The Hilltop Boys on the River | Page 2

term was over, but Dr. Theopilus Wise, the principal of the
Academy, had arranged to continue it for a portion of the summer, not
in the Academy, but in a camp on the river where the boys would have
plenty of open air, exercise, relaxation, and all the fun they wanted,
besides doing a certain amount of school work to keep them from
getting rusty as they expressed it.
The summer school was to begin its session in a short time, and,
meanwhile, Jack remained at the Academy instead of going home,
some distance away in another county, giving his attention to certain
matters in which he was interested.
He had done work for the editor of a weekly paper of a town on the
river, the nearest large town to the Academy and was well known in the
place besides, having many acquaintances there among business
people.
Being fond of the water, and knowing that many of the boys would
have boats of one kind or another, but mostly motors, Jack had already
looked about him, and had already not only formed his plans, but had
put some of them in operation.
Leaving Percival, who was his principal chum among the Hilltop boys,
Jack went on his wheel to Riverton, the town nearest to the Academy,
and called in at the office of the News where he found the editor, Mr.
Brooke, pecking away at a typewriter in his sanctum, using two fat
fingers only in doing his writing rather than all of them as an expert
would do.
Brooke had learned to use the machine in that way, however, and
would adopt no other, although he had been shown by Jack, who was a
rapid writer on a machine, and could compose on it, that he could do
much faster work by the other method.

"How do you do, Sheldon?" said Brooke, looking up. "Got any news?"
"What are you going to do with that little gasolene engine that you used
to run your little presses with?" asked Jack.
"I don't know, sell it, I guess. It isn't good for much except junk."
"How much do you want for it?"
"Oh, you can have it if you think you can do anything with it," said the
editor carelessly.
"No, I don't want it for nothing. I'll pay you for it."
"What are you going to do with it? It's too little to run any but the small
presses. Ain't going to start a paper, are you?"
"No. I can fix it up so as to make it do good work. I want to put it in a
motor-boat."
"It might do for that, and if you can fix it up you're welcome to it. You
have a mechanical bent, I know, and I guess if any one can fix it up,
you can. Well, say ten dollars."
"All right. It will cost me another ten to put it in shape, but after that it
will do all right. Will you deliver it to a man that I send after it? I'll take
it down to the Riverton shops and work on it. They let me tinker things
there whenever I want to."
"Certainly. Send an order, and I'll let the man have it."
"Very good. That's all for the present," and Jack went out.
His next call was at the machine shop he had spoken of, and going on
their wharf he looked around, saw an old rowboat lying on the ground,
took a good look at it, and then went to the foreman and said:
"What do you want for that rowboat lying on the wharf? I'd like to buy
it. It will just suit me."

"It is not worth much, Mr. Sheldon," said the foreman. "You can have
it if you want it."
"No, I want to buy it."
"Oh, well, say a dollar, but you'll be a dollar out if you buy it."
"I don't think so," said Jack, who knew what the boat was worth, and
that a little money expended on it would not be wasted. "May I have a
bench for a few days?"
"Yes, for as long as you like."
Jack hired a man to take the boat to the shop, bought some paint and
brushes and some narrow boards used for flooring, and then sent for the
engine, which he placed near the boat.
He was of a mechanical turn of mind, as Brooke had said, and knew a
good deal about engines, and by the purchase of a few necessary
articles, and by working himself he managed in the course of a day or
so to put his engine into a condition that thoroughly satisfied him.
Then he bought a propeller, lamps and other necessaries, had the engine
fitted into his