United States or Panama ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Tom was beginning to think that he would reach Sandport without catching sight of the thieves, and he was wondering if, after all, he might not better stop off and see his father when, above the puffing of the motor in the RED STREAK, he heard the put-put of another boat. "Listen!" cried Mr. Damon, who had heard it at the same time. Tom nodded. "They're just ahead of us," whispered his companion.
Give them here!" But Graves only laughed in his face. "Come and get them!" he taunted. And, before either of the scouts could realize what he meant to do he had started one of the motorcycles, sprung to the saddle, and started. In a moment he was out of sight, around a bend in the road. Only the put-put of the motor, rapidly dying away, remained of him.
He stood looking at it, the sun striking full on the mysterious mansion, hidden there amid the trees. Suddenly, as Tom looked, he heard the "put-put" of a motor-boat. He turned to one side, and saw, putting out from a little dock that he had not noticed before, a small craft.
When Tom was within a few miles of his own boathouse he heard behind him the "put-put" of a motor craft. Turning, he saw the RED STREAK fairly flying along at some distance from him. "Andy certainly is getting the speed out of her now," he remarked. "He'd beat me if we were racing, but the trouble with his boat and engine is that he can't always depend on it.
A cheer sounded faintly from Lost Island; Jerry wanted to cheer himself. Now he heard another kind of sound, but this time there was no doubt in his mind as to its source. There could be no mistaking the put- put-put of a single cylinder motor boat. It was coming up Plum Run, probably from the "city" Chester. He could see it swinging around into the channel from behind Lost Island.
"We might establish an outpost in the little cove," I said, at last, "making a camp there and keeping the launch with us, while the Whim stays in the larger cove as a base to fall back on in case of necessity." "The launch won't do," Tommy corrected. "In a quiet place like that its put-put could be heard for miles. Paddles, oars or sails for these still waters, Jack!" He was right.
The put-put became louder now. Mr. Damon was standing up, as if that would, in some mysterious way, help. Then suddenly the other boat came into view. Tom saw it in an instant and knew it for the ARROW. "There she is!" he cried. For an instant after Tom's exultant cry the men in the boat ahead were not aware that they were being pursued.
I saw you go in the mine, you see. Then I went back to fence makin'. Pretty soon I heard the put-put of that scooter and along came the ice-cream man. He parked the scooter and sort of sniffed around here and there, and then he walked over and went into the mine.
He waved it four times from side to side like a brakeman and in a short time a steady "put-put!" told the watchers that a motor boat was approaching. "Now for your dinghy, Hank," urged Jack, "hurry up. You move like a man a hundred and ninety years old, with the rheumatism."
Word Of The Day