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| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 05:24:37 -0700 |
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diff --git a/4987-h/4987-h.htm b/4987-h/4987-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..08fb80b --- /dev/null +++ b/4987-h/4987-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,9493 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" +"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" /> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Outdoor Girls at Rainbow Lake by Laura Lee Hope</title> + +<style type="text/css"> + +body { margin-left: 20%; + margin-right: 20%; + text-align: justify; } + +h1, h2, h3, h4, h5 {text-align: center; font-style: normal; font-weight: +normal; line-height: 1.5; margin-top: .5em; margin-bottom: .5em;} + +h1 {font-size: 300%; + margin-top: 0.6em; + margin-bottom: 0.6em; + letter-spacing: 0.12em; + word-spacing: 0.2em; + text-indent: 0em;} +h2 {font-size: 150%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 1em;} +h3 {font-size: 130%; margin-top: 1em;} +h4 {font-size: 120%;} +h5 {font-size: 110%;} + +.no-break {page-break-before: avoid;} /* for epubs */ + +div.chapter {page-break-before: always; margin-top: 4em;} + +hr {width: 80%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em;} + +p {text-indent: 1em; + margin-top: 0.25em; + margin-bottom: 0.25em; } + +a:link {color:blue; text-decoration:none} +a:visited {color:blue; text-decoration:none} +a:hover {color:red} + +</style> +</head> +<body> + +<div style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold;'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Outdoor Girls at Rainbow Lake, by Laura Lee Hope</div> +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and +most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions +whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms +of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online +at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you +are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the +country where you are located before using this eBook. +</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The Outdoor Girls at Rainbow Lake</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Laura Lee Hope</div> +<div style='display:block;margin:1em 0'>Release Date: April 7, 2002 [eBook #4987]<br /> +[Most recently updated: February 25, 2021]</div> +<div style='display:block;margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> +<div style='display:block;margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> +<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Jim Weiler, xooqi.com</div> +<div style='margin-top:2em;margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE OUTDOOR GIRLS AT RAINBOW LAKE ***</div> + +<h1>The Outdoor Girls At Rainbow Lake</h1> + +<h4>or</h4> + +<h3>The Stirring Cruise of the Motor Boat Gem</h3> + +<h2 class="no-break">by Laura Lee Hope</h2> + +<h4>1913</h4> + +<hr /> + +<h2>Contents</h2> + +<table summary="" style=""> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap01">CHAPTER I. A GRAND SURPRISE</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap02">CHAPTER II. AFTER THE PAPERS</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap03">CHAPTER III. THE RUNAWAY</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap04">CHAPTER IV. THE MISSING DOCUMENTS</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap05">CHAPTER V. THE GEM</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap06">CHAPTER VI. READY FOR A CRUISE</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap07">CHAPTER VII. STOWAWAYS</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap08">CHAPTER VIII. A HINT OF GHOSTS</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap09">CHAPTER IX. OFF ON THE TRIP</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap10">CHAPTER X. ADRIFT</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap11">CHAPTER XI. IN DANGER</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap12">CHAPTER XII. AT RAINBOW LAKE</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap13">CHAPTER XIII. CRACKERS AND OLIVES</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap14">CHAPTER XIV. THE REGATTA</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap15">CHAPTER XV. THE RACE</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap16">CHAPTER XVI. FIGHTING FIRE</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap17">CHAPTER XVII. ON ELM ISLAND</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap18">CHAPTER XVIII. IN CAMP</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap19">CHAPTER XIX. A QUEER DISTURBANCE</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap20">CHAPTER XX. THE STORM</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap21">CHAPTER XXI. THE GHOST</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap22">CHAPTER XXII. WHAT MOLLIE FOUND</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap23">CHAPTER XXIII. SETTING A TRAP</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap24">CHAPTER XXIV. THE GHOST CAUGHT</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap25">CHAPTER XXV. THE MISSING SADDLE</a></td> +</tr> + +</table> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap01"></a>CHAPTER I<br /> +A GRAND SURPRISE</h2> + +<p> +“Girls, I’ve got the grandest surprise for you!” +</p> + +<p> +Betty Nelson crossed the velvety green lawn, and crowded into the hammock, +slung between two apple trees, which were laden with green fruit. First she had +motioned for Grace Ford to make room for her, and then sank beside her chum +with a sigh of relief. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, it was so warm walking over!” she breathed. “And I did +come too fast, I guess.” She fanned herself with a filmy handkerchief. +</p> + +<p> +“But the surprise?” Mollie Billette reminded Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“I’m coming to it, my dear, but just let me get my breath. I +didn’t know I hurried so. Swing, Grace.” +</p> + +<p> +With a daintily shod foot—a foot slender and in keeping with her +figure—Grace gave rather a languid push, and set the hammock to swaying +in wider arcs. +</p> + +<p> +Amy Stonington, who had not joined in the talk since the somewhat hurried +arrival of Betty, strolled over to the hammock and began peering about in +it—that is, in as much of it as the fluffy skirts of the two occupants +would allow to be seen. +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t see it,” she said in gentle tones—everything +Amy did was gentle, and her disposition was always spoken of as +“sweet” by her chums, though why such an inapt word is generally +selected to describe what might better be designated as “natural” +is beyond comprehension. “I don’t see it,” murmured Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“What?” asked Grace, quickly. +</p> + +<p> +“I guess she means that box of chocolates,” murmured Mollie. +“It’s no use, Amy, for Grace finished the last of them long before +Betty blew in on us—or should I say drifted? Really, it’s too warm +to do more than drift to-day.” +</p> + +<p> +“You finished the last of the candy yourself!” exclaimed Grace, +with spirit. If Grace had one failing, or a weakness, it was for chocolates. +</p> + +<p> +“I did not!” snapped Mollie. Her own failing was an occasional +burst of temper. She had French blood in her veins—and not of French +lilac shade, either, as Betty used to say. It was of no uncertain +color—was Mollie’s temper—at times. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, you did!” insisted Grace. “Don’t you remember? It +was one with a cherry inside, and we both wanted it, and——” +</p> + +<p> +“You got it!” declared Mollie. “If you say I took +it——” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s right, Grace, you did have it,” said gentle Amy. +“Don’t you recall, you held it in one hand behind your back and +told Billy to choose?” Billy was Mollie’s “chummy” +name. +</p> + +<p> +“That’s so,” admitted Grace. “And Mollie didn’t +guess right. I beg your pardon, Mollie. It’s so warm, and the prickly +heat bothers me so that I can hardly think of anything but that I’m going +in and get some talcum powder. I’ve got some of the loveliest +scent—the Yamma-yamma flower from Japan.” +</p> + +<p> +“It sounds nice,” murmured Betty. “But, +girls——” +</p> + +<p> +“Excuse me,” murmured Grace, making a struggle to arise from the +hammock—never a graceful feat for girl or woman. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t! You’ll spill me!” screamed Betty, clutching at +the yielding sides of the net. “Grace! There!” +</p> + +<p> +There would have been a “spill” except that Amy caught the swaying +hammock and held it until Grace managed, more or less +“gracelessly,” to get out. +</p> + +<p> +“There’s the empty box,” she remarked, as it was disclosed +where it had lain hidden between herself and Betty. “Not a crumb left, +Amy, my dear. But I fancy I have a fresh box in the house, if Will hasn’t +found them. He’s always—snooping, if you’ll pardon my +slang.” +</p> + +<p> +“I wasn’t looking for candy,” replied Amy. “It’s +my handkerchief—that new lace one; I fancied I left it in the +hammock.” +</p> + +<p> +“Wait, I’ll get up,” said Betty. “Don’t you dare +let go, Amy. I don’t see why I’m so foolish as to wear this tight +skirt. We didn’t bother with such style when we were off on our walking +tour.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, blessed tour!” sighed Mollie. “I wish we could go on +another one—to the North Pole,” and she vigorously fanned herself +with a magazine cover. +</p> + +<p> +Betty rose, and Amy found what she was looking for. Grace walked slowly over +the shaded lawn toward her house, at which the three chums had gathered this +beautiful—if too warm—July day. Betty, Amy, and Mollie made a +simultaneous dive for the hammock, and managed, all three, to squeeze into it, +with Betty in the middle. