"hurrah; hurrah!" shouted the crowd, "they're off."
down the lake swept the ten boats, the winner taking the lead, closely followed by the eagle, then came the chum, the rocket and the sprite, the other boats bringing up the rear. by each buoy a boat was stationed to see that there was no cutting of corners. the boats passed the first buoy, about half a mile from the start, in the order named, the winner being then about fifty feet ahead of the sprite.
"say, bob," asked jack, "how much power you got on?"
"only about two-thirds," replied bob. "but i don't believe the winner is doing her best yet."
"well don't let her get any farther ahead if you can help it," advised jack.
"i won't," replied bob grimly. "i'm going to try to close up a little now."
throwing the switch over another notch, the boys 35were gratified to find that they were creeping up on the rocket, and by the time they had passed the second buoy at the foot of the lake, they had passed both the rocket and the chum, and only a half-length separated them from the eagle, while the winner was only a length ahead of its nearest rival.
"i'm going to keep her like this," whispered bob, "unless they go faster, and i think they are doing pretty near their best."
all the way up the east side of the lake the three leading boats kept at about the same relative distance, while the rest of the fleet was hopelessly out of the race. as they passed the last buoy, about a mile from the end, fred jenkins turned and shouted, "now we're going to show you some speed."
the boys saw him turn his timer and almost immediately the winner began to forge ahead of the others.
"look out, bob," whispered excited jack, "don't let her get away from you."
bob's answer was to turn the switch another notch and in a very short time the sprite had passed the eagle and only a length separated the two leading boats.
"i've still got two more notches," whispered bob, "and i think they're doing their best, and we're gaining on them."
foot by foot the sprite crept up on the winner 36till, when they were about a half mile from the finish, the two boats were racing side by side.
"let her out another notch," urged jack, and as bob complied, jack, delighted to see that they were drawing away from the winner, could not keep from shouting, "goodby, see you later." but only angry looks answered him.
just then they passed a small rowboat carrying a lady and two little girls, and a moment later the two boys were startled to hear a wild shriek. turning they were just in time to see the winner strike the small boat a glancing blow. the blow was not hard enough to cause the winner to swerve from her course or to upset the boat, but it threw the girls into a panic, and standing up in the boat, it almost immediately capsized.
"quick, reverse her," shouted jack and forgetful of the race bob pushed back the switch and shot in the reverse, at the same time turning the tiller wheel to its full limit. it took but a moment for the boat to turn and start back full speed, while the winner shot past, her course unchanged.
"the miserable cowards," muttered bob, "they aren't going to stop."
in almost less time than it takes to tell it, the sprite was back by the overturned boat. the woman was clinging to the end, but the two girls were nowhere to be seen. quickly shutting off the power, bob shouted: "dive, jack, dive." over the 37side went jack, followed a second later by bob. the water was about twenty feet deep and very clear, and opening his eyes bob saw something white about ten feet away and a few strokes enabled him to grasp it. kicking out lustily he was soon above water, holding one of the little girls by the hair. glancing about he soon spied jack with the other girl swimming toward the sprite, which had floated some distance away. however, it took them but a short time to reach her, and they soon had the two girls in the boat. they had not been in the water long, but both were unconscious.
"now, jack, roll them on the bottom of the boat while i start her up and get the woman."
quickly she was pulled into the boat almost exhausted. "my girls, are they dead?" she moaned.
"i don't think so," replied bob, heading the sprite full speed for the wharf, about a quarter of a mile distant.
as the sprite swung in toward the dock, she was greeted with a tremendous cheer by the crowd, which had watched the rescue, and as the boat struck, eager hands lifted the little girls, who had as yet shown no signs of life, from the boat. it happened that two doctors were present, and they at once set to work to bring back the lives so nearly gone. in a few moments, to the joy of the crowd, one of them began to show signs of life and a little later the other opened her eyes. when told that 38they would live, the joy and enthusiasm of the people knew no bounds, and bob and jack were nearly overwhelmed with praise. among the first to reach them were mr. and mrs. golden.
"that was worth more, my boys, than winning all the races in the world," was mr. golden's greeting, as he took them in his arms, while the tears ran down the cheeks of their mother as she silently kissed them.
