R EC RE A TION. 



;6i 



so on dark and shadowy nights, like this, 

 I could throw the light directly on the 

 shore line, from whence I could measure 

 the distance, and thereby get our exact 

 bearings. 



As I saw the clouds gathering, I 

 lighted the headlight, and with a little 

 polishing it was ready for business. 



" All ready!" cried Lou and as I was 

 bending over to take the bow-line off 

 the post, I heard a whirl, a rattle and 

 thud. Looking up, I saw Bert Ham- 

 mond standing beside me with his bicy- 

 cle. He was all out of breath, but try- 

 ing to talk. 



" I was afraid I would miss you," he 

 gasped, " I did not intend to come up 

 to-night, and asked Lou to stop here and 

 tell the boys; but on my way home from 

 the store I stopped into Judge Martin's 

 office, on some business, and found 

 Johnson there swearing out a warrant to 

 search your boat and arrest you in case 

 his charges proved true. He told the 

 Judge that you had gone up the river 

 with a fish net on board, which you 

 would probably set, after dark. I fol- 

 lowed him out of the office and down 

 to the dock. The Undine had just 

 landed from a trip down the river, and 

 I heard him make a bargain with the 

 captain to start right out and overtake 

 you. By this time I felt as if I wanted 

 to be in the game, so I hurried down- 

 town and broke my engagement for the 

 evening, jumped on my wheel and started 

 in the race. I expected to get here even 

 before you did, but it grew dark and I 

 had to ride slow most of the way. 

 You had better get out of here if you 

 don't want to be searched and arrested." 



As he finished speaking Lou and I 

 laughed. I then told him about the 

 tennis net. 



"That's all right." said he, " but you 

 know Johnson has a grudge against 

 you, and he will make you go back to 

 town with him just to be mean, and 

 will tell you to tell that story to the 

 Judge." 



On second thought I saw that Bert 

 was right, and that Johnson's time "to 

 warm things up for us " had come. 



" I haven't time to thank you, now, 

 Bert," I said, " but we will take your ad- 

 vice and get out. Where are they now ?" 

 But at that moment we looked down 

 the river, and saw the red and green 

 side-lights of the Undine as she 



swung out from the behind the bend, 

 not 200 yards below, while the heavy 

 puffing of her exhaust grew louder each 

 second. 



"Well," said I. " He won't get the 

 net until I have delivered it to its owner." 

 Lou was at the engine. '' Mind your 

 bells and keep her hot !" I shouted to 

 him, as I hurriedly cast off the lines 

 and jumped aboard. 



The race which we had so long hoped 

 for had begun, and under circumstances 

 which made it doubly exciting. As 

 soon as we reached the middle of the 

 stream I gave Lou the speed bell which 

 he promptly answered by "letting her 

 have it, wide open." I turned the head- 

 light back upon our pursuers. They 

 were only about two boat lengths be- 

 hind us, and I could plainly see John- 

 son standing beside the pilot-house 

 waving his hands and yelling to us to 

 stop; but we had no such intentions. 

 The race was beginning to be exciting. 

 To run at full speed over reefs and 

 rocks, through a narrow and crooked 

 channel, on a dark night, was no easy 

 task, yet I knew that this was what 

 we must do, for the Undine had a 

 slight advantage over us, being of lighter 

 draft, and she could easily follow where 

 we led. Her captain was a good pilot, 

 and I saw that we must gain all we 

 could while in good water. 



We soon reached the foot of the reefs, 

 which were a mile in length. I looked 

 back and saw that they were still close 

 up to us. I knew Lou would not 

 slow down until I had given him the 

 bell, even though he knew we were run- 

 ning into a stone wall ; so I decided to 

 run through at full speed. With a turn 

 of the handle I threw the light on the 

 shore line and began a wrestling match 

 with the wheel. I shut my teeth hard on 

 my cigar, and tried to keep one eye on 

 the jack staff and the other on the 

 shore as I climbed the wheel — first on 

 one side then on the other. 1 knew 

 the big rocks were sliding under us 

 very fast with but a few inches to spare, 

 while on either side were larger 1 

 coming almost to the surface. It was 

 not until we had reached the deep water 

 again that I dared to look back, and 

 was somewhat relieved to find that we 

 had gained about two lengths on the 

 other boat. 1 hoped to gain two more 

 before we reached the next reef, so I 