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, dear!” she cried. “This is too much! Let me out, and you +girls can have it to yourselves. Besides, I want to talk, and I can’t do +it sitting down very well.” +</p> + +<p> +“You used to,” observed Amy, smoothing out her rather crumpled +dress, and making dabs at her warm face with the newly discovered handkerchief. +</p> + +<p> +“The kind of talking I’m going to do now calls for +action—‘business,’ as the stage people call it,” +explained Betty. “I want to walk around and swing my arms. Besides, I +can’t properly do justice to the subject sitting down. Oh, girls, +I’ve got the grandest surprise for you!” Her eyes sparkled and her +cheeks glowed; she seemed electrified with some piece of news. +</p> + +<p> +“That’s what you said when you first came,” spoke Mollie, +“but we seemed to get off the track. Start over, Betty, that’s a +dear, and tell us all about it. Take that willow chair,” and Billy +pointed to an artistic green one that harmonized delightfully with the grass, +and the gray bark of an apple tree against which it was drawn. +</p> + +<p> +“No, I’m going to stand up,” went on Betty. “Anyhow, I +don’t want to start until Grace comes back. I detest telling a thing over +twice.” +</p> + +<p> +“If Grace can’t find that box of chocolates she’ll most +likely run down to the store for another,” said Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“And that means we won’t hear the surprise for ever so long,” +said Mollie. “Go on, Bet, tell us, and we’ll retell it to Grace +when she comes. That will get rid of your objection,” and Mollie tucked +back several locks of her pretty hair that had strayed loose when the vigorous +hammock-action took place. +</p> + +<p> +“No, I’d rather tell it to you all together,” insisted Betty, +with a shake of her head. “It wouldn’t be fair to Grace to tell it +to you two first. We’ll wait.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’ll go in and ask her to hurry,” ventured Amy. She was +always willing to do what she could to promote peace, harmony, and general good +feeling. If ever anyone wanted anything done, Amy was generally the first to +volunteer. +</p> + +<p> +“There’s no great hurry,” said Betty, “though from the +way I rushed over here you might think so. But really, it is the grandest +thing! Oh, girls, such a time as may be ahead of us this summer!” and she +pretended to hug herself in delight. +</p> + +<p> +“Betty Nelson, you’ve just got to tell us!” insisted Mollie. +“Look out, Amy, I’m going to get up.” +</p> + +<p> +Getting up from a hammock—or doing anything vigorous, for that +matter—was always a serious business with quick Mollie. She generally +warned her friends not to “stand too close.” +</p> + +<p> +“Never mind, here comes Grace,” interrupted Amy. “Do sit +still, Mollie; it’s too warm to juggle—or is it +jiggle?—around so.” +</p> + +<p> +“Make it wiggle,” suggested Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“Do hurry, Grace,” called Mollie “We can’t hear about +the grand surprise until you get here, and we’re both just dying to know +what it is.” +</p> + +<p> +“I couldn’t find my chocolates,” said Grace, as she strolled +gracefully up, making the most of her slender figure. “I just know Will +took them. Isn’t he horrid!” +</p> + +<p> +“Never mind, did you bring the talcum?” asked Amy. “We can +sprinkle it on green apples and pretend it’s fruit juice.” +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t you dare suggest such a thing when my little twins come +along, as they’re sure to do, sooner or later,” spoke Mollie, +referring to her brother and sister—Paul and Dora—or more often +“Dodo,” aged four. +</p> + +<p> +They were “regular tykes,” whatever that is. Mollie said so, and +she ought to know. “If you gave them that idea,” she went on, +“we’d have them both in the hospital. However, they’re not +likely to come to-day.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why not?” asked Betty, for the twins had a habit of appearing most +unexpectedly, and in the most out-of-the-way places. +</p> + +<p> +“They’re over at Aunt Kittie’s for the day, and I told mamma +I shouldn’t mind if she kept them a week.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, the dears!” murmured Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“You wouldn’t say so if you saw how they upset my room yesterday. I +like a little peace and quietness,” exclaimed Mollie. “I love Paul +and Dodo, but—and she shrugged her shoulders effectively, as only the +French can. +</p> + +<p> +“Here’s the talcum,” spoke Grace. “I’m sorry +about the chocolates. Wait until I see Will,” and she shook an imaginary +brother. +</p> + +<p> +“Never mind, dear, it’s too hot for candies, anyhow,” +consoled Betty. “Pass the talcum,” and she reached for the box that +Mollie was then using. “It has the most delightful odor, Grace. Where did +you get it?” +</p> + +<p> +“It’s a new sample lot Harrison’s pharmacy got in. Mr. +Harrison gave me a box to try, and said——” +</p> + +<p> +“He wanted you to recommend it to your friends, I’ve no +doubt,” remarked Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“He didn’t say so, but I haven’t any hesitation in doing so. +I just love it.” +</p> + +<p> +“It is nice,” said Amy. “I’m going to get some the next +time I go down-town.” +</p> + +<p> +The spicy scent of the perfumed talcum powder mingled with the odor of the +grass, the trees, and the flowers, over which the bees were humming. +</p> + +<p> +“Come, come, Betty!” exclaimed Mollie, vigorously, when shining +noses had been rendered immune from the effects of the sun, “when do we +hear that wonderful secret of yours?” +</p> + +<p> +“Right away! Make yourselves comfortable. I’m going to walk about, +and get the proper action to go with the words. Now, what did I do with that +letter?” and she looked in her belt, up her sleeve, and in the folds of +her waist. +</p> + +<p> +“Gracious, I hope I haven’t lost it!” she exclaimed, glancing +about, anxiously. +</p> + +<p> +“Was it only a letter?” asked Mollie, something of disappointment +manifesting itself in her tones. +</p> + +<p> +“<i>Only</i> a letter!” repeated Betty, with proper emphasis. +“Well, I like the way you say that! It isn’t a common letter, by +any means.” +</p> + +<p> +“Is it from that queer Mr. Blackford, whose five hundred dollar bill we +found when we were on our walking trip?” asked Amy, with strange +recollections of that queer occurrence. +</p> + +<p> +“No, it was from my uncle, Amos Marlin, a former sea captain,” was +the answer “A most quaint and delightful character, as you’ll all +say when you meet him.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then we are going to meet him?” interjected Grace, questioningly. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, he’s coming to pay me a visit.” +</p> + +<p> +“Was that the grand surprise?” Amy wanted to know. +</p> + +<p> +“Indeed not. Oh, there’s the letter,” and Betty caught up a +piece of paper from underneath the hammock. “I’ll read it to you. +It’s quite funny, and in it he says he’s going to give me the +grandest surprise that ever a girl had. It——” +</p> + +<p> +“But <i>what</i> is the surprise itself?” inquired Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, he didn’t say exactly,” spoke Betty, smoothing out the +letter. “But I know, from the way he writes, that it will be quite +wonderful. Everything Uncle Amos does is wonderful. He’s quite rich, +and——” +</p> + +<p> +“Hark!” exclaimed Amy. +</p> + +<p> +A voice was calling: +</p> + +<p> +“Miss Ford! Miss Ford!” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, Nellie, what is it?” asked Grace, as she saw a maid coming +towards her, beckoning. +</p> + +<p> +“Your brother wants you on the telephone, Miss Ford,” answered the +maid, “he says it’s quite important, and he wants you to please +hurry.” +</p> + +<p> +“Excuse me,” flung back Grace, as she hurried off. +“I’ll be back in a minute. I hope he’s going to confess where +he put those chocolates.” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap02"></a>CHAPTER II<br /> +AFTER THE PAPERS</h2> + +<p> +“Hello, is this you, Will?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, this is Grace. What did you do with my chocolates? The girls are +here, and—Never mind about the chocolates? The idea! I +like——. What’s that? You want to go to the ball game? Will I +do your errand for you? Yes, I’m listening. Go on!” +</p> + +<p> +“It’s this way, Sis,” explained Will over the wire from a +down-town drug store. “This morning dad told me to go over to +grandmother’s and get those papers. You know; the ones in that big +property deal which has been hanging fire so long. Grandmother has the papers +in her safe. The deal is to be closed to-day. I promised dad I’d go, but +I forgot all about it, and now the fellows want me to go to the ball game with +them. +</p> + +<p> +“If you’ll go over to grandmother’s and get the papers +I’ll buy you a two-pound box of the best chocolates—honest, I will. +And you can get the papers as well as I can. Grandmother expects one of the +family over after them to-day, and she has them all ready. +</p> + +<p> +“You can go just as well as I can—better, in fact, and dad +won’t care as long as he gets the papers. You’re to take them to +his office. Will you do it for me, Sis? Come on, now, be a sport, and say +yes.” +</p> + +<p> +“But it’s so hot, and Betty, Amy, and Mollie are here with me. I +don’t want to go all the way over to grandmother’s after some +tiresome old papers. Besides, it was your errand, anyhow.” +</p> + +<p> +“I know it, Sis, but I don’t want to miss that game. It’s +going to be a dandy! Come on, go for me, that’s a good fellow. I’ll +make it three pounds.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, I’m not going. Besides, it looks like a thunder storm.” +</p> + +<p> +“Say, Sis, will you go if I let you ride Prince?” +</p> + +<p> +“Your new horse?” asked Grace, eagerly. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, you may ride Prince,” came over the wire. Will was a good +horseman, but for some time had to be content with rather an ordinary steed. +Lately he had prevailed on his father to get him a new one, and Prince, a pure +white animal, of great beauty, had been secured. It was gentle, but spirited, +and had great speed. Grace rode well, but her mount did not suit her, and Mr. +Ford did not want to get another just then. Will never allowed his sister to +more than try Prince around the yard, but she was eager to go for a long canter +with the noble animal. Now was the chance she had waited for so long. +</p> + +<p> +“You must want to see that ball game awfully bad, to lend me +Prince,” said Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“I do,” answered Will. “But be careful of him. Don’t +let him have his head too much or he’ll bolt. But there’s not a +mean streak in him.