"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 cushions.

"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.

It is nearly lunch time, anyhow."

"Then it is time for us to be anxious about ourselves," said Bess.

"But I don't believe Mrs. Lewis will worry. You know she went away right after doing up the breakfast things. She said she was going to consult some friends, for those she saw last night could not help her, and she may not be back yet. So there's no need to hurry."

"Then I have an idea!" cried Cora. "We have our tea outfit with us, and some crackers. Why not go ash.o.r.e and have a little picnic? It will complete the nerve treatment, perhaps," and she smiled at Bess.

"Good!" cried that girl. "It will be just the thing. Are you sure you have enough crackers, Cora? If not we could stop at the store on the point and get some."

"Oh, there are more than are good for you," was the answer.

Cora changed the course of the boat to send the craft over toward a pretty little wooded cove where the girls had often gone ash.o.r.e for luncheon. They always carried in the boat an alcohol stove, with the necessary ingredients for tea.

Soon the _Chelton_ was beached at a place where the small waves would do her no damage, and the girls were preparing luncheon.

They carried their own fresh water with them, not depending on finding a spring. Condensed milk, sugar and some tins of sweet crackers completed the meal, which was served on the gra.s.s for a table, paper napkins adding to the luxury of the occasion.

The picnic place was on a spit of land that jutted out into Crystal Bay. It could be approached from either side, and on one side there was some dense shrubbery that hid the water from sight.

It was when Cora and her chums were in the midst of their impromptu luncheon that they heard a boat grate on the beach that was hidden from view by the bushes.

"Someone is coming!" exclaimed Bess.

"Maybe it's the boys," remarked Belle.

"It's about time they followed us," suggested Lottie. "They don't give us a moment's peace."

"Do you want it?" asked Cora pointedly, for Lottie had been rather taken up with Jack, of late.

"Oh, I don't know," answered the girl. "Of course the boys are nice, and----"

"'Handsome is as handsome does,'" quoted Belle. "But that doesn't happen to be the boys."

"How do you know?" asked Bess.

"I just had a glimpse of them through the bushes. It's a strange motor boat--neither the _Dixie_ nor the _La.s.sie_."

"Who is in her?" asked Cora.

"I can't make out. Listen!"

She raised her hand for silence, but there was no need. The girls ceased chatting at once, and silently followed Cora toward a hedge of underbrush, some little distance from where their luncheon was spread.

Then they heard some odd talk--at least it seemed odd until they understood the meaning of it.

"So you had a race with them?" one voice asked.

"Yes," replied another, who had just landed on the spit of the land.