Page:Outdoor Girls at Rainbow Lake.djvu/101

Rh released the throttle control that connected the gasoline supply with the motor. At once, as when the accelerator pedal of an auto is pressed, the engine hummed and throbbed, and a mass of foam appeared at the stern to show the presence of the whirling propeller.

"That's fine!" cried Grace, as Betty slowed down once more.

"I thought we'd take it easy," the Little Captain went on, "as we don't want to finish our cruise in one day, or even two. If I drove the Gem to the limit, we'd be in Rainbow Lake, and out of it, in too short a time. So I planned to go down the river slowly, stop at noon and go ashore for our lunch, go on slowly again, and tie up for the night."

"Then we're going to sleep aboard?' asked Grace.

"Of course! What would be the fun of having bunks if we didn't use them? Of course we'll sleep here."

"And stand watches--and all that sort of thing, the way your uncle told of it being done aboard ships?" Mollie wanted to know.

"There'll be no need of that," declared Betty. "But we can leave a light burning."

"To scare away sharks?" asked Amy, with a laugh.