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, I know that—I can manage.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then you’ll get those papers from grandmother for me, and take +them to dad?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, I guess so, though I don’t like leaving the girls.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, you can explain it to them. And you can ’phone down for the +chocolates and have them sent up. Charge them to me. The girls can chew on them +until you come back. It won’t take you long on Prince. And say, listen, +Sis!” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, go on.” +</p> + +<p> +“Those papers are pretty valuable, dad said. There are other parties +interested in this deal, and if they got hold of the documents it might make a +lot of trouble.” +</p> + +<p> +“Trouble?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes. But there’s not much chance of that. They don’t even +know where the papers are.” +</p> + +<p> +“All right, I’ll get them. Have a good time at the game, Billy +boy.” +</p> + +<p> +“I will, and look out for Prince. So long!” and Will hung up the +receiver, while Grace over the private wire, telephoned to the groom to saddle +Prince. Then she went out to tell her friends of her little trip. +</p> + +<p> +And while she is doing this, I will interject a few words of explanation so +that those who did not read the first volume of this series may have a better +understanding of the characters and location of this story. +</p> + +<p> +The first book was called “The Outdoor Girls of Deepdale; Or, Camping and +Tramping for Fun and Health.” In that is given an account of how the four +chums set off to walk about two hundred miles in two weeks, stopping nights at +the homes of various friends and relatives on the route. At the very outset +they stumbled on the mystery of a five hundred dollar bill, and it was not +until the end that the strange affair was cleared up most unexpectedly. +</p> + +<p> +The four girls were Betty Nelson, a born leader, bright, vigorous and with more +than her share of common sense. She was the daughter of Charles Nelson, a +wealthy carpet manufacturer. Grace Ford, tall, willowly, and exceedingly +pretty, was blessed with well-to-do parents. Mr. Ford being a lawyer of note, +who handled many big cases. Mollie Billette, was just the opposite type from +Grace. Mollie was almost always in action, Grace in repose. Mollie was dark, +Grace fair. Mollie was quick-tempered—Grace very slow to arouse. Perhaps +it was the French blood in Mollie—blood that showed even more plainly in +her mother, a wealthy widow—that accounted for this. Or perhaps it was +the mischievous twins—Dodo and Paul—whose antics so often annoyed +their older sister, that caused Mollie to “flare up” at times. +</p> + +<p> +Amy Stonington was concerned in a mystery that she hoped would some day be +unraveled. For years she had believed that John and Sarah Stonington were her +father and mother, but in the first book I related how she was given to +understand differently. +</p> + +<p> +It appears that, when she was a baby, Amy lived in a Western city. There came a +flood, and she was picked up on some wreckage. There was a note pinned to her +baby dress—or, rather an envelope that had contained a note, and this was +addressed to Mrs. Stonington. Amy’s mother was Mrs. Stonington’s +aunt, though the two had not seen each other in many years. +</p> + +<p> +Whether Amy’s parents perished in the flood, as seemed likely, or what +became of them, was never known, nor was it known whether there were any other +children. But Mr. Stonington, after the flood, was telegraphed for, and came to +get Amy. He and his wife had kept her ever since, and shortly before this story +opens they had told her of the mystery surrounding her. Of course it was a +great shock to poor Amy, but she bore it bravely. She called Mr. and Mrs. +Stonington “uncle” and “aunt” after that. +</p> + +<p> +I described Deepdale and its surroundings in the previous book, so I will make +no more than a passing reference to it here. Sufficient to say that the town +nestled in a bend of the Argono River, a few miles above where that stream +widened out into beautiful and picturesque Rainbow Lake. Then the river +continued on its way again, increasing into quite a large body of water. On the +river and lake plied many pleasure craft, and some built for trade, in which +they competed with a railroad that connected with the main line to New York. In +Rainbow Lake were a number of islands, the +largest—Triangle—obviously so called, being quite a summer resort. +</p> + +<p> +Our four girls lived near each other in fine residences, that of Mollie’s +mother being on the bank of the river. Deepdale was a thriving community, in +the midst of a fertile farming section. +</p> + +<p> +The summer sun glinted in alternate shadows and brilliant patches on Grace Ford +as she hurried out to her friends on the lawn, after receiving the message from +her brother Will. +</p> + +<p> +“What happened?” asked Mollie, for it was evident from the +expression on the face of the approaching girl that something out of the +ordinary had been the import of the message. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, it was Will. He——” +</p> + +<p> +“Did he ‘fess up’ about the chocolates?” inquired +Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“No, but he’s going to treat us to a three-pound box. I +’phoned down for them. They’ll be here soon, and you girls can +enjoy them while I’m gone.” +</p> + +<p> +“Gone!” echoed Betty, blankly. “Where are you going, pray +tell?” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, Will forgot to do something father told him to, and he wants me to +do it for him. Get some rather important papers from Grandmother Ford. +I’m going to ride Prince. I wish you all could come. Will you be angry if +I run away for a little while? I shan’t be more than an hour.” +</p> + +<p> +“Angry? Of course not,” said Amy, gently. “Besides, +it’s important; isn’t it?” +</p> + +<p> +“I imagine so, from what Will said. But he has the baseball fever, and +there’s no cure for it. So if you don’t mind I’ll just slip +into my habit, and canter over. Oh, I just love Prince! He’s the finest +horse!” +</p> + +<p> +“I’m afraid of horses,” confessed Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“I’m not!” declared Betty, who was fond of all sports, and +who had fully earned her title of “Little Captain,” which she was +often called. “Some day I’m going to prevail on daddy to get me +one.” +</p> + +<p> +“I should think you’d rather have an auto,” spoke Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“I may, some day,” murmured Betty. “But hurry along, Grace. +It looks as though it might storm. We’ll save some of the candy for +you.” +</p> + +<p> +“You’d better!” +</p> + +<p> +The chocolates came before Grace was ready to start after the papers, for she +discovered a rent in her skirt and it had to be mended. Then, too, Prince +proved a little more restive than had been anticipated, from not having been +out in two days, and the groom suggested that he take the animal up and down +the road on a sharp gallop to give the excess spirit a chance to be worked off. +So Grace saw to it that she had at least part of her share of chocolates before +she left. +</p> + +<p> +“And I have just time to hear the rest about the grand surprise,” +she said to Betty, who had been turning and creasing in her hand the letter her +uncle had written. +</p> + +<p> +“I’m afraid I can’t go as much into detail as I thought I +could,” confessed Betty. “But I’ll read you the letter my old +sea-captain uncle sent me. It begins: ‘In port; longitude whatever you +like, and latitude an ice cream soda.’ Then he goes on: +</p> + +<p> +“‘Dear messmate. Years ago, when you first signed papers to voyage +through life, when you weren’t rated as an A. B., you used to have me +spill sea-yarns for you. And you always said you were going to be a sailor, +shiver my timbers, or something like that,—real sailor-like, so it +sounded. +</p> + +<p> +“‘I never forgot this, and I always counted on taking you on a +voyage with me. But your captain—that is to say your father—never +would let me, and often the barometer went away down between him and me. +</p> + +<p> +“‘Howsomever, I haven’t forgotten how you liked the water, +nor how much you wanted a big ship of your own. You used to make me promise +that if ever I could tow the <i>Flying Dutchman</i> into port that you could +have it for a toy. And I promised. +</p> + +<p> +“‘Well, now I have the chance to get the <i>Flying Dutchman</i> for +you, and I’m bringing it home, with sails furled so it won’t get +away. I’m going to give you a grand surprise soon, and you can pass it on +to your friends. So if you let me luff along for a few more cable lengths I +think I’ll make port soon, and then we’ll see what sort of a sailor +you’ll make. You may expect the surprise shortly.’ +</p> + +<p> +“That’s all there is to it,” concluded Betty, “and +I’ve been puzzling my brains as to just what the surprise may be.” +</p> + +<p> +“He’s going to take you on a voyage,” said Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“He’s bought you some toy ship,” was the opinion of Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, if he’d only bring a real boat that we could make real a trip +in!” sighed Grace. “That would be—lovely!” +</p> + +<p> +“Betty Nelson! Write to your uncle right away!” commanded Mollie, +“and find out exactly what he means.” +</p> + +<p> +“I can’t,” sighed Betty. “He’s traveling, and one +never knows where he is. We’ll just have to wait. Besides, he is so +peculiar that he’d just as likely as not only puzzle me the more. +We’ll just have to wait; that’s all.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, if it should be some sort of a boat, even a big rowboat, we could +have some fun,” asserted Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, for mine isn’t much account,” remarked Mollie, who +owned a small skiff on the river. +</p> + +<p> +“I was so excited and amused when I got uncle’s letter,” said +Betty, “that I didn’t know what to do. Mamma puzzled over it, but +she couldn’t make any more out of it than I could. So I decided to come +over here.