【英文原著类】thegoaheadboysandt

THEGOAHEADBOYSANDTHERACINGMOTOR-BOAT1THEGOAHEADBOYSANDTHERACINGMOTOR-BOATBYROSSKAYTHEGOAHEADBOYSANDTHERACINGMOTOR-BOAT2PrefaceEverynormalboylovesamotor-boat,butwordsfailtoexpresshisenthusiasmwhenthatboatisalsoaracer.Behindtheeventsrecordedinthisstoryarecertainfacts,sothatthetaleislargelytrue.Theauthorwillbegladiftheaccountoflifeintheopen,theadventuresandfortunes,goodorill,thecontestsandexcitingexperiencesinteresthisreadersevenpartlyasmuchastheydidtheboyswhosharedintheactualoccurrences.Ihavetriedtowriteastoryfilledwithaction,butdevoidofsensationalismandfalserepresentations.IfmyboyfriendsenjoythecompanyoftheGoAheadboysIshallfeelrepaidformylabor.RossKayTHEGOAHEADBOYSANDTHERACINGMOTOR-BOAT3CHAPTERITHESTARTHerewego!We'reoff!Lookquick,orwe'llbeoutofyoursight.Thelong,lowmotor-boatglidedsmoothlyoutfromthedocktowhichithadbeenmadefast.Behinditthewaterboiledasifithadbeenstirredbysomeinvisiblefurnace.Thegracefullinesoftheboat,itsmanifestpowerandspeed,formedafittingcomplementtothebrightsunshineandclearairwhichrestedoverthewatersoftheHudsonRiver.Onthedock,whichtheBlackGrowlerwasleavingsorapidlybehindher,wereassembledvariousmembersofthefamiliesrepresentedbythefourboysonboardthemotor-boat.Youngerbrothersandsisters,twouncles,severalaunts,nottomentionthevariousfathersandmothersunitedinafinalwordoffarewell.Handkerchiefswerewavedandthesoundsofthelastfaintcallcameacrosstheinterveningwaters.TheBlackGrowlerwasleavingYonkerstobegonemorethanamonth.ThetripwasonetowhichtheGoAheadboyshadlookedforwardwithsteadilyincreasinginterest.InthefirstplacetheboatbelongedtoFredButton,oneofthequartet.Frednowwasatthewheelandtheexpressionofprideonhisfaceasheoccasionallyglancedbehindhimathiscompanionswasonethatindicatedsomethingofthefeelinginhisheart.AndindeedtherewasasubstantialbasisforFred'spride.AmongthemanyboatsontherivertheBlackGrowlermovedasifshebelongedinaclassofherown.Peopleonboardthecatboatsoryachts,andeventhepassengersonagreatpassingsteamer,allstoodlookingwithmanifestinterestatthedark-coloredlittleboatwhichwasspeedingoverthewatersalmostlikeathingalive.FredButton,theownerandpresentpilotoftheswiftmotor-boatwasthesmallest,oratleasttheshortest,ofthefourboys.Hisagewasthesameasthatofhiscompanions,allofwhomwereaboutseventeen.HisroundbodyandrounderfacewereevidencesthatintimewhatFredlackedinlengthhemightprovideinbreadth.AmonghiscompanionshewasagreatTHEGOAHEADBOYSANDTHERACINGMOTOR-BOAT4favoriteandfrequentlywascalledbyoneoftheseveralnicknameswhichhiscomradeshadbestoweduponhim.PeeweeorPygmy,thelattersometimesshortenedtoPyg,werenamestowhichheansweredalmostasreadilyastohisChristianname.HismostintimatefriendofthefourwasJohnClemens,whosenickname,String,indicatedwhathisphysiquewas.Hewassixfeetthreeinchesinheight,althoughhisweightwasnotmuchmorethanthatofthemorediminutiveFred.Thelongandtheshortofitthetwoboyssometimeswerecalledwhentheywereseentogether.GrantwastheonememberoftheGoAheadboyswhoeasilyledinwhateverheattempted.Hisstandinginschoolwashighandhistimeinthehundredyardsdashstoodnowasaschoolrecord.Hisfundofgeneralinformationwassolargethatsomeyearsbefore,inajokehehadbeendubbedSocrates.Thatexpressivename,however,hadrecentlybeenshortenedtoSoc.GeorgeWashingtonSanders,oneofthemostpopularboysinhisschool,frequentlywasreferredtoasPop,bywhichdesignationhisfriendsindirectlyexpressedtheiradmirationforonewho,evenifheborethenameoftheFatherofhisCountry,waslaughinglyreferredtoasthePapaoftheLand.ThisnicknameinthecourseoftimehadbeenshortenedtoPop.AlreadythefourGoAheadboyshadhadseveralstirringexperiencesintheirsummervacations.OneofthesehadbeenspentatMackinacIslandwheretheiradventureshadbeenchieflyconcernedwithSmugglers'Island.TogethertheyhadmadeavoyagetotheWestIndieswheretheirexperiencesonadesertislandhavebeenalreadyrecorded.[1]TogethertheyhadinvestigatedthemysteriesconnectedwithanoldhousenearGeorge'scountryhome,aplaceshunnedbythecountryfolkbecauseofitsreputationofbeinghaunted.[2]AnotherdelightfulsummerhadbeenspentbytheboysinacampintheCanadianwoods.[3]Alltheseexperienceshadonlypreparedthewayforthedayswhichnowwereconfrontingthem.[1]SeeTheGoAheadBoysandTheTreasureCave.[2]TheGoAheadBoysandtheMysteriousOldHouse.[3]SeeTheGoAheadBoysandtheIslandCamp.THEGOAHEADBOYSANDTHERACINGMOTOR-BOAT5EveryonewasconfidentthattheBlackGrowlerwouldgiveagoodaccountofherselfinthemotor-boatraceswhichweretobeheldontheSt.LawrenceRiver.ThegrandfatherofFredButton,whowasthefortunateownerofanislandinthemajesticriver,hadinvitedtheboystospendamonthwithhiminhiscottage.Incidentallyhehadexplainedthattheirvisitwouldbeatthetimewhentheboatracesoccurred,whichhehadnoquestiontheyallwouldgreatlyenjoy.HewasunawarethatMr.Buttonhadalreadypurchasedamotor-boatofmarvelousspeed,althoughatthetimehehadnothoughtthatitwouldbeenteredinanycontestorraces.YieldingtoFred'spersuasionsatlasthisfatherhadsomewhatreluctantlygivenhisconsentfortheboattobeentered,aswellasforFredtoinvitetheotherthreeGoAheadboystospendthecomingweekstogetherontheisland.AllthesethoughtsweremoreorlessinthemindsoftheGoAheadboyswhentheBlackGrowlerswiftlystartedonherlo