MAKING AN EXCITING DISCOVERY
The Meadow-Brook girl did not dare to go on and enter the secret channel
for fear of exposing the hiding place of the houseboat. She was watching
for some other nook into which to drive her boat. In case her pursuers
discovered her she determined to jump out and make her escape as best
she could, leaving the boat on the beach. Then a sudden idea occurred to
her.
Harriet picked up a tin dipper that lay in the boat and that had been
used for bailing. This she hurled as far out in the lake as she could
throw it. The dipper fell with a splash that was plainly heard both by
herself and those in the pursuing boat.
"Out there he is!" cried a voice in the other boat. She heard the
pursuers head out. Harriet took advantage of the opportunity to move
her rowboat ahead a few rods. She then turned it sharply to the shore.
The girl was fortunate in being able to find cover in the overhanging
foliage, behind which she took refuge. The water was quite shallow
there. The keel of the rowboat touched bottom. She heard the grating
sound as the boat grounded, but knew that she was not so firmly aground
that she could not get away.
The men in the rowboat found neither the dipper nor the boat of which
they were in pursuit. Instead of rowing on, they craftily turned sharply
in toward shore in order to get the benefit of the shadows. One within
the shadow could see out fairly well, but to one who was out in the
lake, the shores and the water for some rods about were enveloped in
blackness.
"Pull out a little, but keep close to the shore," commanded a voice.
"That fellow played some sort of trick on us and has gone on. It's
curious we didn't hear him. Row fast and I'll keep watch. If he gets out
into the lake we've got him."
The rowboat shot past Harriet Burrell's hiding place so close that she
might have reached out an oar and touched it. She was tempted to give
the person in the stern of the boat a poke with her oar, but wisely
refrained from doing anything of the sort. After the boat had passed,
Harriet sat perfectly still, arms folded, a quiet smile on her face.
"Harriet Burrell, you are a pretty good scout, after all. You wouldn't
have made such a bad Indian. I'll rap on wood."
She drummed on the gunwale of the boat. "I hope they won't go far. The
girls will worry if I do not return soon. Still, Miss Elting will know
that there is a good reason for my remaining away so long. There they
come."
The rowboat was returning. The rowers were moving more slowly now,
talking and wondering as to the man who had been spying on them. They
passed her talking loudly. One of them was threatening vengeance. The
girl waited until they had rowed a safe distance from her, after which
she cautiously pushed her boat out and began rowing toward home. Harriet
was chuckling under her breath, but her eyes and ears were on the alert.
She had not forgotten that canoe. Any person who could paddle like that
was well worth looking out for.
Harriet rowed past the entrance to their retreat without having observed
it. But it was only a few moments later when she discovered her error.
She turned her boat more carefully this time, then rowed it into the
secret waterway. So quietly did she enter that her companions did not
discover her until the nose of her rowboat bumped the scow.
There was a little scream, quickly suppressed by Miss Elting.
"Is that you, Harriet?" she questioned, with no trace of alarm in her
voice.
"Yes."
"You were so quiet about it that you gave me the creeps," declared
Margery.
"Did you find them, Harriet?" asked Jane.
"Yes. And they came near to finding me too. They chased me nearly all
the way home. I hid in the bushes and waited. They passed me and came on
this way, I should judge nearly up to the entrance, after which they
turned about and went back. That isn't the only strange experience I
have had since I left you." Harriet related the incident of the
mysterious canoe.
"What were the men doing?"
"They were pitching camp. We are going to have near neighbors," answered
Harriet, unshipping the oar and tying the rowboat to the scow.
"Of course, you do not know who they are?"
"Yes, I do. It is George Baker and his friends."
A chorus of exclamations greeted this announcement.
"They have come over here to find us. I think we will play our second
trick on them to-night. It won't do to wait until to-morrow. We will get
caught if we do."
"Those boys certainly are persistent. They must suspect that we are in
hiding somewhere hereabouts."
"Yes. I wanted them to think so. I did not wish them to believe we had
been drowned and have the entire lakeside out looking for us. That
wouldn't be fun. It is more fun to tease and tantalize them."
"Maybe they've got an oven tho Buthter can make her cuthtard," suggested
Tommy Thompson.
"Please do be quiet, Tommy. We want to hear about the Tramp Club and
what we are to do to outwit them," said Miss Elting. "Did they bring
their tent with them, Harriet?"
"Yes. At least they have a small tent. I don't believe they have moved
their permanent camp, but they are here in force, that is certain. Now,
I'll tell you about the surprise I propose to give them."
Harriet explained briefly. At first the girls were not in favor of it,
but after she had gone into further details they grew enthusiastic.
"You certainly do love to work, don't you, Harriet Burrell?" said Miss
Elting with a laugh. "But it is good for you. I like to see you all
active. One is likely to grow lazy on a houseboat."
"Not on thith houtheboat," complained Tommy. "It keepeth me tired out
all the time watching other folkth work. My boneth ache all night long,
I am tho tired. When I get home I'll thleep for a month to make up for
lotht time."
"Had we better start now, Harriet?" asked the guardian.
"Oh, mercy, no; The boys are up yet and perhaps out on the lake. I
propose that we go to bed, setting our alarm clock for two o'clock in
the morning."
"Help, help!" moaned Margery. "You'll be the death of me."
"Thave me!" murmured Tommy.