Part 29 (1/2)
”Oh, do you?” thought Cora. ”Perhaps you don't.”
”I have to laugh when I think how I took those girls in,” went on Bruce. ”I pretending that I was a stranger in these waters, and they kindly offering to pilot me. I guess they took me for some society swell of Bayhead.”
”The mean thing!” hissed Lottie.
”Well, you can do the society act when you have to,” said Kelly. ”Only I guess we won't need that now. Shane doesn't move in society circles.
How'd the game with the widow's daughter work out?”
”It didn't work at all. 'Confidence Kate' didn't gain her confidence.
That's why I'm switching to Shane,” answered Bruce. ”But we'd better be going. There's lots to be done.”
Cora and the motor girls listened in silence as the men crunched their way down the beach to their boat.
A little later they were chugging away in the speedy _Pickerel_.
”Isn't that just awful!” gasped Belle.
”It's a villainous plot!” exclaimed Bess. ”Oh, I'm so nervous! I know I'm going to cry--or laugh--or do both.”
”Bess Robinson, if you do anything foolish, or faint, you shan't do a thing toward helping to save Denny Shane!” exclaimed Cora, vigorously.
”And I know you do want to help him.”
”I certainly do. I'll behave. Oh, let me have a cup of tea.”
”I think we'll all be better for it,” a.s.sented Cora. ”Come, girls, let's eat and then we'll get back. We, too, have a great deal to do.”
”Do you mean that you girls are going to try to----to outwit those desperate men?” asked Marita, her eyes opened wide.
”We certainly do mean to!” insisted Cora. ”Who else would do it?”
”Why, the police.”
”There are only constables in a place like this. We can do better than they--especially with the boys to help.”
”Oh, of course, the boys!” agreed Marita, and she seemed relieved.
”I must say it was most providential that we heard what they said,”
spoke Lottie, looking to see if there were any gra.s.s stains on her dress.
”Indeed it was,” a.s.sented Cora.
It was rather an excited little luncheon, but the hot tea did them all good, and then, rapidly talking over what they had just gone through, and making all sorts of plans to outwit the schemers, the girls got into their boat again, and headed for the bungalow.
”Of course we must warn Denny at once,” said Cora, and to this the girls agreed. ”Then we'll tell the boys, and see what they suggest.
But I almost know what Jack will say!”
”What?” asked Lottie. She was very much interested in Jack.
”Oh, he'll want to hide and capture the villains 'red-handed,' as he calls it.”