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’m glad you did,” spoke Grace, holding up her long habit in +one hand and delicately eating a chocolate from the other “There comes +James with Prince. Oh, he’s run him too hard!” she exclaimed as she +noted the hard-breathing animal. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, no, Miss,” said the groom, who heard her. “That was only +a romp for him. He’ll be much easier to handle now.” +</p> + +<p> +He gave Grace a hand to help her mount to the saddle, and adjusted the stirrups +for her. +</p> + +<p> +“Good-bye!” she called, as she cantered off. “Save some of +the chocolates for me,” and the others laughingly promised, as they went +back to the shade, to rest in the hammock or lawn chairs. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap03"></a>CHAPTER III<br /> +THE RUNAWAY</h2> + +<p> +Grace cantered along the pleasant country road on the back of Prince. The noble +animal had lost some of his fiery eagerness to cover the whole earth in one +jump, and now was mindful of snaffle and curb, the latter of which Grace always +applied with gentle hand. Prince seemed to know this, for he behaved in such +style as not to need the cruel gripping, which so many horsemen—and +horsewomen too, for that matter, needlessly inflict. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, but it is glorious to ride!” exclaimed the girl, as she urged +the animal into a gallop on a soft stretch of road beneath wonderful trees that +interlaced their branches overhead. “Glorious—glorious!” +</p> + +<p> +“I hope those papers are not so valuable that it would be an object +for—for some one to try to take them away from me,” she mused. +Instinctively she glanced behind her, but the peaceful road was deserted save +for the sunshine and shadows playing tag in the dust. Then Grace looked above. +The sky was of rather a somber tint, that seemed to suggest a storm to come, +and there was a sultriness and a silence, with so little wind that it might +indicate a coming disturbance of the elements to restore the balance that now +seemed so much on one side. +</p> + +<p> +“But if any one tries to get them away from us, we—we’ll +just—run away; won’t we, Prince?” and she patted the neck of +the horse. Prince whinnied acquiescence. +</p> + +<p> +“Grandmother will be surprised to see me,” thought Grace, as she +rode on. “But I’m glad I can do as well as Will in business +matters. I hope papa won’t be too severe with Will for not attending to +this himself.” +</p> + +<p> +She passed a drinking trough—a great log hollowed out, into which poured +a stream of limpid water coming from a distant hill through a rude wooden pipe. +It dripped over the mossy green sides of the trough, and Prince stretched his +muzzle eagerly toward it. +</p> + +<p> +“Of course you shall have a drink!” exclaimed Grace, as she let him +have his head. Then she felt thirsty herself, and looked about for something +that would serve as a mounting block, in case she got down. She saw nothing +near; but a ragged, barefooted, freckled-faced and snub-nosed urchin, coming +along just then, divined her desire. +</p> + +<p> +“Want a drink, lady?” he asked, smiling. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” answered Grace, “but I have no cup.” +</p> + +<p> +“I kin make ye one.” +</p> + +<p> +Straightway he fashioned a natural flagon from a leaf of the wild grape vine +that grew nearby, piercing the leaf with its own stem so that it formed a cup +out of which a Druid might have quaffed ambrosia. +</p> + +<p> +“There’s a cup,” he said. “I allers makes ’em +that way when I wants a drink.” He filled it from the running water and +held it up. Grace drank thirstily, and asked for more. +</p> + +<p> +“And here is something for you,” she said with a smile, as she +passed down some chocolates she had slipped into a small pocket of her riding +habit. +</p> + +<p> +“Say, is it Christmas, or Fourth of July?” gasped the urchin as he +accepted them. “Thanks, lady.” +</p> + +<p> +Grace again smiled down at him, and Prince, having dipped his muzzle into the +cool water again, for very pleasure in having all he wanted, swung about and +trotted on. +</p> + +<p> +The distance was not long now, and Grace, noting the gathering clouds, was glad +of it. +</p> + +<p> +“I’m sure I don’t want to be caught in a storm,” she +said. “This stuff shrinks so,” and she glanced down at her velvet +skirt. “I wouldn’t have it made up again. I hope the storm +doesn’t spoil Will’s ball game,” +</p> + +<p> +She urged Prince to a faster pace, and, cantering along a quiet stretch of +road, was soon at the house of Mr. Ford’s mother. +</p> + +<p> +“Why Grace!” exclaimed the elderly lady, “I expected Will to +come over. Your father said——” +</p> + +<p> +“I know, grandma, but Will—well, he is wild about baseball, and I +said I’d come for him.” +</p> + +<p> +“That was good of you.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, no it wasn’t. I don’t deserve any praise. Chocolates and +Prince—a big bribe, grandma.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, you young folks! Well, come in. Thomas will see to Prince.” +</p> + +<p> +“I can’t stay long.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, I suppose not. Your father wanted these papers in a hurry. He would +have come himself, but he had some matters to attend to. And, its being rather +a family affair, he did not want to send one of his law clerks. Those young men +tattle so.” +</p> + +<p> +“I wonder if they are any worse than girls, grandma?” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, much—much! But come in, and I will have Ellen make you a cup +of tea. It is refreshing on a hot day. Then I will get you the papers. It is +very warm.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, I think we will have a shower.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then I must not keep you. Is everyone well?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes. How have you been?” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, well enough for an old lady.” +</p> + +<p> +“Old, grandma? I only hope I look as nice as you when I +get——” +</p> + +<p> +“Now, my dear, no flattery. I had my share of that when I was younger, +though I must say your grandfather knew how to turn a compliment to perfection. +Ah, my dear, there are not many like him now-a-days. Not many!” and she +sighed. +</p> + +<p> +Tea was served in the quaint old dining room, for Mrs. Ford, though keeping up +many old customs, had adopted some modern ones, and her house was perfection +itself. +</p> + +<p> +“I suppose your brother told you these papers were rather valuable; did +he not?” asked Mrs. Ford a little later, as she brought Grace a rather +bulky package. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, grandma.” +</p> + +<p> +“And if they should happen to fall into other hands it might make +trouble—at least for a time.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes. I will take good care of them.” +</p> + +<p> +“How can you carry them?” +</p> + +<p> +“In the saddle. Will had pockets, made especially for his needs. They +will fit nicety. I looked before starting out.” +</p> + +<p> +“Very good. Then I won’t keep you. Trot along. It does look as +though we would have a storm. I hope you get back before it breaks. I would ask +you to stay, but I know your father is waiting for those papers.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, Will said he wanted them quickly. Oh, well, I think I can out-race +the storm,” and Grace laughed. +</p> + +<p> +She found that she really would have to race when, a little later, out on the +main road, the distant rumble of thunder was heard. +</p> + +<p> +“Come, Prince!” she called. “We must see what we can do. Your +best foot foremost, old fellow!” The horse whinnied in answer, and swung +into an easy gallop that covered the ground well. +</p> + +<p> +The clouds gathered thicker and faster. Now and then their black masses would +be split by jagged flashes of lightning, that presaged the rumbling report of +heaven’s artillery which seemed drawing nearer to engage in the battle of +the sky. +</p> + +<p> +“Prince, we are going to get wet, I’m very much afraid,” +Grace exclaimed. “And yet—well, we’ll try a little faster +pace!” +</p> + +<p> +She touched the animal lightly with the crop, and he fairly leaped into greater +speed. But it was only too evident that they could not escape the storm. The +clouds were more lowering now, and the bursts of thunder followed more quickly +on the heels of the lightning flashes. Then came a few angry dashes of rain, as +though to give sample of what was to follow. +</p> + +<p> +“Come, Prince!” cried Grace. +</p> + +<p> +Suddenly from behind there came another sound. It was the deep staccato of the +exhaust of an automobile, with opened muffler. It was tearing along the road. +</p> + +<p> +Grace glanced back and saw a low, dust-covered racing car, rakish and low-hung, +swinging along. It was evident that the occupants—two young +men—were putting on speed to get to some shelter before the storm broke +in all its fury. +</p> + +<p> +Prince jumped nervously and shied to one side at the sound of the on-coming +car. +</p> + +<p> +“Quiet, old fellow,” said Grace, soothingly. +</p> + +<p> +The car shot past her, and at the same moment Prince waltzed to one side, or +else the car swerved, so that only by the narrowest margin was a terrible +accident averted. Grace heard the men shout, and there was a wilder burst of +the opened muffler. Then she felt a shock, and she knew that the machine had +struck and grazed Prince. +</p> + +<p> +She glanced down and saw a red streak on his off fore shoulder. He had been cut +by some part of the car. +</p> + +<p> +The next moment, as the racing auto swung out of sight around a bend in the +road, Prince took the bit in his teeth and bolted. With all her strength Grace +reined him in, but he was wildly frightened. She felt herself slipping from the +saddle. +</p> + +<p> +“Prince! Prince!” she cried, bracing herself in the stirrups, and +gripping the reins with all her might. “Prince! Quiet, old fellow!” +</p> + +<p> +But Prince was now beyond the reasoning power of any human voice. The thunder +rumbled and crashed overhead. Grace, above it, could hear the whining decrease +of the exhaust of the big car that had caused her steed to run away. +</p> + +<p> +“Prince! Prince!” she pleaded. +</p> + +<p> +He did not heed. Farther and farther she slipped from the saddle as his wild +plunges threw her out of it. Then there came a crash that seemed to mark the +height of the storm. A great light shone in front of Grace. Myriads of stars +danced before her eyes. +</p> + +<p> +She flashed towards a house. From it ran two little tots, and, even in that +terror she recognized them as Dodo and Paul, the two Billette twins. They were +visiting a relative who lived on this road, she dimly recalled hearing Mollie +say. Evidently the children had run out in the storm. A nursemaid caught Paul, +but Dodo eluded the girl, and ran straight for the road along which Grace was +plunging. +</p> + +<p> +“Go back! Go back!” screamed Grace. “Go back, Dodo!” +</p> + +<p> +But Dodo came on. The next moment the child seemed to be beneath the feet of +the maddened horse, which, a second later, slipped and fell, throwing Grace +heavily. Her senses left her. All was black, and the rain pelted down while the +lightning flashed and the thunder rumbled and roared. