AN ADVENTURE
Nancy Drew had made up her mind to visit the Topham cottage the very
next day, but in making her plans she had counted without Helen Corning
and her friends. They were unwilling that she should be alone even for
a minute.
From the moment she awoke in the morning and sniffed the fragrant
odor of the pines, she was rushed from one thing to another. After a
breakfast of fruit, fried eggs, crisp bacon, and hot corn bread, she
was pressed into a tennis game. The afternoon was devoted to swimming
and water polo. By evening Nancy Drew was so tired she could scarcely
keep her eyes open, and she was thankful for the opportunity of
tumbling into bed.
"To-morrow I simply must find a way to visit the Topham cottage," she
told herself just before she dropped off to sleep.
Immediately after breakfast the following morning, Helen Corning
announced the plan for the day.
"The girls have decided on an all-day hike into the woods, Nancy.
You'll go, won't you?" Nancy groaned.
"You're wearing me to a frazzle, Helen. Please let me off this time.
I'd like to stay in camp to-day and just rest up."
"Well, all right," Helen agreed unwillingly. "I'll stay with you."
"Oh, no!" Nancy protested vigorously. "I won't let you do that! You
like to hike so well. Please go on. I'll have a good time all by
myself. Really, I will."
"I don't like to leave you, Nancy. But if you insist----"
"I do, Helen. Please don't worry about me. I'll have a good time here.
If you don't mind, I may take the launch out while you're gone."
"If you do, you'd better not go far," Helen advised her. "We girls
bought it second-hand for a song, and it's my private opinion the
engine isn't much good."
"I'll be careful," Nancy promised.
She could scarcely hide her eagerness to be off, but she was forced to
wait until Helen and her friends had started on their hike. It seemed
to Nancy that they would never leave, but at last they trudged away
with their knapsacks slung over their shoulders.
"You'll wish you had gone, too!" Helen called back over her shoulder.
As soon as the girls were out of sight, Nancy hurried down to the
launch which was tied to the dock not far from the camp. She examined
the engine. She had frequently handled motor boats, but never one of
this particular make.
"I believe I can manage it all right, if only I can get the engine
started," Nancy told herself.
She discovered a pin sunk in the rim of a flywheel, and after adjusting
other parts, pulled it out rather timidly. She gave the wheel a
vigorous turn to the right. She tried again, swinging it farther and
snapping back hard. To her delight the engine began to roar.
Cutting down the motor, Nancy steered out into deep water. At first she
followed the shore, but as she became more familiar with the wheel and
as the engine appeared to work perfectly, she headed out into the lake.
Nancy experienced a real thrill as the little launch responded to her
hand. The lake was as smooth as glass, and there was scarcely a cloud
in the sky. As the launch cut through the water a tiny spray blew in
Nancy's face, but she did not mind.
Far ahead she could see the opposite shore, and she headed straight for
the point where she knew the Topham bungalow was located.
"If only the caretaker will let me in when I get there!" she thought,
as she drew near her objective point.
But she was doomed never to reach the opposite shore that day, for
unexpectedly there was a miss in the steady throb of the engine. The
motor gave one long slow wheeze and died.
"Oh, what can have happened to it now?" Nancy cried anxiously. "I can't
have run out of gasoline."
An examination of the tank revealed that it was nearly full. Nancy
studied the engine doubtfully. Like most girls, she had never
interested herself in the mechanics of what made wheels go around.
"Hateful thing!" she murmured. "I believe it stopped on purpose!"
Too late, Nancy recalled that her chum had warned her about the engine.
Now, as she glanced toward shore, she saw no hope of rescue. She was
within sight of the Topham bungalow, which appeared deserted, but miles
from her own camp.
For nearly an hour she worked over the engine, but her efforts were
useless. The stubborn motor refused to start.
"I'll have to sit out here all day," Nancy thought miserably. "This
means I won't get to visit the Topham cottage after all!"
It was especially tantalizing to be so close to the bungalow and yet
know that she could not reach it. Nancy was tempted to swim, but she
gave up the idea almost as quickly as it occurred to her, for she
realized that even if she reached the Topham bungalow she would have
no means of returning to camp. She decided that it would be better to
remain on the lake and wait for a passing boat to rescue her.
Slowly the hours dragged on, and the launch drifted farther and farther
from shore. Never had time seemed to pass so monotonously.
"There's one thing certain," Nancy Drew told herself. "If I ever get
out of this launch, I'll never set foot in it again!"
The camp boat seemed to be the only one on the lake, and as the day
wore on she began to wonder if she ever would be rescued. The sun beat
down upon her, and with the passing hours she became hungry as well as
uncomfortable.
"After to-day I'll never have another chance to visit the Topham
bungalow alone," she thought. "Helen means well, but she will stay with
me every minute. I think the best thing I can do is to tell her I am
starting for home to-morrow--that is, if I'm ever lucky enough to reach
shore. On my way back to River Heights I'll stop at the Topham cottage.
Helen will be disappointed, but it can't be helped."
For want of other occupation, Nancy turned her attention again to the
engine. When the sun sank into the water several hours later, she was
still bending over it, a determined look in her eyes.
"There!" she muttered as she straightened up. "I've certainly done
enough to it. If it won't go now, it never will."
She gave the wheel a vicious swing, and, to her astonishment, the
engine began its steady roar as unconcerned as though it had never
stopped.
"If that isn't the limit!" Nancy exclaimed in wonder.
Hopefully, she glanced toward the shore, but already shadows were
beginning to lurk among the trees and she knew that in less than an
hour it would be dark.
"It's too late to visit the bungalow to-night," she decided
regretfully. "I'd better get back to camp before this engine changes
its mind again."
Obedient to her will, the little launch plowed through the water toward
camp, its engine laboring faithfully. As she eased up to the dock,
Nancy saw Helen and her friends just trudging into camp. They hailed
her with delight.
"I'm nearly dead," Helen announced. "You were smart to stay in camp,
Nancy." She stopped abruptly and stared at her chum. "Why, you're all
sunburned, and you're covered with grease! What have you been doing?"
"Taking a sunbath," Nancy laughed. "By the way, Helen, you were right
about that engine; but I don't think it will give you any more trouble
this summer. Anyway, I've donated eight hours to the cause."
"Eight hours!" Helen gasped. "You've not been out on the lake all that
time?"
"It served me right, I guess. I should have gone on the hike."
But while Nancy made light of her adventure, she was disappointed.
She had wasted a day, and time was precious. Would she ever reach the
Topham bungalow? So far she had been thwarted at every turn.