"where are those boys?" shouted a tall, broad-shouldered man as he pushed his way through the crowd, and then, as he saw them, "that was my wife and those were my little girls," and his eyes glistened as he tried to thank them. the boys tried to tell him that it was nothing, but he wouldn't have it so. it developed that he was a rich merchant from philadelphia, by name, samuel wright, who had that summer purchased a cottage at the lake. before he would let them go he had made them promise that they would call on him the next day or monday.
"well, boys, i guess we had better be getting over to the 'roost,'" said mr. golden, as soon as they could get away from the crowd. "your mother has finished her canning and we are going to stay at the cottage a few weeks."
as the boys stepped on the wharf, they were startled to see two men in the sprite. they were 39bending over the motor, but straightened up as the boys approached.
"fine boat you have here," said the older of the two, a man about fifty years old, thick set and wearing a full beard. his companion was about five years younger, of rather slight build and smooth face.
"yes, she's pretty fair," returned bob rather dryly, for he did not like the looks of the two men and did not relish the idea of them getting into the boat without permission. however, he did not want to appear too churlish.
"jack," said bob, "you run up to the hotel and help bring down the stuff while i clean up the boat, will you?" a wink told jack that bob did not want to leave the boat alone, so he turned back to the hotel while bob, seizing the painter, pulled the sprite up to the wharf. the two men at once got out and, with an apology for their intrusion, turned away.
in about ten minutes the golden family, including edna, appeared, well laden with suit cases and bundles.
"say, bob," asked mr. golden, "do you think you can get us all over in one load? may is going too," may brown was edna's chum, of about her age and often spent several weeks at a time at the golden cottage. she was a very jolly 40girl, and the goldens were always glad to have her with them.
"sure thing," replied bob, "lots of room."
"let's hurry then," said his mother, "i'm afraid you boys will catch cold in those wet clothes."
"no danger of that," laughed jack, "it isn't the first time we've been wet, eh, bob?"
soon they were all aboard, bag and baggage and the sprite's bow was headed up the lake.
but what of the winners of the great race? as the winner shot over the finish line, not a cheer greeted her, and her owners, seeing only hostile looks on the faces of the crowd, never stopped, but kept on down the lake.
"confound it," muttered fred, "i guess we've botched things again."
"well, it's all your fault," growled will, "i told you to stop."
"i know you did, but i thought some of the other boats behind would be near enough to pick them up, and i didn't want to lose the race."
"it seems, though, that we didn't exactly cover ourselves with glory by winning," said will grimly.
"i don't know why it is," argued fred, "but it seems to me that those golden boys are always getting the better of us. i wonder why it is that they are so much more popular than we? we have just as much money, if not more, than they."
as is usually the case, these boys could not see 41that it was their own selfish dispositions which was the cause of their unpopularity.
in a little over twenty minutes the sprite was at the "roost's" boathouse, and soon the merry party had landed and carried the baggage to the cottage. the boys, having put on dry clothing, proposed to the girls that a game of tennis would be a good way to pass the time while supper was being prepared, and soon bob and may were contesting every point with jack and edna.
that night, after the rest of the family had retired, the two boys sat by the window, in their room, talking over the events of the day.
"say, old man," bob suddenly said, "i didn't like the looks of those fellows we caught in the sprite this afternoon. sure as guns they were trying to find out all they could about that motor. they didn't act right when they saw us."
"well, i guess you're right," returned jack. "i think we had better get that cell patented as soon as possible, before some one steals it."
"no, i don't want to do that yet. i have had something in mind for quite a while and i want to keep the construction of that cell a secret for at least a year."
"what's your idea?"
"well, you remember reading, a while ago, in the boston paper, that a prize of fifty thousand dollars had been offered to the first one to fly across the 42atlantic. the difficulty has been," he continued, as jack nodded assent, "that an airship can't carry enough gasoline, but we could take enough of those cylinders to send an aeroplane around the world."
"gee, wouldn't that be great? do you suppose father would let us try it?"
"i don't know, but i mean to ask him and if he gives his consent we'll have a try at it next summer. now you see why i don't want to patent the cell. if the secret is known, even if it is patented, some one might get round it in some way and beat us."
"great head you've got, old man, and we'll do it, take my word for it, but i'm sleepy, so here goes for bed."
in a short time both boys were sound asleep, but if they had known of the exciting events and dangers they were to pass through during the next few days, it is doubtful if their dreams would have been as pleasant.
