“Duck!” cried Arnold.

But Toby had already dropped to the hatching, and Arnold, releasing his grasp of the smaller launch, tumbled down beside him. Another shot rang out and somewhere overhead a second bullet sped whistling past.

“Can you start her without showing your head?” gasped Toby.

“Yes!”

“Then do it, and I’ll take the side wheel. Look out for this line when she tightens. Let her go!”

Kneeling, his head still below the sides, Arnold grasped the lever and pulled it back, and the Frolic jumped away. Toby, crouched by the side wheel, frantically lashed the free end of the painter about the steering post.

Bang!

There was a sound of splintering wood, and then shouts from the shore.

“Hit us somewhere!” panted Toby, tugging at the small wheel in his effort to swing the Frolic around. “Better lie flat, Arn!”

“Lie flat yourself, you silly fool! They’ll get you if you sit up like that!”

Toby crouched lower. “This line’s choked around the wheel and I can hardly turn her,” he panted. “Is she coming, do you think?”

“Isn’t your line taut?”

“Yes, but——”

Two more shots sounded above the noise of the engine. A bullet went harmlessly over the launch and another struck the hull somewhere with a thud. By this time the Frolic was doing her best and after a moment Toby sent a cautious glance behind. Even if the thieves had more cartridges, and Toby didn’t think they had, the distance was now too great for them. Behind the Frolic came the captured launch.

“All right, Arn!” called Toby. “They couldn’t get us now with a siege gun! Take that wheel there while I change this line to the stern, will you?”

Arnold stood up, surveyed the receding beach and laughed gleefully as he took the wheel.

“I guess we’re bad, Toby!” he exulted. “Talk about your revenue officers! What’s the matter with us, eh?”

Toby, fixing the towing line at the stern, laughed. “We’re a couple of marvelous bluffers, Arn! Say, wouldn’t those chaps be peeved if they ever found out they’d been fooled by a couple of kids?”

“Wouldn’t they? Say, I hope they do find it out some way. Do you know what I think, Toby? I think they thought we were just going to search their launch and leave her! And when they saw us putting the line on her they tumbled and got busy with that revolver. Well, we fooled them good and plenty!”

“That’s what! Say, what time is it? It must be near midnight.”

“Midnight! It’s only 9.27,” answered the other, holding his watch to the starboard lantern. “But doesn’t it seem later?”

“I should say so! Then if everything goes all right we ought to be home by ten-thirty. We’ll just hand this launch over to the Trainors and let them see what’s in her.”

“You mean the houseboat folks? Well, but they don’t get the launch, do they?”

“Not so you’d notice it,” answered Toby. “We’ll call around tomorrow and get it. And then we’ll see if anybody’s lost one. If they haven’t, we’ll sell her, eh?”

“Or keep her ourselves. She looks pretty good, doesn’t she?” Arnold peered back at the following launch. “Wonder what her name is?”

“Maybe it’s painted out. She’s a jim-dandy little launch, all right, and that makes me think those fellows stole her. Look at the lines of her. She can’t be much over four feet wide. If she only had some gas in her tank we could get home a lot quicker, because one of us could get in and run her.”

“It would be you, then,” replied Arnold promptly. “Is she holding us back much?”

“I guess we’re doing about nine. That’s fast enough. Only dad will give me the dickens when I get home!”

“He won’t when you tell him what you’ve been doing,” said the other encouragingly.

“Won’t he?” Toby asked grimly. “You don’t know my dad!”

The journey back was uneventful, which was just as well, since the two boys were surfeited with adventure for once, and a little bit tired as well. Sleepy they were not, and Arnold declared that he didn’t believe he would ever get to sleep before morning. But by the time Nobbs Island Light was showing well the conversation had begun to dwindle and Toby was yawning frankly.

Ten o’clock struck over in Johnstown long before the Head was reached, and it was fully a quarter past before the Frolic pointed her bow around the point and chugged past Arnold’s residence on her way up the shore. “Give them your whistle,” said Toby as they ran cautiously toward the darkened houseboat. Arnold obeyed and the echoes threw back the alarming screech. “Once more,” Toby called, and again the shrill sound went forth. Then a dim light showed aboard the shadowy hulk and, as the Frolic slowed down, a voice hailed them.

