d it recorded in
Fred's name. Now I suspect that those two men somehow have put up a job
on Fred and that we'll lose our bond."

"'Our' bond is good," scoffed George.

"Well, whose is it?" demanded John.

"That's what we don't know, but that doesn't mean that everything we
see, which may be the property of somebody we don't know, belongs to
us."

"Well, if this Mr. Somebody owns that bond why doesn't he come and
claim it?" retorted John.

"It's my opinion that Mr. Somebody has come," said Grant dryly.

"What do you mean?" inquired George.

"I don't know that I mean anything. I'm thinking though that the man
who owns that bond, if it is good for anything, isn't going to rest
easily until he finds out where it is."

"Do you think that boatman owns it?" asked John.

"It's plain that he knows something about it," answered Grant.

Meanwhile the two girls in the party were becoming somewhat impatient.

"My, nobody knows how thirsty I am!" said Miss Susie, who had been an
interested listener and for some strange reason had not joined in the
conversation.

"Plenty of water around here," suggested John.

"I don't mean that," said the girl quickly. "I mean something cold."

"And frozen?" asked John.

"My, how quick witted you are!" laughed the girl. "That's exactly what
we want."

"I suppose we might as well give in first as last," said George in mock
despair. "If anybody knows where we can get any ice cream we'll start."

"We'll start anyway," spoke up Miss Susie. "If we start we shall find
it."

Evidently success attended the efforts to locate the ice cream parlors
for long before the return of the boys and girls to the Black Growler,
Fred and his grandfather had come back, the latter becoming more
impatient with the failure of the young people to appear.

Sam Hodge meanwhile had been busily engaged in his inspection of the
machinery of the Black Growler. When his task was completed he did not
make any remarks, but his face apparently beamed with satisfaction.

"Sam," said Fred, "what do you think our chances are against that
Varmint II?"

"'Gainst the which?" demanded Sam.

"That motor-boat that we were racing."

"I think it will depend somewhat on how fast we go," said Sam.

"What a wise man you are," laughed Fred. "I might have thought of that
myself if I had tried hard. Do you think we can beat that boat? That's
what I want to know."

"I think we can if we go faster than she does," replied S