CHAPTER XVIII
THE COLONEL IS ANGRY
“What do you mean by such conduct, you young rascals?” thundered Colonel Ellison, wrathfully.
Bill Stiles had manœuvred in such a manner that the “Dart” now rested between the “Reindeer” and house-boat.
“Well,” answered Bill, calmly, “those Thornton chaps have been too fresh lately, and we’re just showing them for about the hundredth time that it doesn’t pay to buck up against Ripley.”
“Oh, you are, eh?” sneered Lon Bates. “If it hadn’t been for this gentleman and his choofer, I wouldn’t have given you an inch.”
“Of course not,” chimed in Ralph Chickers, no less disgusted than his chief.
“That will do from you, ‘Chickens,’” observed Bill Stiles.
Colonel Ellison moved uneasily in his seat.
“I shall report your utterly reckless anddisgraceful conduct to the school authorities,” he went on. “You narrowly escaped upsetting us. Such a lot of children should never be entrusted with a motor boat.”
“Quite correct, sir,” said Lon Bates.
“And I demand that you immediately stand out of our way, as I wish to be put aboard that house-boat. Redfern,” he shouted, “is my nephew there?”
“No, Colonel Ellison, he is not.”
“I intend to see for myself.”
“You are quite welcome to do so.”
“Get out of our way, Bill Stiles,” commanded Lon Bates. “You heard what this gentleman said.”
“My ears are good, Bates. Colonel, we shall run up alongside; and if you will kindly step into our boat, you shall be transferred in something less than a minute.”
“Not on your life!” cried Bates, indignantly.
“The idea,” said Tom Allen.
“Stop your wrangling, boys,” exclaimed the exasperated Colonel. “I can’t stay out here all night.”
Norman Redfern interposed.
“See here, fellows,” he said, addressing theRipleys, “I’m a graduate of Ripley. I ask that you withdraw, as a favor to me.”
This remark caused an immense sensation.
Owen Andrews picked up the tin horn, and blew another tremendous blast, and a salvo of cheers arose on the air.
“That’s the way we always salute our graduates,” said Bill Stiles, when the frantic din had subsided.
“Being skipper of a log hut is doing pretty well for a graduate of Ripley,” said Bates.
This remark caused a hearty burst of laughter, in which Redfern joined.
“Ma foi—he speaks well,” exclaimed Pierre. “But, oh, how much of it we hear. Is it all night that we have ze grand talk?”
“Apparently so,” said Colonel Ellison, with a faint touch of amusement in his voice.
“Ripley has won another victory,” remarked Bill Stiles, “and is satisfied. We are the ultra-personification of grandiloquent magnanimity.”
A faint “oh” came from Pierre; then silence fell upon the scene, only to be broken a moment later by the sound of the “Dart’s” engine.
“Look alive, Bill on the house-boat,” went on Stiles, addressing Jack Lyons. “Catch this line.”
He threw it; then stopped his motor, and, with considerable skill, navigated the “Dart” so that she swung easily up to the “Gray Gull.”
Jack Lyons and Joe Preston uttered exclamations as Bob Somers, who had been seated far back, rose to his feet.
“Where in the dickens did all you fellows come from, old boy?” began Jack.
Bob gave a warning gesture.
“I’ll tell you in a few minutes. Much obliged, you Ripley chaps. We’ve had a lively race.”
“Why, where in the world is George? And where’s Aleck?” burst out Joe.
“Sh-h-h! Wait a minute,” whispered Bob, who had now jumped aboard the house-boat. “Can’t talk for a minute—here comes his guardian.”
The “Reindeer” presently landed its distinguished passenger. Colonel Ellison stepped forward and favored the former tutor with a tremendous frown.
“Redfern,” he said, sternly, “what is themeaning of this? What business had you to run away?”
“He didn’t,” interposed Jack Lyons, calmly.
“Explain yourself, young man.”
“Well, it was this way,” said Jack. “Won’t you have a seat, sir?”
“No!” said Colonel Ellison, sharply.
“I took the ‘Gray Gull’ out myself.”
“Thought the river was free; the air is,” said Joe, cheerfully.
