THE TRAMP CLUB IS ALARMED
Now that they were masked by the island, the girls also were shut off
from a view of the lake, save for the narrow ribbon of water that lay
between them and the nearby shore, so they rowed faster than before.
"Can you steer into this opening?" called Harriet.
"I am afraid I can't," answered Miss Elting. "You will have to put me
aboard, Jane, I'll have Hazel help you pull in; then we shall have to
push the rest of the way."
Harriet Burrell sprang on board a few minutes later. She set Miss Elting
and Margery at work with poles at the stern of the boat pushing, as soon
as they entered the shallow water. Tommy had been posted on the upper
deck, from which the awning posts had been removed. Tommy's business was
to hold her arms out at right angles to her body and by moving them as
directed indicate to Harriet which way to steer. It will be remembered
that Harriet was unable to see over the deckhouse from where she stood
when guiding the craft. She could see only by leaning out on either
side.
They entered the narrow channel very slowly. But no sooner had they
gotten well in than a cry from Tommy Thompson told them that the little
lisping girl was in trouble.
Tommy had been swept from her feet by the foliage. Not only that, but in
floundering about she had rolled over the side of the boat. A mighty
splash and a second cry gave additional evidence that Tommy was in
further difficulties.
"Help me! I'm in the water!" she screamed, coming up sputtering and
coughing.
"Stay there and push," answered Harriet, laughing so that she bumped the
nose of the houseboat into the bank on the right side of the creek. "You
can't get any wetter. The water is shallow. Come. Don't hold up the
ship."
Tommy had no intention of pushing. Her sole ambition at this moment was
to get aboard.
"You may do your own piloting after thith," she declared, sitting down
on the stern of the boat with a suggestion of a sob in her voice.
"There, there, Tommy. You must learn to take the bitter with the sweet.
We must do that all through life," comforted Harriet wisely. "You aren't
hurt."
"No, but I'm wet. My feelingth are hurt, too."
"Don't think about it any more," advised Harriet. "Go into the cabin and
change your wet clothes. Then you'll feel better."
"Will you steer, Miss Elting?" Harriet asked the guardian. "We are
slowing down too much. If we stop it will be difficult to get another
start."
The boat moved faster when Harriet took hold of the pushing pole. Jane
had ceased rowing because she was at the end of her tow line and had
proceeded as far into the cave-like opening in the rocks as she could
go. She pulled the rowboat to one side and called to the helmswoman of
the "Red Rover" not to run her down.
"Snub her nose against the side. We don't want to bump into the rocks,"
ordered Captain Harriet.
"Thnub whothe nothe?" questioned Tommy apprehensively.
"The boat's, of course, you goose," answered Harriet laughingly. "That's
it. Will it go in clear, Jane?"
"Yes, all right."
"Good. I was certain it would."
"How are we going to keep the boat in here? It will drift out with the
current, will it not?" asked the guardian.
"We will put out the anchor at the other end, giving it a short rope.
That will hold us. The current is not swift."
While she was holding the "Red Rover" in place, Jane and Miss Elting
dragged the anchor to the inner end of the opening, put it over and made
it fast with a shortened rope.
"There. Now let's sit down and rest our backs," exclaimed Harriet. Her
face was red and perspiring. "I'm tired."
"Harriet, you must be tired. You have wonderful endurance," said the
guardian.
"Tho am I tired. I'm worn out," declared Tommy.
"Tired? Why, you haven't done a thing, you dear little goose," chuckled
Crazy Jane.
"I know that. It maketh me tired to watch you folkth work. Now, what
crathy thing are we going to do?"
"After we have rested we are going to explore our Island of Delight.
Won't that be splendid?" questioned Harriet, with glowing eyes. "Just
imagine that we are on an unknown, mysterious island. Perhaps there are
savages, wild beasts and----"
"And thingth," finished Tommy.
"Yes, and things," agreed Harriet.
"Perhaps there is another phase of this game of hide and seek that you
have not thought of, Harriet," pondered Miss Elting. "How are we to get
fresh supplies?"
"There are several farmhouses within half an hour's row of us. By going
to them early in the evening we shall not be discovered."