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap04"></a>CHAPTER IV<br /> +THE MISSING DOCUMENTS</h2> + +<p> +“How do you feel now? Do you think you can drink a little of this?” +</p> + +<p> +Faintly Grace heard these words, as though some one, miles away, was repeating +them through a heavy fog. Myriads of bells seemed ringing in her ears, and her +whole body felt as though made of lead. Then she became conscious of shooting +pains. Her head ached, there was a roaring in it. This was followed by a +delicious drowsiness. +</p> + +<p> +“Try and take a little of this. The doctor does not think you are badly +hurt. Fortunately the horse did not fall on you.” +</p> + +<p> +Again it seemed as though the voice came from the distant clouds. +</p> + +<p> +Grace tried to think—to reason out where she was, and discover what had +happened; but when she did, that same ringing of bells sounded in her ears, her +head ached and she felt she was losing that much-to-be desired drowsiness. +</p> + +<p> +“Try and take it.” +</p> + +<p> +She felt some one raise her head, supporting her shoulders. She struggled with +herself, resolving not to give way to that lethargy. She opened her eyes with +an effort, and looked about her in wonder. She was in a strange room, and a +strange woman was bending over her, holding a glass of some pleasant-scented +liquid. +</p> + +<p> +“There, you have roused up, my dear, try to take this,” said the +woman, with a smile. “The doctor will be back to see you in a little +while.” +</p> + +<p> +“The doctor,” stammered Grace. “Am I hurt? What happened? Oh, +I remember, Prince was frightened by the auto, and ran away. Where is +he?” she asked in sudden terror, as a thought came to her. +</p> + +<p> +“He got up and ran off after he fell with you,” said the woman, as +she held the glass for Grace to drink. “We had no time to try and catch +him, for there were others to attend to.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, but Prince must be caught!” cried Grace, trying to rise from +the couch on which she was lying, but finding it too much of an effort. +</p> + +<p> +“He will be, my dear,” said the woman. “Don’t fret +about the horse. He did not seem to be hurt.” +</p> + +<p> +Oh, it isn’t so much Prince himself, though Will would feel very badly if +anything happened to him. It is——” +</p> + +<p> +Then Grace recalled that to mention the papers in the saddle bag might not be +wise, so she stopped. +</p> + +<p> +“There now, don’t worry, my dear,” spoke the woman, +soothingly. “Some one will catch the horse,” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, he must be caught!” cried Grace. “You say the doctor was +here to see me?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, we sent for one soon after a passing farmer carried you in here +when you fell and fainted. You were lying out in the rain—insensible. We +managed to get off your wet dress, and I just slipped this dressing gown of +mine on you.” +</p> + +<p> +“You were very kind. I can’t seem to think very clearly,” and +poor Grace put her hand to her head. +</p> + +<p> +“Then don’t try, my dear: You’ll be all right in a little +while. Just rest. I’ll see if the doctor can come to you now.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why is he here—in the house—is some one else ill?” +asked Grace, quickly. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, my dear. Poor little Dodo was knocked down by the horse, and we +fear is badly hurt.” +</p> + +<p> +“Dodo?” and the voice of Grace fairly rang at the name. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, little Dora Billette. This is her aunt’s house. She and her +brother Paul are visiting here.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, yes! I know. They live near me in Deepdale. Their sister Mollie is +one of my best friends. I am Grace Ford.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh yes, I know you now. I thought I recognized your face. I have seen +you at Mollie’s house. I am a distant relative. But rest yourself now, +and the doctor will come to you as soon as he can. He has to attend to Dodo +first, the little dear!” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh! Dodo, Dodo!” cried Grace, much affected. “You poor +little darling, and to think that it was my fault! I must go to her. Mollie +will never forgive me!” +</p> + +<p> +She tried to rise. +</p> + +<p> +“Lie still,” commanded the woman, but gently. “It was not +your fault. I saw it all. The twins persisted in running out in the storm. The +girl could not stop them. Dodo got away and ran directly for the horse.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, I saw that. I thought she would be terribly hurt. Oh, to think it +had to be I and Prince who did it!” +</p> + +<p> +“It was not at all your fault. If anyone is to blame it is those autoists +for going so fast, and passing you so closely. There was no excuse for that. +The road was plenty wide enough and they scarcely stopped a moment after you +went down, but hurried right on. They should be arrested!” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, but poor Dodo! poor Dodo!” murmured Grace. “Is she much +hurt?” +</p> + +<p> +“The doctor is not sure. He is afraid of internal injuries, and there +seems to be something the matter with one of her legs. But we are hoping for +the best. Here, take some more of this; the doctor left it for you.” +</p> + +<p> +Grace was feeling easier now. Gradually it all came back to her; how she had +raced to get home before the storm broke—the pursuing auto, the injured +horse and then the heavy fall. She had no recollection of the passing farmer +carrying her into the house. +</p> + +<p> +The doctor came into the room. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, how are we coming on?” he asked, cheerfully. “Ah, we +have roused up I see,” he went on, as he noted Grace sitting up. “I +guess it is nothing serious after all. Just a bump on the head; eh?” and +he smiled genially, as he took her hand. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, I feel pretty well, except that my head aches,” said Grace, +rather wanly. +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t blame it. With that fall they say you got it is a wonder +you have any head left,” and he put out his hand to feel her pulse, +nodding in a satisfied sort of way. +</p> + +<p> +“How—how is little Dodo?” faltered Grace. +</p> + +<p> +Dr. Morrison did not answer at once. He seemed to be studying Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“How is she—much hurt?” Grace asked again. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, we will hope for the best,” he answered as cheerfully as he +could. “I can’t say for sure, but her left leg isn’t in the +shape I’d like to see it. I am afraid the horse stepped on it. But there, +don’t worry. We will hope for the best.” +</p> + +<p> +“Little Dodo’s sister is my best chum,” explained Grace, the +tears coming into her eyes. “Oh, when I saw her running toward Prince I +thought I would faint! Poor little dear! I called to her, but she would not +mind.” +</p> + +<p> +“That was the trouble,” explained Mrs. Watson, who had been +ministering to Grace, “she seemed just wild to get out in the +rain.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, it may yet come out all right,” said Dr. Morrison, +“but it is not going to be easy. I don’t believe you need me any +more—er——” +</p> + +<p> +He paused suggestively. +</p> + +<p> +“Miss Ford is my name,” Grace supplied. +</p> + +<p> +“Ah, yes, I am glad to know you. Now I must go back to the little +one.” +</p> + +<p> +“Could I see her?” asked Grace, impulsively. +</p> + +<p> +“I had rather not—now.” +</p> + +<p> +Grace caught her breath convulsively. It was worse than she had +feared—not to even see Dodo! +</p> + +<p> +“But you can talk to Paul,” went on the physician. “Probably +it will do him good to meet a friend. He is rather upset. His aunt, Mrs. Carr, +with whom the children were staying for a few days, has telephoned to Mrs. +Billette about the accident. Word came back that Nellie—is that the +name—the larger sister——” +</p> + +<p> +“Mollie,” said Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, then, Mollie is to come to take Paul home. We cannot move Dodo +yet.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, is Mollie coming here?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes. You can arrange to go home with her if you like. I believe Mrs. +Carr asked for a closed carriage.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then, I will go home with Mollie and Paul. Oh, will they ever forgive +me?” +</p> + +<p> +“It was not your fault at all!” insisted Mrs. Watson.” I saw +the whole thing. Please don’t worry.