“Well,” Case said, after a short silence, “some one must go out to civilization and buy some spark plugs. How far do you think we’ll have to go? Of course these little trading points on the river don’t keep spark plugs. We’ll be lucky if we even get gasoline there.”
“I’ll tell you what we’ll do,” Clay suggested.
“We may be able to buy or borrow spark plugs from some passing launch or steamer. There are store-boats on the Ohio, you know, and they may carry all kinds of motor boat supplies.”
“Oh yes,” Alex grinned, “there are store-boats on the Ohio, and whiskey boats, and show-boats, and house-boats, and about a thousand other kinds of boats, but I don’t believe they carry such supplies as we want.”
“It’s just a chance,” Clay went on. “We may be able to get a supply from some motor boat, but in the meantime we’d better be looking about in other directions.”
“All right,” Case exclaimed, excitedly, “Alex and I will go out hunting and steer toward any little river town we get wise to. We may find motor supplies in any old shanty town.”
“All right,” Clay replied. “Go out and get a mess of squirrels or rabbits while you’re hunting for a supply store.”
The motor boat _Rambler_ lay in an eddy on the Kentucky side of the Ohio river, some distance below Louisville. The four owners had put the boat into the river at Pittsburg, and were making their way to the Mississippi at Cairo.
They had only recently returned from an extended trip up the St. Lawrence river. From Ogdensburg they had followed the Great Lakes to Chicago, which was their home. From Ogdensburg the motor boat had been accompanied by the launch _Cartier_, which had been presented to Captain Joe, one of their old-time friends, because of important services rendered by the boys. Those who have read the previous books of this series will understand the build and speed of the _Rambler_, and also the affectionate relations existing between the four boys and Captain Joe, an ex-sea, lake and river captain.
Captain Joe had been urged by the lads to accompany them on their trip down the Ohio with his launch, but had objected, saying that the boys would be sure to get into all kinds of scrapes, and that he did not care to become responsible for the actions of a crew going about the world looking for trouble!