Clive Cussler by The Adventures of Hotsy Totsy

Author:The Adventures of Hotsy Totsy [Totsy, The Adventures of Hotsy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Magic, Animals, Family, Action & Adventure, Ships & Underwater Craft, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Fiction, Boats, Twins, Motorboats, Siblings, Basset Hound, Transportation, General, Racing, Dogs, Brothers and Sisters
ISBN: 9780399254345
Publisher: Philomel
Published: 2010-05-12T05:00:00+00:00

10 The Dash up the Channel to Sacramento

The ship channel banks rose fifteen feet above the water, and the course marker buoys were spaced with barely enough room for three boats to pass through at the same time. The fact that they were being squeezed into a tight group was creating chaos. Boats were knocking against each other. But the worst was yet to come.

The channel closed and tightened to where the banks were only a hundred yards apart.

"What's happening?" said Casey, becoming alarmed. "The river has become no wider than a football field. There's hardly enough room for two boats to pass."

"We're through the entrance to the Sacramento River," explained Lacey, reading her navigation charts. "The race course runs north up the Deep Water Ship Channel, which circles through Sacramento City, and then we race down the actual river back into San Francisco Bay and the finish line."

Casey was frustrated. "Just when Hotsy Totsy was running like a winner, we get stuck in a narrow channel that's almost impossible to pass."

But pass Hotsy Totsy did. With Casey gaining confidence, she passed five more boats on the long straight up the Deep Water Ship Channel, cutting around hull to hull until Lacey was certain they had scraped the varnish off Hotsy Totsy's beautifully polished mahogany.

By the time they saw the Sacramento skyline and the gold dome above the state capitol, they had crossed the city limit line and Hotsy Totsy was in twelfth place.

An official yacht came into view with a large yellow flag on its masthead.

"What's the yellow flag for?" Casey wondered aloud.

"I think they want all the boats to slow down," said Lacey.

In another mile another official yacht was flying a red flag. Small boats were stationed along the course waving the race boats into a small channel where a series of gas trucks were waiting to refuel the race participants at a ship loading dock.

"It's a refueling stop," said Lacey.

"The race officials will catch us for sure now," Casey said grimly. "They won't let us back in the race once we tie up to the dock."

As they slowed down under the caution and red flags, Lacey pointed excitedly at the thousands of people crowding the banks of the river. The word about the children and the old powerboat had swept up and down the river like a tornado. The throng was shouting and cheering madly.

"Look, look!" she said in awe. "They're all cheering for us."

Along the banks of the river, a crowd of children were holding up signs that read:

WE LUV YOU, HOTSY TOTSY AND YOUR DOG TOO!

and another:

YOU CAN WIN, HOTSY TOTSY, YOU CAN WIN!

and another:

WE LUV YOU, HOTSY TOTSY AND YOUR DOG TOO!

but the one that almost made Casey and Lacey most happy read:

WE LUV YOU, HOTSY TOTSY AND YOUR DOG TOO!

The twins were stunned at the reception. They had no idea that they had become a national hero and heroine. Many people were even throwing flowers in the water in front of the boat.

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