Part 27 (1/2)
”Oh, yes indeed. I'm satisfied!” he exclaimed in generous tones. ”But is the dangerous place you spoke of near here?”
”Right ahead,” answered Cora, pointing to where the water was swirling in over some partly-hidden rocks. ”Keep well out, and when you round the point you'll be at Bayhead.”
”I'm greatly obliged to you,” was his reply. But Cora did not look at him, nor return his bow. She swung her boat around and started back for the bungalow. The young man, with a curious glance at her, bent over his motor to make some adjustment. In another instant his craft shot ahead, seemingly at greater speed than it had made at any time during the race.
”I don't think much of him,” observed Lottie, as she took a more comfortable position on the cus.h.i.+ons.
”Why not?” Belle asked.
”Because he didn't even invite us to a tennis game, to say nothing of ice cream sodas, and there's a place in Bayhead where they have the most delicious chocolate!”
”Lottie!” gasped Marita. ”Would you have gone with him?”
”Oh, well,” with a shrug of her shoulders, ”I don't know as I would, only--he might have asked us.”
”No, he wouldn't,” said Cora, and the manner in which she spoke caused her chums to look curiously at her.
”What makes you think so?” inquired Bess, merely for the sake of argument. She had stopped eating sweets--for the time being.
”Because he had a special object in view in asking us to race, and once that was accomplished he had no further use for us.”
”Why, Cora Kimball!” cried Belle. ”What makes you say that?”
”Because I think it. You didn't see all that I did.”
”What did you see?” asked Bess, eagerly. ”Did he have some sort of weapon? Or do you think he tried to get us over this way, hoping we would be wrecked on the rocks? Maybe he was a wrecker, Cora. I've heard that there are some of those terrible people in this section.”
”Nonsense!” exclaimed Cora. ”I only mean that his boat is a very powerful one. He did not 'let her out,' as Jack says, to the limit. He could easily have beaten us if he had wanted to.”
”The idea!” cried Belle. ”I don't like that kind of young man.”
”Nor I,” agreed Cora. ”Not because he refused to win when he could, but because of what may be his object. That he had one I'm certain.”
The girls turned to look at the other motor boat. It was rounding the point to Bayhead now, and seemed to be going at remarkable speed.
”How fast it goes!” exclaimed Lottie.
”Yes, much faster than the _Chelton_,” responded Cora. ”I told you he was holding back.”
”What could have been his object?” asked Belle.
And that was a question all the girls asked themselves.
”Well, my nerves are better, anyhow,” observed Bess, as she threw back the cl.u.s.tering hair from her face so that the wind might caress her cheeks, now flushed with excitement.
”That's good,” spoke Cora.
”The antidote of the race and the excitement of the mystery, as to why the nice young man didn't want to win, are guaranteed to cure nerves or money refunded,” said Lottie with a laugh. ”Where are you going, Cora?”
”Back to the bungalow, of course. Mrs. Lewis may be anxious about us.