“What do you want?” inquired a sleepy voice.

“We’ve got your things,” answered Arnold.

“Got what? Oh! Well, all right! Come on!” Voices sounded aboard, a light glimmered from a window, a lantern appeared on deck, and the houseboat awoke to activity as the launch sidled up to her. Two men, hastily attired, deluged the boys with questions.

“We caught them over near North Sea Harbor. They ran out of gas. We made them leave the launch and I guess everything’s in there. We’ll pull her up and you can have a look. If you don’t mind, we’ll leave her here until morning. Did they steal much?”

“Not a great deal; just some blankets and a lot of provisions,” answered one of the men as Toby pulled the smaller launch up and handed the painter over. “At least, that’s all we’ve missed. We were on shore and got back before they’d had much of a chance, I suppose. My brother fired three shots at them, but it was too dark to see much.”

“Just blankets and grub!” said Arnold disappointedly. “Gee, I thought they’d got away with your solid silver and jewels! Well, anyway, I guess you’ll find the stuff there all right. We’ll call for the launch in the morning.”

“We’re very much obliged to you,” replied one of the men, raising the lantern and peering at the boys. “Who was with you?”

“With us? No one.”

“What! You mean that you two kids chased those chaps and made them give up the whole shooting match? Why, there were four or five of them, weren’t they?”

“Three,” answered Toby, with a yawn. “They couldn’t see how many we had. Arn bluffed them finely.”

“Well, what do you know about that?” gasped the other man. “Say, you chaps are wonders! What are your names?”

Arnold told him, and just then a woman’s voice spoke from behind a darkened window. “Jim, dear, ask them if they wouldn’t like a cup of coffee or something. They must be tired out.”

“No, ma’am; thanks,” replied Arnold. “We’re all right. Only sleepy. If you’ll look after their launch until morning——”

“We will. And, I say, how about—er——”

“Of course, Jack!” chimed in the woman. “They ought to have something. I’ll find my purse.”

“No, thanks,” said Arnold, hurriedly. “We don’t want anything. We just did it for the fun of it. And—and we’ve got the launch, anyway. Toby thinks they stole it, and maybe the owner’s offered a reward. I’m glad we got your things back, ma’am.”

“It was awfully brave of you. And I do think we ought to give you something besides just our thanks. Why, they might have hurt you!”

“Yes’m,” said Toby. “They did try to. They fired at us, but they didn’t hit anything but the launch. Come on, Arn.”

“Well, all right, fellows,” said the man called Jack. “It’s up to you. We’d be glad enough to slip you a fiver. If you won’t take that, why, you won’t. We’ll keep the launch safe for you. Much obliged to you both. See you in the morning. Good-night.”

“Good-night,” replied Arnold, and “G’night,” muttered Toby, and the Frolic backed off and headed across the bay.

“Blankets and grub!” said Arnold disappointedly when they were out of hearing. “Isn’t that the limit? No wonder those fellows were so willing to give them up!”

“Where we fooled them,” said Toby, “was in taking their boat. Look here, Arn, supposing that launch is really theirs?”

“But you said you thought they’d——”

“Yes, and maybe they did. But supposing they didn’t? Then what?”

“Then,” answered the other after a moment’s consideration, “they’ll have to come and get it!”

“They’d be likely to!” jeered Toby. “I don’t see but what we may be thieves ourselves!”

“Well, that isn’t bothering me much,” answered Arnold. “What is bothering me is that I’ve got to come all the way back from town alone.”

“If you like you can leave the Frolic at the landing and I’ll take you back in the Turnover.”

“No, I guess not. After chasing robbers and being fired at, I suppose I ought to have nerve enough to run a launch! Much obliged, just the same.”

An hour later two very tired boys were fast asleep, and, although nearly three miles apart, their dreams were strangely similar!

The next morning they were at the houseboat bright and early. In fact, the owners were still at breakfast on deck when the Turnover ranged alongside.

