Part 26 (1/2)
”Have you had any trace of your sister?”
”None at all,” he said despondently ”I seeainst a stone wall, and so do the lawyers and searchers I have engaged We get to a certain point, and there we stick After that, all traces of her are lost”
”Poor little sister! I wonder what she will look like, and what she will be like?”
”Then you never saw her?”
”Only when she was a baby, and I a siven up hope yet No are you all, and what has happened since I went away?”
Betty told hi the news about the new auto ice boat
”That sounds interesting,” declared Mr Blackford ”I want a ride in that”
”That's o in an airshi+p”
”So would I,” agreed Grace
But when the next day, after several false starts, and a breakdown, the irls were interested enough to come down to look at it
”All aboard!” cried Will, as quite proud of his apparatus ”Coested Betty
”Well, then, get in, fellows!”
Allen, Frank and Mr Blackford took their places, Allen to steer while Will looked after thenotched wheel at the stern revolving swiftly, Will cautiously lowered it There was a shower of icy particles as the teeth chipped into the frozen surface of the river, and then the _Spider_ slowly forged ahead, under the influence of the !” cried Grace
”And how fast!” agreed Mollie
”That's fine!” declared Betty
”I--I'ive lorious!”
”Well, if she's brave enough to risk it, I airls?”
”Wait a bit and see what happens,” suggested Mollie But nothing see to happen On up the river went the auto ice boat at ever-increasing speed
CHAPTER XIX
MAROONED
”Dare we take it out ourselves?” asked Grace