Part 2 (2/2)
”Do you know who it was ran into you?”
”It was the _Falcon_, a yacht owned by a Mr. Fenwick. His son and a man he called Bill Goss were aboard.”
At this Martin Harris drew down his mouth. ”A bad set, those. I know 'em well.”
”And we know, Fenwick, too,” put in d.i.c.k, ”He's a regular sneak.”
”That's right--takes after his father, who did his best to defraud me in a boat deal. And that Bill Goss is a sneak, too, and worse,” and Martin Harris shook his head decidedly.
”Well, we can't talk about those people now,” said d.i.c.k. ”We're in a mess and must get out of it the best way we can. As you are an old boatman, what would you advise us to do?”
”Come ash.o.r.e with me and then get Dan Haskett to take your boat in charge and fix her up. He can stop that leak somehow and pump her out and have her all right inside of twenty-four hours.”
”Where can we find this Haskett?”
”Come into my boat and I'll take you to him.”
The rowboat was now close at hand, and one after another the Rover boys stowed themselves away in the craft. Then Martin Harris took up the oars and started for the river bank. He turned down the stream a bit and landed them at an old dock over which hung the sign: ”Daniel Haskett, Boat Builder and Repairer jobs Promptly Attended to--Charges Small.”
Dan Haskett proved to be an elderly man, who was somewhat deaf, and it took the boys some time to make him understand the situation.
”We've had a smash-up,” began d.i.c.k.
”Cash up?” said the deaf man. ”Cash up for what?”
”We've had a smash-up!” repeated the boy in a louder tone. ”We want our boat mended.”
”What's ended?” asked the boat builder. ”Your boat?”
”Almost ended,” roared Tom. ”We--want--you--to--fix--up--our--boat,”
he yelled.
”Oh, all right. Where is she?”
d.i.c.k pointed with his finger, and at once the boat builder understood. ”There's a hole in her side,” bawled the boy. ”We want it patched up.”
”All right; I can do that.”
”Can we have her by tomorrow?”
”How's that?” And Dan Haskett placed his hand to his ear.
”Can--we--have--her--by--tomorrow?” yelled d.i.c.k.
”I guess so. I'll have to see how badly she is damaged first.”
Haskett got out a small boat of his own and, taking d.i.c.k with him, rowed over to the wreck. He p.r.o.nounced the injury small and said the boys could have their boat by noon the next day. The charges would be twelve or fifteen dollars.
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