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, you must not,” said the physician. “Well, I will go back +to my little patient,” and he sighed, for even he was affected by +Dodo’s suffering. +</p> + +<p> +Grace sought out Paul, who was with his aunt, whom Grace knew slightly. Mrs. +Carr greeted her warmly, and put her arms about her in sympathy. Paul looked up +at the familiar face and asked: +</p> + +<p> +“Oo dot any tandy?” +</p> + +<p> +“No, dear,” said Grace, gently, “but I’ll get you some +soon. Mollie will bring some, perhaps.” +</p> + +<p> +With this promise Paul was content, and Mrs. Carr left him with Grace. +</p> + +<p> +Poor Grace! With all the whirl that her head was in, feeling as wretched as she +did, one thought was uppermost in her mind—the papers in the saddlebag. +So much might happen to the valuable documents that were needed now—this +very instant, perhaps—by her father. She almost wanted to go out in the +storm and search for Prince. +</p> + +<p> +“But perhaps he ran straight home to the stable,” she reasoned. +“In that case it will be all right, if only they think to go out and get +them from the saddle, and take them to papa. Oh, if only Will were home from +that ball game. What can I do? The telephone! They will be worried when they +see Prince come home, cut, and will think I am badly hurt. I must let them know +at once.” +</p> + +<p> +Mrs. Carr took her unexpected guest to the telephone, and Grace was soon +talking to her mother. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t worry, Momsey,” she said. “Prince ran away with +me—an auto hit him—now don’t faint, I am all right. I’m +at Mollie’s Aunt Kittie’s. Poor Dodo is hurt, I’ll tell you +about that later. But, listen. Go out to the stable—I suppose Prince ran +there: Get those papers from the saddle, and send them to papa at once. +Grandma’s papers. They are very important. What? Prince has not come +home? Oh, what can have become of him? Those missing papers! Oh, telephone to +papa at once! He must do something,” and Grace let the receiver fall from +her nerveless hand as she looked out into the storm. The rain, after a long dry +spell, was coming down furiously. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap05"></a>CHAPTER V<br /> +THE GEM</h2> + +<p> +Grace and Mollie were riding home in the carriage that had been sent to bring +Mrs. Billette to the home of her relative, for the anxious mother, on hearing +that Dodo could not be moved, had come to look after the injured child. Paul +went home with his sister. He was munching contentedly on some candy, and all +thought of the recent accident and scare had vanished in the present small and +sweet happiness. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, it must have been perfectly dreadful, Grace,” said Mollie, +sympathetically. “Perfectly terrible!” +</p> + +<p> +“It was! And are you sure you don’t feel resentful toward +me?” +</p> + +<p> +“The idea! Certainly not. It was poor Dodo’s fault, in a way; but I +blame those motorists more than anyone else. They should be found.” +</p> + +<p> +“They certainly made a lot of trouble,” admitted Grace. “But +I would rather find Prince than them. I wonder where he could have run +to?” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, probably not far, after he got over being frightened. Doubtless +you’ll hear of his being found, and then you can send for him, and +recover the papers.” +</p> + +<p> +“If only the saddle doesn’t come off, and get lost,” said +Grace. “That would be dreadful, for there would be no telling where to +look for it.” +</p> + +<p> +“Most likely it would be along some road. Prince would probably keep to +the highways, and if the girth should break and the saddle come off it would be +seen. Then, by the papers in the pockets, persons could tell to whom it +belonged.” +</p> + +<p> +“That is just it. Papa doesn’t want anyone to see those papers. +Some of them have to be kept secret. Oh, I know he will feel dreadful about the +loss, and so will Grandma! It was partly her property that was involved in the +transaction.” +</p> + +<p> +“But they can’t blame you.” +</p> + +<p> +“I hope not. I’ll never be forgiven by Will for letting Prince +throw me and run away, though. He’ll never let me take him again.” +</p> + +<p> +“It was partly Will’s fault for not doing the errand +himself,” declared Mollie, with energy. “Then this might not have +happened. Of course I don’t mean,” she added hastily, “that I +blame him in the least for what happened to Dodo. But I mean the papers might +not have been lost, for he would likely have carried them in his coat pocket, +and not in the saddle.” +</p> + +<p> +“That is what I should have done, I suppose,” spoke Grace with a +sigh. “But my riding habit had no pocket large enough. Oh, dear! +I’m afraid it will be spoiled by the mud and rain,” for she had +left it at Mrs. Carr’s and had borrowed a dress to wear home in the +carriage, a dress that was rather incongruous in conjunction with her riding +boots and derby hat. +</p> + +<p> +“It can be cleaned,” consoled Mollie. “No, Paul, not another +bit of candy. Don’t give him any, Grace. He’ll be ill, and as +I’ll have to look after him when mamma is away I don’t want to have +it any harder than necessary.” +</p> + +<p> +“Me ikes tandy,” remarked Paul. “Dodo ikes tandy too. Why not +Dodo come wif us?” His big eyes looked appealing at his sister, and her +own filled with tears, while those of Grace were not dry. +</p> + +<p> +“Poor little Dodo,” said Mollie. Then with a smile, and brushing +away her tears, she spoke more brightly, “but we must not be gloomy. I +just <i>know</i> she will be all right.” +</p> + +<p> +“I shall never cease praying that she will,” spoke Grace, softly. +</p> + +<p> +They were splashing home through the mud. The rain was still coming down, but +not so hard. The long, dry spell had broken, and it seemed that a continued wet +one had set in. +</p> + +<p> +Grace was left at her house, where she found Amy and Betty ready to sympathize +with her. Her father was there also, and Will. Both looked grave. +</p> + +<p> +Seeing that family matters awaited discussion, Amy and Betty soon took their +leave, after being assured that Grace was all right, except for a stiffness and +a few cuts caused by the fall. A carriage took the two girls to their homes. +Mollie had gone on with Paul. +</p> + +<p> +“What will happen if we can’t find the papers?” asked Grace +of her father, when she had explained everything. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, there will be a lot of trouble,” he said, “and of +course the whole matter will have to be held up. In the meanwhile, even if the +other interests do not get the documents, they may make it unpleasant for us. I +wish, Will, that you had done this errand yourself—not that I blame you +Grace,” he said quickly, “but Will knew how very important it +was.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’m very sorry, Dad. I’ll never cut business for a ball game +again, and I’ll do all I can to help out. I’m sure Prince will soon +come home, though, and it will be all right. I’ll go out to the stable +now, and if he isn’t there I’ll saddle Toto and go hunting. +I’ll start from where the accident happened, and trace Prince. Lucky +he’s pure white, he’ll show up well, even in the dark.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, I don’t want you to do that,” objected Mr. Ford. +“You may go to the stable, if you like, but don’t start any search +until morning. In the meanwhile we may hear something, or he may come back. +It’s too bad a night to go out. But let this be a lesson to you, +Will.” +</p> + +<p> +“I will; yes, sir. Poor little Sis, I can’t tell you how sorry I +am. Are you much hurt?” and Will laid his hand tenderly on her head. She +winced, for he had touched a bruised place. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t worry,” she said, as brightly as she could. “I +am all right, and the papers may be found. It is poor little Dodo I feel so +badly about. She—she may be a cripple, the doctor says.” +</p> + +<p> +“No!” exclaimed Will, aghast. +</p> + +<p> +“It seems terrible, but that is his opinion.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, they can do such wonderful things in surgery now a-days,” said +Mrs. Ford, “that I’m sure, in such a young child, there are many +chances in her favor. Don’t worry, daughter dear. Now you must go to bed, +or you will be ill over this. Those motorists ought to be punished, if any one +is.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” agreed Mr. Ford. “Now I must see what I can do to +offset this loss. You don’t suppose, do you Grace, that those men could +have had any object in getting those papers away from you?” +</p> + +<p> +“What do you mean?” asked Grace, in wonderment. +</p> + +<p> +“I mean, did they seem to follow you—as if they had knowledge that +the papers would be transferred to-day, and were determined to get them?” +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t think so, Daddy. I’m sure they didn’t follow +me. They just seemed to come out of the storm—trying to get away from +it—as I was doing. I’m sure it was all an accident—just +carelessness. +</p> + +<p> +“Very likely. I was foolish to suggest it, but so much depends on those +papers that I don’t know just what to think. But there, Grace,” as +he kissed her, “you must rest yourself. I will think of a way out, +I’m sure. Will, come with me. I may need you to make some memoranda while +I telephone,” and he and his son went to the library. +</p> + +<p> +Morning did not see Prince in the stable, and all that day Will searched +without result. Many had seen the white horse flying wildly past, but that was +all. Some said the saddle was still on, others that it had come off. Mr. Ford +was much exercised over the loss of the papers. +</p> + +<p> +He did what he could to hold back the business, but there was a prospect of +loss and considerable trouble if the documents were not eventually found. The +opposing interests learned of the halt, and tried to take advantage of it. They +were, however, only partly successful. +</p> + +<p> +In the meanwhile, after several days had passed, Dodo grew well enough to be +brought home. The chief injury was to her leg, and there was grave danger of it +being permanently lame. As soon as she was in better condition it was decided +to have a noted specialist treat her. +</p> + +<p> +Prince remained missing, nor was there any report of the saddle being located, +though Mr. Ford offered a liberal reward for that, or the return of the horse. +</p> + +<p> +Betty had telephoned for her three friends. Her voice held in it the hint of +pleasure and mystery both, but to all inquiries of what was wanted she returned +only the answer: +</p> + +<p> +“Come and see. I want you to meet some one.” +</p> + +<p> +It was two weeks after the accident, and, in a great measure, the bitter +memories of it had passed. Dodo was doing as well as could be expected, and, +save for a slight limp, Grace had fully recovered. +</p> + +<p> +The three chums—“graces” Will called them—arrived at +Betty’s house at the same time. With sparkling eyes she led them into the +parlor. +</p> + +<p> +“But what is it?” whispered Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“If it’s a strange young man, I’m not going to go and meet +him,” said Mollie, with quick decision. +</p> + +<p> +“It’s a man, but not young, and I think you’ll be glad to +meet him,” answered Betty. +</p> + +<p> +Grace instinctively looked at her dress. