h the Motor Boat Club had now set out, with so confident a mien.

Taken as a whole, a merrier set of young chaps could hardly have been
assembled than the six who constituted this same club. They had, of
course, their faults; but by now they were so accustomed to each
other's society that seldom was a discordant note heard.

Jokes abounded, tricks were sometimes played, and accepted with good
nature; and without exception the boys had become very fond of each
other.

For instance, there was stout roly-poly Nick, who could never tear his
mind away from his favorite subject of eating, and whom thin and
cadaverous Josh liked to tantalize whenever the occasion offered,
because he himself, while a great cook, seldom found much appetite for
his own messes, being troubled from time to time with indigestion.

Then Jimmy, who, it can easily be understood, had sprung from the
rollicking Irish race, possessed a fine voice, as sweet as that of any
girl; and many the time did he beguile an evening at the campfire with
his songs and his clever dancing. Jimmy, by the way, happened to have
a fiery thatch, a multitude of freckles, and upon occasions lapsed into
the brogue of his ancestors, although he could talk as well as the
others when he chose.

George had the speed mania. This had developed early in his career,
for his one delight was to outstrip others in a race. Consequently,
when he had his boat built, he sacrificed lots of things to have it
narrow in beam, and naturally it was anything but a pleasure to be
aboard the cranky craft.

His mate, Nick, had suffered in the past from this condition of
affairs; and the log of former cruises would show that he had met with
more than one mishap because it was necessary to perfectly balance the
_Wireless_ at all times. Poor Nick often declared that if he chanced
to fail to part his hair directly in the middle, trouble was sure to
follow.

The _Comfort_, as its name would indicate, had been fashioned on just
the opposite plan, and speed was the last thing considered. They made
all manner of fun of Herbert's boat, and called it such derogatory
names as "The Tub" and "The Ark"; but all the same, when hurry was not
an object, those aboard certainly had the best of the controversy. And
then the quick-going boats always had to wait for Herb and his
"life-raft," so they did not gain anything in the end.

Then about the third craft, called the _Tramp_, and owned by the
recognized