In their narrow quarters the three boys knelt, waiting for the word to lift the boat's edge from the skids and throw the hulk entirely over. It was not a large boat, and their strength was fully equal to the task they had set for themselves.
Over went the boat with a crash. Startled yells came from the sitting room, followed by silence broken only by a rush of feet as Matt, Lorry, and McGlory darted toward the rear door.
McGlory halted and whirled. At the side of the boat he had found a small can of white lead, which was probably to do its part in giving the hull a coat of paint. When starting to run the cowboy had taken the can of lead with him.
He paused to hurl the can. Straight as a bullet it shot through the air, crashed into the lamp, and plunged the interior of the boathouse in darkness. Another moment and McGlory had hurled himself through the door.
Acting upon Matt's suggestion, the three friends separated as soon as they reached the outside air. Ten minutes later they were all together again at the place where the _Sprite_ was moored.
There was a lull in the storm, and for a while, at least, the rain had stopped.
Matt began ripping off the boat's tarpaulin cover.
"Cast off the painter, Joe," he called, as he worked. "You can help me with this, George," he added. "Never mind the skiff--we can't bother with that now."
Clearing a working space aft of the hood, Matt leaped into the boat and began getting the motor into action. George finished removing the "tarp," and McGlory scrambled aboard with the end of the painter.
From the direction of the boathouse sounds of pursuit could be heard.
"Tumble in, George," called Matt. "You can finish that from inside the boat."
McGlory gave his cousin a hand and Matt started the propeller.
Taking the launch up the river on such a night was hazardous in the extreme. But Matt had the bearings of the stream in his head, and he urged the _Sprite_ boldly onward.
From behind them, somewhere, a revolver was fired. The leaden missile caused no damage, and the launch rushed on into the gloom.
Lorry, who knew the river well, pushed to Matt's side to be of what help he could.
"You never had a better chance to wreck a boat, Motor Matt," said Lorry, "than you've got right now."