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, you’re all right!” cried Betty. Then she threw open the +parlor door. “Here they are, Uncle Amos!” she cried, gaily, and the +girls beheld a rather grizzled, elderly man, with tanned face and hands, and +wrinkled cheeks, like an apple that has kept all winter, with the merriest blue +eyes imaginable, and when he spoke there sounded the heartiest voice that could +well fit into the rather small parlor. +</p> + +<p> +“Avast there!” he cried, as he saw the girls. “So these are +your consorts; eh, Bet? They do you proud! May I be keel-hauled if I’ve +seen a prettier set of sails on a craft in a long while. It’s good +rigging—good rigging,” and he glanced particularly at the dresses. +</p> + +<p> +Betty presented her friends in turn, and Mr. Martin had something odd to say to +each as he shook hands heartily. +</p> + +<p> +“Uncle Amos has brought the—surprise,” said Betty. “But +even yet he won’t tell me what it is.” +</p> + +<p> +“If I did it wouldn’t be a surprise!” he protested. +“But I’m all prepared to pilot you down to where she is. +She’s in the offing, all fitted for a cruise. All she needs is a captain +and crew, and I think Bet here will be the one, and you girls the other. I may +ship as cook or cabin boy, if you’ll have me, but that is as may be. Now, +if you’re ready we’ll go down to the dock and see how the tide +is.” +</p> + +<p> +“But we have no tide here, Uncle Amos,” spoke Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“What! No tide! What sort of a place is it without a tide? I’m +disappointed, lass, disappointed!” +</p> + +<p> +“We’ll try and have one made for you,” said Mollie, with a +laugh. +</p> + +<p> +“That’s it! That’s the way to talk. Salt water and a tide +would make any place, even a desert—er—er—what is it I want +to say, Bet?” +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t know, Uncle, unless that it would make the desert blossom +like the rose.” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s it—a rose. You luffed just at the right time. Well, +ladies, all hands have been piped to quarters, so we’ll start. It’s +nearly four bells, and I told the mate I’d be there by then. Let’s +start.” +</p> + +<p> +And start they did. On the way toward the river, whither Mr. Marlin insisted on +leading the girls, Betty explained how her uncle had arrived unexpectedly that +day, and had talked mysteriously about the surprise. +</p> + +<p> +“It’s a boat—I’m sure it is,” said Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, he’d talk that same way about an automobile or an +airship,” said Betty. “He calls everything, ‘she,’ and +if it was an auto he’d ‘anchor’ it near the river just to be +close to the water he loves so much.” +</p> + +<p> +“What if it’s an airship?” asked Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“I shall—learn to run it!” declared Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“Never!” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes I shall.” +</p> + +<p> +“Let us hope it is but a rowboat then,” sighed Amy. +</p> + +<p> +They went out on the public dock in the Argono River. At the string piece was +tied what the girls saw was one of the neatest motor boats that, as Will said +afterward, “ever ate a gasoline sandwich.” +</p> + +<p> +There was a trunk cabin, an ample cockpit at the stern, a little cooking +galley, a powerful motor, complete fittings and everything that the most +exacting motor boat enthusiast could desire. +</p> + +<p> +“There she is!” cried Mr. Marlin. “There’s the +surprise, Bet. I got her for you! I named her the <i>Gem</i>—for she is a +gem. Aside from an ocean steamer there’s no better boat built. I saw to +it myself. I’ve been planning that for you for years. And there you are. +The <i>Gem</i> is yours. I want you girls to take a cruise in her, and if you +don’t have a good time it will be your own fault. There’s the +<i>Gem</i> for you, Betty. Let’s go aboard and see if that rascally mate +has grub ready. There’s the <i>Gem!</i>” and he led the way toward +the beautiful boat. The girls simply gasped with delight, and Betty turned +pale—at least Grace said so. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap06"></a>CHAPTER VI<br /> +READY FOR A CRUISE</h2> + +<p> +“What a pretty cabin!” cried Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“And see the places to put things!” exclaimed Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“Places to put things!” fairly snorted Mr. Marlin, or to give him +his proper title, Captain Marlin. “Places! Huh! Lockers, young ladies! +Lockers! That’s where you <i>put</i> things. The aft starboard locker, +the for’d port locker. You must learn sea lingo if you’re to cruise +in the <i>Gem</i>.” +</p> + +<p> +The girls were still aboard the new motor boat. They could not seem to leave it +since Betty had been told that it was a gift from her uncle. They inspected +every part, turned the wheel, daintily touched the shining motor, and even +tried the bunks. +</p> + +<p> +“There is room for five in the cabin,” said Betty, looking about. +“If we wanted to take another girl with us we could, when we go +cruising.” +</p> + +<p> +“Or a chaperone,” added Grace. “We may have to do that, you +know.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, we can,” admitted Betty. “The question is, shall we go +on a cruise?” +</p> + +<p> +“Ask us!” exclaimed Mollie with a laugh. “Just ask us!” +</p> + +<p> +“I do ask you,” retorted the little captain of the <i>Gem</i>. +“Girls, you are hereby invited to accompany me on a cruise to +go—Oh, where can we go?” +</p> + +<p> +“To Rainbow Lake, of course,” said Grace, promptly. “We can +go down the river into the lake, motor about it, go out into the lower river if +we want to, camp on an island or two, if we like, and have a general good +time.” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s the way to talk!” cried Captain Marlin. “And +I’ll come with you part of the time. There’s some extra bunks back +here maybe you didn’t see,” and he showed them three folding ones +in the cockpit back of the trunk cabin, where awnings could be stretched in +stormy weather, enclosing that part of the craft. +</p> + +<p> +“But what makes the boat go?” asked gentle Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“The motor makes it ‘mote,’” spoke Betty. +“It’s up in front; isn’t it, Uncle Amos?” +</p> + +<p> +“Up in front! There you go again, Bet. Up in front! You mean +for’ard; up for’ard!” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s right, Uncle, I forgot. Come, we’ll show these girls +where the motor is,” and she led the way to where the machinery was +enclosed in a large compartment in the bow, close by hinged wing-covers. +</p> + +<p> +The motor, one of three cylinders, was a self-starter, but by means of a crank +and chain could be started from the steering platform, just aft of the trunk +cabin, in case of emergency. There was a clutch, so that the motor could be set +in motion without starting the boat, until the clutch, set for forward or +reverse motion, had been adjusted, just as the motor of an automobile can be +allowed to run without the car itself moving. +</p> + +<p> +“And what a dear little stove in the kitchen!” exclaimed Betty, as +the girls looked in the cooking compartment—it was not much more than a +compartment. +</p> + +<p> +“Kitchen!” cried Captain Marlin. “That isn’t a +kitchen!” +</p> + +<p> +“What is it?” Amy wanted to know. +</p> + +<p> +“The galley, lass, the galley. That’s where we cook aboard a ship, +in the galley. There’s an alcohol and oil stove combined. You can have +chafing dish parties—is that what you call them? and he laughed. +</p> + +<p> +“That’s right, Uncle,” cried Betty. “And see +the—what are we supposed to call these?” and she pointed to pots, +pans, dishes and other utensils that hung around the galley. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, call ’em galley truck, that’s as good a name as +any,” said the old captain. “Do you like this, Bet?” +</p> + +<p> +“Like it, Uncle Amos! It’s the dearest little boat in the world. I +don’t deserve it. You are so good to get it for me, and it was such a +surprise.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, I calculated it would be a surprise, all right. But I didn’t +forget that you always wanted to be a sailor, and so when I got the chance, I +made up my mind I’d get you something worth while before I got sent to +Davy Jones’ locker.” +</p> + +<p> +“Where is that?” asked Amy, innocently. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, he means before he got drowned, or something like that,” +explained Betty. “Oh, Uncle Amos, you’re a dear!” and she +kissed him, somewhat to his confusion. +</p> + +<p> +“So I got a man to build this boat to suit my ideas,” went on the +old seaman. “It’s equipped for salt water, if so be you should ever +want to take a trip to sea.” +</p> + +<p> +“Never!” cried Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, you never can tell,” he said sagely. “After she was +finished I had him ship her here, and then I got her into the water. I will +say, that, for her size, she is a sweet little craft. And I hope you’ll +like her, Bet.” +</p> + +<p> +“Like her! Who could help it? Uncle you’re a——” +</p> + +<p> +“No more kissing, Bet. I’m too old for that.” +</p> + +<p> +“The idea! Oh, girls, aren’t the bunks too cute for +anything!” and Betty sat down on one. +</p> + +<p> +“And the dining room—may I call it that?” Grace timidly asked +of the captain. