The Blue Grass Seminary Girls' Vacation Adventures Part 32

"Yes," said one of the officers. "They are a bunch of crooks, and have kidnapped a boy."

"You don't say," exclaimed one of the fishermen. "Do you want to catch 'em?"

"Yes," said Shirley eagerly, "but how can we?"

"Well, I have a launch about a hundred yards from here," said the man.

"She is all ready to move, and can outrun anything on the creek."

As he spoke, he came ash.o.r.e and started along the bank at a run.

Shirley, Mabel, Leonard and the two officers followed close at his heels.

Another moment, and they came upon a large, powerful launch moored to a landing.

"Climb in," said the man.

The others needed no second invitation. Shirley, with the two officers, took their places in the bow of the little craft, while Mabel and Leonard were forced to remain further aft.

The fisherman pushed the launch off, and scrambled aboard. Then he turned quickly to the engine, and a faint sputtering a few moments later gave evidence that the launch was ready for the chase.

Gradually the little craft gathered headway, until she seemed to be flying through the water. Through scores of rowboats and other small boats, she wormed her way at terrific speed, and at last, far ahead, the pursuers could make out the form of a second launch, also chugging along at full speed.

"We'll get 'em," said the fisherman confidently. "The _Sybil_ can outrun anything on the creek."

"The _Sybil_, a pretty name for a launch," Shirley thought, excited as she was.

She kept her eyes ahead, and soon it became evident that the pursuers were gaining. They were now far beyond the town, and one of the officers spoke.

"To tell the truth, we really have no authority out of the city, but we'll take a hand just the same. Might makes right, you know."

"We are likely to need you," said Leonard.

Now the _Sybil_ had gained sufficiently for those aboard to make out the faces of those in the pursued craft. It was as they had expected. The occupants of the first boat were Jones, Briggs, Jimmy and another young man, whom none recognized.

"Guess that is Briggs' nephew from Cincinnati," said Leonard, remembering the conversation he had had with the woman who told him of Briggs' prisoner.

Shirley glanced at the young man in the other boat curiously.

"I seem to have seen him some place before," she said. "I can't place him, though."

Suddenly Jones was seen to rise up in the other boat, and Leonard, divining his intention, cried out in a loud voice:

"Look out! Duck!"

In spite of their surprise, all obeyed.

From the first boat there came a puff of smoke, followed by a sharp crack. Something whined over the _Sybil_.

"They are shooting at us," said Leonard calmly. "You girls keep down in the boat."

"Two can play at that game," said one of the officers.

He drew his own revolver, and brought it to bear. But before he could fire, Shirley sprang to her feet and seized his arm.

"Careful," she said, "you are likely to hit Jimmy."

The officer lowered his weapon.

At the same moment Jones fired again.

Leonard clapped his right hand to his left shoulder.

Shirley noticed this move.

"What's the matter?" she asked anxiously. "Are you hit?"

"Just a scratch, I guess," replied Leonard quietly. "We'll make them pay for that."

"We will," agreed Shirley through clenched teeth.

CHAPTER XIX.-DEFEAT.

"Look out! He's going to shoot again," cried one of the officers. "Down, quick!"

Jones was standing aft in the launch and had levelled his revolver in deliberate aim. But before he could pull the trigger, there was an unexpected move in the boat.

The third member of the party of conspirators-the young man whose face was so strangely familiar to Shirley-suddenly sprang to his feet, and before Jones could realize his intention, had wrested the revolver from his hand with a quick move. Jones turned upon him angrily, and they grappled.

For several moments they swayed unsteadily in the boat, causing it to rock violently; and then Jones, putting forth a strenuous effort, sent his opponent hurling overboard and by another and more strenuous effort, succeeded in regaining his own balance just as it seemed that he, too, must tumble into the water.

"Slow down!" cried Shirley to the fisherman. "We must pick him up."

The owner of the boat complied, and steered the craft to where the unfortunate youth's head showed above the water at that moment. Leonard stretched forth his unwounded arm, and succeeded in dragging the victim aboard, where he sank to the bottom of the boat panting.

Shirley took one look at the bedraggled youth, and then exclaimed aloud:

"d.i.c.k!"

Their erstwhile opponent looked at her in surprise. It was plain that he did not recognize her.

"Don't you know me?" asked Shirley, half laughing.

"No," returned the youth somewhat sullenly.

"Then I'll refresh your memory," said Shirley. "Do you remember a street fight in Cincinnati one night not long ago, when your own friends turned on you because you befriended a strange youth, who later turned out to be a girl?"