“Let me see it,” said Rose, and she looked at the envelope.

“It’s for you, Jerry,” she declared, “and it’s from some railroad company.  It’s been sent on here from Cresville.”

“Maybe it’s about damages to our boat,” said Bob.

And so it proved.  The letter announced that an investigation had been made of the wreck in which the Dartaway was smashed, that the claim department of the Florida Coast Railway Company admitted their liability, and were prepared to pay damages.  They enclosed in the letter a check for the value of the boat, as declared by Jerry at the time of the shipment.

“Hurrah!” cried Ned.  “That’s the stuff!”

“Well, it’s the end of the Dartaway,” observed Jerry.  “Poor old boat!  I suppose we had better accept this sum, and not sue, eh?” and he looked at his chums.

“Sure,” replied Bob.  “If we sued it would take a good while to collect, and if we got a larger sum we’d have to pay the lawyers.  Let’s take this money and hire the Ripper.”

“I don’t believe you’ll need all that,” interposed Rose.  “That’s quite a sum, and Charlie will surely not ask as much as that for the hire of his boat.”

“Well, if he does we’ll pay it,” decided Jerry.  “I want to cruise on the Pacific, and this seems to be the only way we can do it.  We’ll have a motor boat trip, even of the Dartaway is out of commission.”

Charlie came over to “The Next Day” bungalow that night and in a short time he and the motor boys had arrived at a business arrangement regarding the hiring of the Ripper.  Charlie only asked a small sum as rental, much less than the amount of damages received, so that the travelers had plenty left for other purposes.

“And now the boat is yours, as long as you stay here,” said Charlie, when the final details had been arranged.  “I know you will take good care of her.”

“Of course we will,” answered Jerry, “and, if you find, after you get to San Francisco, that you have a chance to come back, we’ll give her up to you.”

“There’s no such good luck as my coming back this season,” said Charlie.

Early the next morning he brought the craft to the Seabury dock, where it was run in the small boathouse.  Then, having explained to the boys some minor details of the engine, which was different and more powerful than the one they were used to, Charlie took his departure, having had another letter from his father asking him to hurry to San Francisco.

“I hope you will have a good time,” said the Ripper’s owner, as he bade the boys and girls good-bye.  “Don’t get into any dangerous adventures, especially with the girls on board.”

“We’ll not,” promised Jerry, but he did not know how soon Charlie’s warning was to be fulfilled.

“Well, what do you girls say to a ride?” asked Jerry when Charlie had gone, and they stood looking at the powerful boat.

“Do you think you boys can run her?” asked Nellie.