CHAPTER II

THE ENCOUNTER ON THE RIVER

For the instant after the collision occurred none of the Rover boys uttered a word. Tom and Sam stared in amazement at Mumps, while Dick gazed helplessly at the damage done.

"Pull her away, quick, Bill!" cried Mumps in a low voice to the old sailor, who at once sprang forward and shoved the two yachts apart with a long boathook. Then the rudder of the _Falcon_ was put hard a port, and she swung, away for a distance of half a dozen yards.

"We are sinking!" gasped Tom, who was the first of the three brothers to find his voice.

"Mumps, you rascal, what do you mean by this work?" demanded Dick. And then, without waiting for an answer, he turned to Sam. "Steer for the shore and beach her--if you can."

"I don't believe we can make it, Dick. But we can try."

"We'll have you locked up for this, Mumps," shouted Tom.

"I couldn't help it--it was an accident," returned the former sneak of Putnam Hall glibly. "You should have kept out of the way."

"We'll see about that later on."

"Maybe you want us to help you."

"We shan't ask you for the favor," burst out Sam. "I'd rather drown first." But Sam did not exactly mean this. He and his brothers could all swim, and he felt certain that they were in no immediate danger of their lives.

"You had better not ask any favors. I wouldn't pick you up for a barrel of money."

Based on the article and the following list of answers, write a list of questions.

1. no
2. yes
3. they collided
4. no
5. Rover
6. three
7. tom dick sam mumps
8. mumps
9. no one
10. the falcon
1. Can Sam swim?
2. What about his brothers?
3. What happened to the boats?
4. Did the brothers say a lot after the crash?
5. What is the brothers' family name?
6. How many were there?
7. What were their names?
8. Who else was on the boat?
9. Besides Tom, Dick, Sam and Mumps, who else was on the boat?
10. What was the name of one of the boats?