“You attempted to run away. Answer me—did you not expect to pick up my ward and have him continue with you, in spite of my express wish to the contrary?”
“No, sir—not exactly.”
“What do you mean?”
“Let me explain, Colonel,” interposed Redfern, with a slight flush.
“I’m talking to this young man.”
“Well, sir,” said Jack, calmly, “the honest fact is I wanted to see George before he ran into you; and——”
“What?” cried Colonel Ellison.
“And I knew that if he saw the ‘Gray Gull’ out on the river he’d suspect something and keep out of sight. You see——”
“I never listened to such impudence in my life,” stormed the angry Colonel. “You heard that, Norman Redfern?”
“Oh, my, oh, my!” gulped Joe.
“Sh-sh,” said Fred; “be more polite.”
“You haven’t heard quite all, Colonel,” interrupted Redfern.
“Oh, there is more to come, eh?”
“Yes, sir,” went on Jack, calmly facing the angry gentleman.
“Tickets to the show, ten cents,” came from the irrepressible Bates; “three for a quarter. Children admitted free.”
“It’s an honest fact—we were going to try and make George return home; but we thought he ought to have a chance, and not be dragged back for that silly chauffeur to have the laugh on him.”
“George is a high-spirited boy,” said Redfern; “but we hoped to appeal to his reason.”
“And head off a fierce row,” added Bates. “Say, what wouldn’t have happened in the word-throwing line?”
“So you have constituted yourselves into a committee, as it were, to decide questions between myself and my ward? Very well,Redfern; I wish you to understand one thing—let my ward alone, or I shall place the matter in the hands of the authorities.”
Turning abruptly, Colonel Ellison hailed the Thornton students.
“Young gentlemen,” he said, “will you kindly put me ashore?”
“Certainly,” answered Lon Bates. “Start the engine, ‘Chickens,’—only about five thumps. That will do. Hang on to the post there, until the gentleman gets in.”
When Colonel Ellison was seated safely, he turned toward the boys from Ripley.
“Young men,” he said, “your conduct will be reported to the proper authorities.”
But when, a moment later, the “Reindeer” was set in motion, the “Dart” immediately followed.
A chorus of cheery “good-nights” floated over the air, and the house-boat was again alone.
“Talk about a racket,” laughed Jack, as they watched the rapidly receding boats. “It was pretty lively, eh? Now, Bob Somers, what’s all this mystery? Where are Aleck and George?”
Bob Somers’ story produced a great sensation.
Jack whistled and thrust his hands deep in his pockets, and whistled again, while Joe burst out laughing.
Redfern looked very grave indeed.
“Things are getting worse and worse,” he said. “Bob, don’t you think you should have told all this to Colonel Ellison?”
“I didn’t care to act in too great a rush,” answered Bob, calmly. “It’s easy to see that George’s guardian is in a very unreasonable frame of mind.”
“We can’t figure out what he is going to do,” returned Redfern. “He may continue; or go back; or notify the authorities. It is only right that we should make an effort to let him know the facts at once.”
“Small chance to catch him, unless he lands at the nearest point,” observed Dave.
“Maybe the painful way in which the automobile disappeared will take the pair kiting back to the spot where it was last seen,” said Joe, with a tremendous grin.
“We’ll head for that section of the earth,” said Jack.
Under full power, the “Gray Gull” was soon forging ahead. The changing position of the tiny specks of light in the distance indicated that the motor boats were still in motion, but their course did not seem to be toward the shore.
“Say, Jack,” remarked Fred, solemnly, a few moments later, “if you were so anxious George shouldn’t run into his guardian, why didn’t one of you wait somewhere on the road for him, or in the woods?”
“Couldn’t tell from what direction George might come. Besides, we thought the Colonel wouldn’t hang around any longer if the house-boat pulled out.”
“Big surprise when those two launches began scooting after us,” chimed in Joe.
Dave raised the telescope and swept the surface of the river.
“Still on the move, and going right up stream,” he declared.
“Are you sure?” asked Redfern, with a frown.
“Yes; no doubt of it. Take a look if you like.”
“Never mind; I’ll accept your statement as a fact. But we’d better continue the chase until we can no longer trace their movements.”