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."  QUESTIONS:

Q1:
1. Can Sam get around in the water?
2. Does Sam know how to swim?
3. 
Q2:
1. Can Sam's brothers swim?
2. Do Sam's brothers know how to swim?
3. 
Q3:
1. What was the fate of the boats?
2. What went wrong with the boats?
3. 
Q4:
1. Did the Rover boys have much to say after the crash?
2. Were the Rover boys talkative post-collision?
3. 
Q5:
1. What last name do the brothers have?
2. State the last name of the brothers.
3. 
Q6:
1. How many boys were there?
2. What was the number of Rover brothers?
3. 
Q7:
1. Which Rover brothers were present?
2. What were the names of the Rover boys?
3. 
Q8:
1. Who was on the boat, besides the Rover boys?
2. Who was on the boat with Tom, Dick and Sam?
3. 
Q9:
1. Who was located on the boat in addition to Tom, Dick, Sam and Mumps?
2. Who was a boat passenger, other than Tom, Dick, Sam and Mumps?
3. 
Q10:
1. What was one of the boats called?
2. What name did one boat have?
3. 
