The River Motor Boat Boys on the St. Lawrence

aught prowling around the stem of the boat?" ask

by trotting up to the prow and s

ink he wanted here,

o see if we were ready to start

ave struck a storm center of some kind,

Clay laughed, "for you get lost

self!" answered Alex,

ed for sleep. The bunks were let down in the cabin, the prow light was switched off, a

ly before midnight, Clay once more heard the sweep o

e gale from the gulf. Only the flame was to be seen. There was neither habitation nor huma

's boat, four-oared and sturdy, passed for an instant u

e occupants if they had not been turned away. For a moment he had feared that it was the intention o

hed on the prow light and turned to the cabin to awaken his chu

t been there a moment before, so the boy naturally concluded that it had been thrown from th

your business, if you have any. Life is sweet to the young

d into the cabin with

first sleeping figure he came upon, "R. F. D. postman

wondering boys, sitting wide-eyed on th

out it?"

in, "that we're going to be arreste

is letter wasn't intende

give up following the orders given in the fir

an't win me on any sawed-off myste

the events of the night. While they talked, the clouds drifted away, and the whole surface of the river was flooded with mo

eliberative circle in the cabin, raced out to the deck. The boys heard

en to the deck to escape being tumbled down by the dog. They gathered about waiting for him to speak-waiting for some explanation of his sudden

y parcel post? We've been getting letters

e in a parachute," Jule suggested.

ed from face to face for a moment, smiling at each in turn, and the

k. His clothing was rough and not too clean. His manner

ed Alex. "Do you think t

er and her boy crew in the Quebec newspapers. When I saw the boat here to-night, I ran a

your nerve!"

. "We've had a stranger with us on e

y the arm and walked wi

low may be all right, but I do

're getting so you talk too much slang. Anyway, you should

hing dishes," Alex grunted. "But what are

boys in the cabin and

arance of this lad is in some way connec

ind out about h

ichel, and that he lives a

im away to-night, so we'll give him a

t this boy Max could tell us something

of attention to what is going on in the cabin just no

in together, closely followed by Captain Joe, who seeme

u leave St. Luce?" a

ere the current is not so strong and then drifted down to the motor bo

ad, wrinkled a freckled nose at Clay and said by his exp

e point below St. Luce not

shook

said. "Wreckers and fishermen build them f

eft St. Luce not long ago?" Clay asked

any such boat,

finally said, "and we'll tell you in

leep. Then the boys went out to the deck again and sat in the

hed and talked, the shrill challenge of a locomotive came t

the boys had sought their bunks, a heavy curtain had been drawn across the glass panel of the

of the cabin. Against the back wall, stood a square wooden table, and upon this table stood a

was easily released. The boy opened it, drew the swinging sas

efully about his feet feeling for a closed hatch. He found it at last and, lifting it,

his motions were not being observed, he drew a pair of wire clippers from a pocket and cut the supply wire. Only for the fact that the lights on the boat were

in the canoe, he laid the paddle within easy reach and propelled the boat along the hull of the Rambler, toward the prow with his hands. On

n was in the south and a heavy shadow lay over the water on the north side, so the

another instant they would have entered and noted the absence of their gue

t. There's the letter from the canoe, and the warning from the boat, and the boy dropping out of the darkness on deck, and

oe up to it. Cutting the cable, strand by strand, so as to cause no jar or sudden lurching of the boat, he left it slashed n

feet, then they knew from the shifting lights in the village that they were driftin

cut. Clay made a quick examination of the motors and saw that the electrical connection had b