Miss Elting nodded. Margery wanted to know how long they were going to
stay in that hole in the ground.
"Until you girls get tired of it," answered Harriet good-naturedly. "As
I understand our arrangement, we have the privilege of expressing our
choice in all matters that come up, Miss Elting's decision being final.
What a glorious place this is!"
"Aren't we going to explore our Island of Delight now?" demanded Jane.
"It is your discovery--yours and Harriet's," was Miss Elting's smiling
reply. "Suit yourselves as to exploring it."
"We have time to look about a little before night," answered Harriet.
"It won't be dark for a little while yet."
They were about to start out when the distant chug of a motor boat was
heard. "I guess we will not go just yet," she added. "Wait. I'll row
down to the mouth and see if it is the Tramp Club's boat."
Harriet paddled part way to the lake edge, then finding the bank
accessible, sprang out and crept the rest of the way on shore. She was
in time to see a power boat moving slowly past. It was close to the
shore of the island. Several young men were aboard. One was standing up,
gazing toward the island, one hand shading his eyes. Harriet chuckled
when she recognized the standing boy as George Baker. There could be no
doubt that the boys were looking for the Meadow-Brook Girls. The
watching girl chuckled with delight. Then the thought occurred to her
that some way must be found to communicate with the boys soon, so that
the latter might know they were safe. Just how that was to be
accomplished Harriet did not know. The launch soon passed on out of
sight.
As a matter of fact, Captain George Baker and his companions were a
little disturbed over not finding the "Red Rover." Sam said he had seen
the boat that afternoon, and unless it had picked up a tow the houseboat
could not be far away. They moved along the shore, peering into each
cove on that side of the lake until twilight fell and it was no longer
light enough to see into the shadows.
"It's my opinion that those girls will win the wager unless we do some
hustling," declared Larry Goheen, when they had once more returned to
their camp on the other side of the lake.
"Harriet Burrell is very clever," answered George. "I wish we had gone
ashore over there near where we last saw the 'Red Rover.' I'll tell you
what we'll do. We'll run over there to-morrow and make inquiries of the
farmers nearby. We ought at least to get some trace of them."
The boat turned homeward after having encircled the island. Harriet, as
soon as the motor boat had passed on out of sight, hurried back to her
companions.
"Girls! It's the boys," she cried. "They are looking for us. I could see
that. They were so close to the island that I could almost have hit them
with a stone."
"Provided you could throw straight," interjected Miss Elting.
"Yes. I wouldn't have to be a very good thrower to reach a boat so close
as that one was."
"Shall we go exploring now?" asked Margery.
"I don't believe it would be prudent. Those boys are sharp. They may be
on the island at this very moment. I don't hear their boat any more,"
replied Harriet.
"We will postpone exploring until to-morrow," announced Miss Elting.
"And now, suppose we get supper? This is a cosy place. I never saw a
more delightful nook. To-morrow morning, if the coast be clear, we will
look about us. How about the farmhouse?"
"I am going over there as soon as it gets a little darker."
Harriet did not go until after supper, which proved to be one of the
most enjoyable meals to which the girls had ever sat down. Their
surroundings were so romantic that the situation appealed strongly to
each of them. The Meadow-Brook Girls were in high good humor. Later in
the evening, Harriet, accompanied by Jane and Hazel, paddled the rowboat
out from the island and rowed almost straight across to the shore of the
mainland. Hiding their boat in some bushes they made their way to a
farmhouse, and there arranged for milk. Harriet had a confidential chat
with the woman of the house, who readily agreed to the girl's
proposition to assist in fooling the boys. The woman further agreed to
provide them with such supplies as they needed. For such as they took
with them the girls paid then and there. Harriet chuckled all the way
back to the island. She believed that she had planned in such a way as
thoroughly to mystify George Baker and his friends, and at the same time
convince the latter that the Meadow-Brook Girls were not in trouble.
Reaching the island they found their companions eagerly awaiting them.
To Miss Elting, Harriet confided her plan. Then, after a happy evening,
the houseboat party went to bed, looking forward with keen expectation
to what awaited them on the morrow, when Harriet's new plan was to be
tried.