Seen by daylight, the Trainors—Mr. and Mrs. Trainor and Brother Jim—were very nice, jolly-looking folks, and very hospitable folks, too, for they insisted on the boys joining them at breakfast, and wouldn’t take “No” for an answer. And so, although they didn’t actually sit at the table, which was a modest if well-laden affair, they did partake of strawberries and cream and some delicious hot rolls and some equally delicious coffee. And while they ate, Arnold, occasionally prompted by Toby, gave a detailed account of the pursuit and bloodless defeat of the thieves. Mrs. Trainor, who was small and pretty, applauded delightedly and quite forgot her breakfast, while her husband gravely arose and shook Arnold and Toby by the hands.

“Boys,” he said. “You’re a brace of heroes! I take off my hat to you! Or I will when I get it on!”

Brother Jim echoed the sentiments, even if he didn’t stop eating for a moment.

“And you chaps have got a real prize in that launch, too,” said Mr. Trainor, reseating himself at the little table. “She’s a wonder. I’ll give you five hundred for her any time you say the word.”

Toby and Arnold stared at each other in amazed silence. Finally: “Five hundred!” stammered Toby. “You’re fooling, I guess!”

“You take a look at her,” replied the man, nodding his head toward the shoreward side of the houseboat. “We tied her around there for safekeeping. She’s somebody’s darling, that’s what she is!”

The boys set down their plates and hurried around the deck. There, nestling against the rail of the houseboat, was as trim and pretty a speed launch as either had ever seen. Mr. Trainor, who had followed them, smiled at their amazement. “I suppose you couldn’t see much of her last night,” he said. “Look at that engine, will you? A six-cylinder Thurston and as light as a feather! If that launch can’t do her twenty-two or -three miles I’m a goat! See the way she’s cut down aft, eh? Some lines, boys! And just cast your eyes over her fittings, will you? Everything A-1, and just about as complete as they make them. Why, some one paid a good round thousand for that little sixteen feet of boat! She’s dirty and her brass is tarnished, and some idiot has daubed a coat of gray paint over a dandy mahogany hull, but she’s a peach, just the same, and it’s dollars to doughnuts that those thieving rascals never owned her in their lives. They swiped her somewhere around here, I’ll bet, and I guess you’ve only to read the papers to find her owner. When you do find him, fellows, you make him hand over some real money.”

“Gee, she’s sweet, ain’t she?” murmured Toby.

“A beauty!” agreed Arnold, in awe.

“I guess some one will claim her, all right,” mourned Toby.

And Mr. Trainor laughed.

“That’s the way I felt when I saw her, son. I wanted awfully to hide her some place where you couldn’t find her! If you shouldn’t hear from the owner, and you want to sell her, why, my offer stands for all time.”

“If she was really mine,” said Toby, simply, “I wouldn’t sell her for anything, Mr. Trainor!”

“Tucker, you have the soul of an artist!” replied the man, patting him on the shoulder. “Those are my sentiments exactly.”

“She—she’d be pretty unsteady, though, wouldn’t she?” asked Arnold. “She isn’t very wide across.”

“Well, she isn’t meant for rough seas, Deering. She’s a racer, pure and simple, and I’ll wager anything she’s won more than once. Still, maybe not, for she can’t have been built more than a year. Everything looks too new. Question now is, what are you going to do with her, boys? If we had some gasoline we might try her out.”

But Toby shook his head. “I’d rather not do that, sir. I—I’d be afraid I wouldn’t ever want to give her up again!”

“By Jove, I believe you’re right! You’d better tow her home with you. If you leave her around here I might steal her. She’d be a constant temptation to dishonesty! Take her away! Take her away!”

Mr. Trainor gestured dramatically.

“I’ll pull her around and get the line to the launch,” said Toby soberly. “Wasn’t it a shame to smear that old gray paint on her, sir? Will it ever come off again all right?”

“Oh, yes, a painter can take that off. She’d have to be revarnished, of course. I tried to see her name under the paint, but couldn’t.”

Presently the boys said good-by to their hosts, receiving three very hearty invitations to come again, and, with the stolen launch swaying gracefully behind the Turnover, set off for Greenhaven.