That was the only near approach to a collision, though the river was unusually crowded that morning. In a little while, however, the water traffic thinned out, and Cora did not have to devote so much attention to the wheel.

"Say, isn't it time for lunch now?" demanded Walter, insinuatingly.

"It's only eleven," announced Belle, with a look at her wrist watch.

"That's his regular feeding time-at least he'll say so," put in Jack, before his chum had a chance to answer.

"I had an early breakfast," put in Walter in extenuation.

"Oh, well, give the child something," laughed Bess, "and let us have peace!"

Sandwiches, cake and other things were brought out, set on a table which unfolded from the side of the boat, and the merry chatter was soon interspersed with periods of silence to allow a chance to eat.

"We'll get there in good season," Cora was saying, when the engine gave a sudden combined cough, wheeze and sneeze, and stopped.

"No gasoline!" cried Walter.

"Indeed not!" answered Cora. "Both tanks are full."

"Ground wire broken," suggested Paul.

A hasty look at the conductors proved this theory to be wrong.

"Then it's the carburetor," Jack affirmed. "The worst possible place for trouble. I'll look after it, Sis. I've had the dingus apart, and if anybody knows about its insides I do. Throw that anchor overboard, Wally, and I'll tinker with the troublemaker."

A small anchor splashed into the river, while Jack, putting on an old jumper and overalls, kept for such emergencies, took off the carburetor and proceeded to examine it, from cork float to b.u.t.terfly valve.

"Must be poor gasoline they're serving us lately," he said. "It's awfully dirty. Look!" and he held up his grimy hands.

"Have you found the trouble?" Cora asked.

"Yes, it was the air intake valve. Little speck of carbon in it prevented the proper mixture. I'll have it fixed in a jiffy."

Jack proved the truth of his a.s.sertion by replacing the carburetor, and, a little later, by starting the engine without any trouble.

"Hurrah!" cried Paul. "That's what it is to have a good mechanician aboard."

"It's a wonder you wouldn't qualify yourself," said Jack grimly. "Look at me! I'll have to take a bath!" and he held up his hands, grimier than ever.

"There's some of that mechanic's soap-with pumice stone in it-in one of the lockers," volunteered Cora. "Use that, Jack."

The anchor was hauled in and the _Corbelbes_ started up the river once more. Jack knelt down on one side of the stern deck, and, reaching down into the river, wet his hands, rubbing on them some pasty soap, guaranteed to remove grime of all kinds and leave most of the original skin.

"Where's the camera?" asked Bess.

"What for?" demanded her sister.

"I want a view of Jack at his bath. Doesn't he look cute?"

"Wait until I pose for you," Jack suggested, making a lather of the soap. "I'm a dandy when it comes to poses. Just watch me."

He stood up on the after deck, but his foot slipped on a bit of the lather that dropped from his hands, and, a moment later, Jack plunged overboard.

CHAPTER VIII-THE STORM

"Oh, Jack!" cried Cora, as she had a hasty glimpse of her brother making a rather ungraceful dive over the side of the _Corbelbes_. "Oh!"

Her words were echoed by Bess and Belle, and while they started up, overturning the chairs on which they had been sitting, Cora, alive to the emergency, quickly threw in the reverse clutch, and a smother of foam arose under the stern of the boat as it lost way.

Nor had Walter and Paul been idle. The former seized a canvas covered cork life ring, and, waiting a moment to catch a glimpse of the bobbing head of his chum, threw the ring to him, with a cry of:

"There you are, Jack!"

"I'll go after him in the boat!" called Hazel's brother, for a small dingey was riding astern of the larger boat, and Paul now hauled this toward the side.

There was no need for any one else to go overboard, for Jack, as his boy and girl chums well knew, could swim excellently, and he had fallen in with only overalls and jumper on, which made raiment almost as light as a bathing suit. True, he had on his shoes, but in several tests at summer camp Jack had swum across a lake with all his heavy clothes on.

Still Paul was not sure but what his chum might have struck his head going overboard, and in this case it would be advisable to have the little boat ready.

"There he is-he's all right," cried Walter, as he saw Jack striking out for the motor boat, ignoring the life ring.

"Get it, Jack! Get it!" cried Cora, indicating the white, floating object.

"Don't need it!" Jack sung out, cheerfully enough. "What do you think I am, an invalid?"

However, he was glad enough to crawl into the smaller boat, which Paul sent over toward him, for Jack found his shoes heavy, and the side of the _Corbelbes_ was high out of water, making it difficult for one to reach the gunwale.

"All right?" asked Cora, as Jack sat dripping on the stern seat.

"Sure I'm all right. I was going in for a swim anyhow, and this saved me the trouble."

"Well, come on board and we'll start again," Cora said. "Pick up the ring, Paul. I don't want to lose it!"

"Aye, aye, my captainess!" and he saluted with an oar.

"How did it happen, Jack?" asked Walter, when his chum, dripping, was safe on board again.

"Somebody pushed me! I think it was Hazel," and he winked at the others while he gazed as severely as possible (which was not greatly) at the blushing girl.

"Oh, Mr. Kimball! I-I did not!" cried Hazel.

"My goodness, how very formal! _Mr._ Kimball!" mocked Bess. "Since when, Hazel?"

"Since he accused me that way."