until we meet up again at
Station Four."

"Good luck to you!" cried Jack, waving his hand after the speed boys,
one of whom looked anything but happy as he sat there with the life
preserver belted on, and his fat hand clutching the brass after rail.

Presently Jack also considered that the pace was altogether too slow
for him, much as it pleased Josh and Herb. Far ahead they could see
the _Wireless_ looking like a speck on the tumbling waters.

"Good-bye, fellows!" Jack called out as he too increased his speed, and
began to draw ahead of the big launch.

"Off, too, are you?" laughed the easy going Herb. "Well, wait up for
us below. And I say, Jack, if you get the chance, you might grab that
nice fat reward that's out for the apprehension of the robbers. Five
thousand ain't to be picked up every day, I'm telling you. And what
with your great luck I believe it wouldn't be hard for the two of you
to do it. Good-bye! Good luck!"

An hour later and those aboard the _Tramp_ could just barely make out
the last boat in the race. The _Wireless_ had long since vanished from
view in the hazy distance down-river way.

"What are you thinking about, Jimmie?" asked Jack, as he saw his
boatmate sitting there with a queer look on his freckled face.

Jimmie grinned, as though tickled with what was passing through his
mind.

"Sure, I do be pityin' that poor Buster," he observed. "Did ye not
hear him tellin' how he longed so much to be havin' thim ilegant wings
of his durin' the six hours George was tinkerin' wid the ingine? It
was the chanct of his loife, so it was; and he says he would have been
sportin' in the wather all the toime, learnin' to shwim loike a duck,
by the same token. I've been wonderin' what he did wid the same, and
I've come to the conclusion that he swallowed thim wings!"

"Oh! that's too much for me to believe, Jimmie," laughed his companion.
"Whatever put such an idea into your head?"

"Becase he ates iverything he says. Josh is right whin he calls him a
human billy goat, so he is. I wouldn't put it past him, now," and
Jimmie shook his head in an obstinate manlier, as if to show he could
not be persuaded differently; so Jack did not waste time trying.

As before, the day wore on, and with the coming of the hour which was
to mark the close of the run they began to carefully watch the bank as
they flew along, in the hope of discovering a friendly haven of refuge.

These things may seem a bit