They were running down the lake. It seemed as if the boat knew
exactly where to go, and also that her own mistress was aboard.
"Why, there's the landing!" exclaimed Cora, "how quickly we got
here."
"And there is a crowd around. I'll wager they are there to welcome
us," said Jack happily.
For a few moments all waited to see how the crowd would take the
news of the finding of Cora.
"There are a lot of lights," remarked Ed in puzzled tones.
"And boats," added Walter.
They were looking intently at the center of the crowd on the water.
"What's going on over there?" asked Jack, looking up from the engine
which he was slowing down.
"Something must have happened," answered Cora. "Hark! There's a
lot of excited talk."
Across the water floated the murmur of voices, some of them raised
high in discussion.
"What's going on?" called Jack to a man who slipped past the side of
the Petrel in a rowboat.
"Fight!" was the quick answer. "Jim Peters and a fellow they call
Tony. They had a quarrel about some papers and a girl, and I don't
know what not."
"A girl?" gasped Cora, wondering if she could be involved in the
unpleasantness.
"Well, that's what some say. I don't rightly know. Guess it didn't
amount to much. Anyhow they've got Peters over there in his boat.
They're bringing him to a doctor. It seems Tony whacked him with a
boat hook, and then, thinking he'd done serious damage, he leaped
overboard and swam for it.
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