Boxcar Children 12 - Houseboat Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page B

to know how to handle this boat for one thing.”
    “I know how,” said Henry.
    Everyone stared at him. “How do you know, Henry?” asked Benny.
    “Well, you remember one weekend I visited a fellow in school? His family had a boat something like this, and I learned how to steer it. We had a grand time. Benny can help me pole the boat when we want to land, and I know how to run the outboard motor when we want to come home.”
    “Well, how lucky!” said Jessie. It was plain that she wanted to try living on the houseboat.
    Violet said, “If we don’t like it, we can always come back, can’t we?”
    That settled it for Mr. Alden. He really wanted to try it himself.
    Mr. Rivers said, “It is really very safe. This river has no dangerous places. Every night it is easy to find a place along the bank to drop anchor. There aren’t many boats on this river, but still you don’t want one of them to run into you. Do you understand about lights, young man?”
    “Yes,” said Henry. “From sunset to sunrise there must be white lights about eight feet above the water so that other boats can see you for one mile.”
    “Well, well!” said Mr. Rivers. “Good for you! What else do you know?”
    “I suppose you have a fire extinguisher and life jackets?” answered Henry. “And a bell? Yes, I see the bell right up there on top.”
    Mr. Rivers said, “Life jackets right there. Six of them.” He pointed to the wall of the first cabin. “And it’s the law to have a fire extinguisher. I have a fire pail and a sandbox, too. You know that you can put out a fire by pouring sand on it.”
    Benny got down and read the printing on the pail. It said, “Keep water up to this line.” On the sandbox it said, “Keep sand up to this line.”
    Mr. Rivers explained, “We never had a fire yet. Everyone is careful. I had one family that let the baby play in the sand. I soon stopped that.”
    “You don’t have to worry about us,” said Benny. “We promise not to play in the sand. And besides, I lost my last pail and shovel a long time ago.”
    “You’re good-natured,” said Mr. Rivers. “You always see the funny side, don’t you? Comical.”
    Benny looked at Henry and said, “I guess you should be the captain.”
    “Then you can be my first mate,” said Henry.
    Mr. Rivers said, “That’s fine! This boat is registered with the Coast Guard. They know all about it, even when its name is something different.”
    “Oh, let’s go! “said Benny.
    “When?” asked Mr. Rivers.
    “Tomorrow,” said Grandfather, before Benny could answer. “We’ll be here at ten o’clock.”
    Watch was whining and barking when his family stepped on the dock. “You don’t like this, do you, old fellow?” Henry said to the dog. “Come and get in the car.”
    He turned the car around while Mr. Alden talked with Mr. Rivers about the rent.
    “Here’s the key,” said Mr. Rivers. “Lock up at night. And whenever you go to the store, shut the windows, too. The windows lock themselves when you shut them.”
    The Aldens all were excited. They started up the rough side road, waving to Mr. Rivers. Grandfather gave the key to Henry. “Here, Captain,” he said.
    Mr. Rivers shouted after them, “Don’t bring too many things!”
    “No, we won’t,” Jessie called back. Then she said to her family, “We won’t need many clothes. We can all just live in swimsuits and sweaters—all but Grandfather.”
    Grandfather winked at Benny. “You’d be surprised,” he said.
    Henry drove the car carefully up the rough side road and stopped before turning at River Road.
    Suddenly, right in front of him, a heavy black car came roaring down River Road. It turned a sharp corner past Henry, down the side road toward the houseboat. Stones flew as the tires screamed and the car skidded past the Aldens’ station wagon. It almost hit it.
    “Hey! What are they thinking of?” said Henry.
    “Whew!” said Benny. “Those two men almost hit us! That was a close