Motor Boat Boys on the St. Lawrence Part 27

But no matter what the outcome of that proposition might be, they did not mean to worry over anything. The great St. Lawrence was an ideal cruising place, and doubtless if they were forced to stay there during the balance of the summer they could find plenty of amus.e.m.e.nt in the way of fishing, racing, and exploring.

Only Josh solemnly expressed the hope that in their "nosing around," as he called it, they might not happen upon another haunted island. Once spelled enough for him; and there was no telling but that on another occasion the ghost might prove to be more real than the one manufactured by Glenwood and his fellow smugglers, to frighten the owners of the three motor boats away from their pet cove.

There was always the chance that sooner or later they would again run across Clarence Macklin and his crony, Bully Joe Brinker. George would be only too glad of another opportunity to test his beloved _Wireless_ against the very best that the _Flash_ could put forth.

"Make up your mind, George," said Jack, when his chum was mentioning this thing one day. "You never would get that tricky Clarence to acknowledge your boat to be better than his. If you beat him six times he'd have six good excuses ready, and each one different from all the rest. Whoever caught him with the goods on, and made him confess? A fellow he didn't know stopped him and stuck the things in his pocket. He was right then on the way to hand them over to the police. Don't you remember when he said that? Well, you may have your race, and win out handsomely, but don't expect Clarence to hand you an honest admission that his boat ran second."

"I don't," grinned George; "but I'd like to race him all the same; and I only hope the chance comes along, sooner or later."

Perhaps it would, for stranger things were likely to happen to the motor boat boys than that they would run across Clarence again during their outing days.

"I saw him in Clayton when ash.o.r.e," remarked Jack. "He was talking with a man who, from his soiled clothes, I'd take to be an engineer, or something like that."

"Sure," laughed George, evidently pleased. "Knowing that in her present condition the _Flash_ is no match for my bully boat, he's going to see if she can't be improved somehow, so as to squeeze just a little more speed out of her. Huh! perhaps I might do something of that kind myself.

But just wait and see, fellows. If there is another race between us it's going to be for keeps."

When some time later their mail began to arrive from home it might be judged from the excitement and congratulations to be heard that favorable replies were coming in from headquarters. And that this was really the fact, the reader who has been interested in the fortunes of Jack and his chums thus far, will take for granted, when he learns that the t.i.tle of the next volume in this series, already published, and ready for his enjoyment, is: "The Motor Boat Boys on the Great Lakes; or, Young Pilots to the Rescue."

THE END.