we'llsoon see."
Nearer and nearer sounded the puffing of the engine. There was no doubtthat it was a motor boat and that it was coming up stream rapidly. Theboys rowed enough to keep their craft from drifting, and, five minuteslater the oncoming boat hove in sight.
"It's the _Terror_!" exclaimed Ned and Jerry at once, as theyrecognized the Cresville police boat. "Well, if this isn't good luck,"Jerry went on. "_Terror_ ahoy!" he shouted making a megaphone of hishands.
In answer there came three sharp toots from the whistle of the gasolenecraft, and her course was changed to send her over towards the boys.
"Did you come for us?" called Jerry.
"Not unless you are the burglars we're after," replied Chief Dalton,who was in the bow, and who recognized the boys.
"Burglars?" asked Ned.
"That's what," replied the chief of the Cresville force. "We're out onbusiness this trip. But what's the matter with you? Got tired of yournew boat so soon?"
Jerry quickly explained what had happened. The chief was muchsurprised. The _Terror_ had been stopped and, at the invitation of thepolice official, the boys came into the motor boat. There were severalpolicemen aboard and the engineer.
"Shall we tow our boat?" asked Bob.
"Better leave it tied to the bank," said the chief. "I want to make allthe speed I can. We'll pick it up on the way back, that is if you boyswant to come along with us."
"We sure do," said Jerry. "We'd like to have your help in finding ourboat."
"Maybe I can kill two birds with one stone," the chief replied. "Therewas quite a robbery at Northville last night, and they telegraphed forme to help. The thieves got away in a motor boat, it seems."
"Northville," said Jerry. "That's the very place we stopped for lunch,where the gasolene man said he saw our boat. Who was robbed?"
"Why they broke into the general store there, and got away with about athousand dollars in cash that was in the safe from the Saturday nightsales. They haven't much of a police force in the town, and they askedme to help 'em out."
"Maybe the same men who stole our boat robbed the safe," ventured Ned.
"I shouldn't be a bit surprised," came from Chief Dalton. "But we mustget a hustle on. I'll tow your rowboat over to shore and you can tieher up. Then we'll keep on up the river."
Ten minutes later, Mr. Johnson's boat having been safely moored, theboys were on their way up stream in a much speedier fashion than theyhad been proceeding since the loss of their craft. A good lookout waskept for any sight of the _Dartaway_.
"I'll land 'em yet," the chief said. "They can't go much farther as theriver gets too shallow. I only hope they stick to the boat to the last.If they strike across country it will be hard to find them."
All the afternoon the _Terror_ chug-chugged on her way. The boys forgottheir anxiety over the loss of their boat, and did not think of theirfatigue in the excitement of the chase.
It was about six o'clock, when, having made a short stop at a littlevillage, to learn that the _Dartaway_ had passed not more than an hourbefore, the chief, who was steering, held up his hand for silence.
Everyone on the _Terror_ listened intently. From the broad stretch ofwater before them, borne on a wind which had shifted and was comingdown the river, the faint puffing of a motor boat could be heard.
"That's the _Dartaway_!" exclaimed Jerry. "I know her exhaust!"
"I hope you're right!" said the chief grimly. "Put a little more speedon," he said to the engineer, and the _Terror_ leaped ahead under theinfluence of more gasolene and an advanced spark.
A minute later they rounded a turn in the river and saw the _Dartaway_just as her engine came to a stop.