"He's lookin' fer me. Hey there, Dan! What's up?" he cried as he
faced the boat with the brilliant lamp at the stern.
"Everything!" yelled back Dan. "Come up to the dock! There's
trouble!"
Ben swung around the timer to gain more speed in a spurt of the
motor.
"It's that Jim Peters, I'll bet," he declared, as they headed for
Center Landing. "He's there ahead of us. He cut through the
shallow channel."
Whether Jim Peters had taken leave of his senses or was simply
unreasonably angry, folks were never able to say with certainty. At
any rate, now, on this evening, the man seemed furious about
something. No sooner had the motor boat come up to the dock to
allow Ben to land, than Peters turned upon the young fellows he had
been arguing with at the island, and in unmeasured terms spoke
against all gasoline water craft. He said he couldn't see why the
law allowed them to use the lake, for they made such a racket,
filled the air with vile odors, and scared all the fish.
"You all ought to be arrested and deported!" he stormed. "The idea
of peaceful folks being bothered with such nuisances! I'm not going
to stand it if there's a law in the land! Why the idea! It's not
right! I'll--" He stopped for breath.
"Now look here, Jim, you just quit!" said Ben quietly, as the fellow
started off on another tirade, using still stronger language, and
almost boiling over with rage.
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