The Motor Boys Afloat — Clarence Young

The shrill vibration of the postman's whistle brought Bob Baker to the front door on the run.
“Only a postal!” he exclaimed as the mail-man handed it to him. “It's for me though. Wonder what it is?”
He turned it over and glanced at what seemed to be only a printed form with, here and there, a word written in.
“What's it all about?” mused Bob.
Carefully he went through the lines of printing and writing. They resolved themselves into a notice that at the freight station of the Atlantic & Northern Railroad there was a piece of merchandise shipped from the International Gas Engine Company, which article could be had on application to the freight agent.
“It's our motor boat!” exclaimed Bob. “It's come! Hurrah! I must hurry over and tell Ned[2] and Jerry! Whoop! I'm glad it's Saturday. We can put in the whole day getting the boat from the station. Hurrah!”
“Is anything the matter, Bob?” asked Mrs. Baker, coming to the head of the stairs and looking at her son, who, at that instant was standing on his head in the lower hall.
“Matter? I should say there was, mother!” he cried, jumping to an upright position. “Our motor boat's here!”
“Oh dear!” exclaimed Mrs. Baker. “Now I suppose you'll be going off on cruises which will be worse than the automobile trips.”
“Worse? Better you mean, mother,” remarked Bob. “But I must run over to Ned's house. Where's my hat?”
“Where did you leave it?”
“I don't know,” replied the boy, who seldom could keep track of the head covering. “Never mind, it's warm, I'll go without it.”
He ran from the house into the pleasant spring sunshine, and soon was racing down the street toward the home of one of his chums, Ned Slade. Reaching there he gave a shrill whistle on his fingers.
“What is it?” asked Ned, poking his head out of a window.
[3]
“She's here!” shouted Bob.
“What! Our boat?”
“Sure! Just got a postal from the freight office. Come on, we'll get Jerry and have the boat taken to the river. Shiver my timbers, I can hardly wait! Hurry up, Ned!”
Ned needed no urging, and soon the two boys were at Jerry Hopkins' house. He was not home, but his mother told his chums where they could find him, and they started off to a neighbor's house, where Jerry had gone on an errand.