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, saloon is a better word, but let it go,” he murmured. +“Now, what do you say to a little run down the river? It will give you an +idea of how to handle her.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, how lovely!” cried Betty. “Let’s go, girls.” +</p> + +<p> +“That man is from the firm that built the craft,” went on the +former sailor. “He’ll show you all the wrinkles,” and he +motioned to a man standing near. +</p> + +<p> +Lines were cast off, the motor started, the clutch thrown in and then, with +Captain Betty at the wheel, her uncle standing near to instruct her, the +<i>Gem</i> started down the stream, attracting not a little attention. +</p> + +<p> +“This is a sea wheel,” explained the captain. “That is, you +turn it the opposite way to what you want the boat to go. I wouldn’t have +a land-lubber’s wheel on any boat I built. So don’t forget, Bet, +your boat shifts opposite to the way you turn the wheel.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’ll remember, Uncle.” +</p> + +<p> +With dancing eyes and flushed faces, the girls sat in the cockpit back, or +“aft,” of the trunk cabin, and watched Betty steer. She did very +well, for she had had some practice in a small motor boat the girls +occasionally hired. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, I couldn’t have had anything in the world I wanted more than +this!” she cried to her uncle. “It is just great!” +</p> + +<p> +“And you think you girls will go for a cruise?” +</p> + +<p> +“I am sure we will, and as soon as we can. It will be the very thing for +the hot summer.” +</p> + +<p> +“Wouldn’t Will just love this?” sighed Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“Perhaps Betty will invite him and Allen Washburn and Percy Falconer to +come along on a trip or two,” said Mollie, with a wink at her chums as +she mentioned Percy’s name. The latter was a foppish young man about +town, who tried to be friendly with Betty; but she would have none of him. +</p> + +<p> +“Never Percy!” she declared. “I’ll ask Will, of course, +and Frank Haley, but——” +</p> + +<p> +“Not Allen?” inquired Amy, mischievously, for it was no great +secret that Betty really liked Allen, a young law student, and that he was +rather attentive to her. +</p> + +<p> +“Which way shall I steer to pass that boat, Uncle?” asked Betty, to +change a subject that was getting too personal. +</p> + +<p> +“Port,” he answered briefly. +</p> + +<p> +“And that is——” she hesitated. +</p> + +<p> +“The left,” he answered quickly. “It’s easy if you +think that the letter L comes before the letter P and that L is the beginning +of left. Port means left, always.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’m sure it’s easy to say left and right,” commented +Grace, who was eating a chocolate. +</p> + +<p> +“Hum!” exclaimed the old captain, disapprovingly. +</p> + +<p> +The <i>Gem</i> proved worthy of her name. The girls made a little trip about +the river, and then Captain Marlin, on learning that there was a boat house and +dock on the property of Mollie’s mother, steered the craft there, where +it would be tied up until the girls started on their cruise. +</p> + +<p> +And that they would cruise was fully decided on in the next few days. Now that +the great surprise was known, plans were made to spend some time on the lake +and river in the new craft. +</p> + +<p> +The wonder and delight of it grew. Each day the girls discovered something +different about Betty’s boat. It was most complete, and practical. The +boys were in transports over it, and when Will and his chum Frank Haley were +allowed to steer they could not talk enough about it. +</p> + +<p> +Preparations for the cruise went on apace. Captain Marlin oversaw them at odd +times, for he was in business, and made trips between New York and Deepdale. +</p> + +<p> +In the meanwhile Grace fully recovered from the runaway accident. Not so poor +Dodo, however, and it was feared that the little girl would have to be operated +on. +</p> + +<p> +“When?” asked Betty, thinking that this would spoil Mollie’s +trip. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, not for some time,” was the answer. “They are going to +try everything else first.” +</p> + +<p> +Some of the mothers arranged to go along on part of the cruises, and other +married ladies volunteered for the remaining days, so the girls would be +properly chaperoned. Then began the final preparations. +</p> + +<p> +“And if you see anything of Prince on your wanderings, don’t fail +to catch him,” begged Will, a few nights before the day set for the +start. +</p> + +<p> +“We will,” promised Grace. +</p> + +<p> +The telephone rang—they were all at Grace’s house. She answered. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, yes. This is Mr. Ford’s residence. What’s +that—you have a stray white horse? Oh, Will, maybe it’s +Prince!” and she turned eagerly to her brother. “A man from +Randall’s livery stable is on the wire. He says they have a white horse +that was just brought in. A farmer says he found him wandering about the +country. Hurry down there!” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap07"></a>CHAPTER VII<br /> +STOWAWAYS</h2> + +<p> +“Then he isn’t your horse, Will?” It was Mr. Randall, the +livery stable keeper who asked this question as Grace’s brother +critically inspected an animal that was led out for view in the stable. +</p> + +<p> +“No, that isn’t Prince,” was the answer. “He looks +enough like him, though, to be his brother. I’m much obliged for calling +me up.” +</p> + +<p> +Will had hastened down after the receipt of the message Grace had taken over +the telephone, for Randall’s, as had all livery stables in the vicinity, +had been notified to be on the lookout for the strangely missing animal, who +might be wandering about the country carrying valuable documents in the saddle +pocket. +</p> + +<p> +“Two young fellows drove in here with this horse, and asked if they could +put him up for a while,” went on the livery man. “I didn’t +like the way they acted, but I didn’t see how they could do me any harm, +so I said they could. Then I got to thinking about your horse, and I called up. +I’m sorry to disappoint you.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’m sorry myself, Mr. Randall. I can’t imagine where Prince +can be.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, some one has him, you may be sure of that. A valuable horse like +that wouldn’t go long without an owner. Maybe some one has changed his +color—dyed him, you know. That has been done. Of course the dye +doesn’t last forever, but in this case it might hold long enough for the +excitement to subside.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, if they’ll send back the papers, they can keep the horse, as +much as I like Prince,” Spoke Will, as he started home to tell his sister +and the girls the details of the unsuccessful trip. He had already briefly +telephoned to them of his disappointment. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, isn’t it too bad!” cried Horace, as Will came back. +“Do you really think, Will, that some one has Prince and the +papers?” +</p> + +<p> +“It looks so, Sis. Has dad said anything lately?” +</p> + +<p> +“No, I believe the other side hasn’t done anything, either, which +might go to show that they haven’t the papers. But it’s all so +uncertain. Well, girls,” and she turned to her guests, “I guess we +can finish talking about what we will wear.” +</p> + +<p> +“Which, means that I must become like a tree in Spring,” sighed +Will. +</p> + +<p> +“How is that?” asked Amy. “Is it a riddle?” +</p> + +<p> +“He means he must leave—that’s an old one,” mocked +Mollie. “Any candy left, Grace?” and Mollie, who had been +artistically posing on a divan, crossed the room to where Grace sat near a +table strewn with books and papers, a box of chocolates occupying the place of +honor. +</p> + +<p> +“Of course there are some left,” answered Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“Which is a wonder!” exclaimed Will, as he hurried out of the room +before his sister could properly punish him. +</p> + +<p> +“Will we wear our sailor costumes all the while?” asked Betty, for +the girls, as soon as the cruise in the <i>Gem</i> had been decided on, had had +suits made on the sailor pattern, with some distinctive changes according to +their own ideas. Betty had been informally named “Captain,” a title +with which she was already more or less familiar. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, of course we’ll wear our sailors—middy blouses and +all—while we’re aboard—ahem!” exclaimed Betty, with +exaggerated emphasis. “Notice my sea terms,” she directed. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, you are getting to be a regular sailor,” said Mollie. +“I’ve got a book home with a lot of sea words in. I’m going +to learn them, and also how to tie sailor knots.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then maybe your shoe laces won’t come undone so easily,” +challenged Grace, and she thrust out her own dainty shoe, and tapped the patent +leather tip of Mollie’s tie. +</p> + +<p> +“It is not!” came indignantly from Billy. +</p> + +<p> +“It is loose, and it may trip you,” advised Amy, and Mollie, +relinquishing a candy she had selected with care, bent over. The moment she did +so Grace appropriated the Sweetmeat. +</p> + +<p> +“As I said,” went on Betty, “we can wear our sailor suits +when aboard. When we go ashore we can wear our other dresses.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’m not going to take a lot of clothes,” declared Grace, +getting ready to defend herself against Mollie when the latter should have +discovered the loss of the tidbit. “One reason we had such a good time on +our ‘hike,’ was that we didn’t have to bother with a lot of +clothes. We shall enjoy ourselves much more, I think.” +</p> + +<p> +“And I agree with you, my dear,” said Betty. “Besides, we +haven’t room for many things on the <i>Gem</i>. Not that I want to +deprive you of anything,” she added, quickly, for she realized her +position as hostess. “But really, to be comfortable, we don’t want +to be crowded, and if we each take our smallest steamer trunk I think that will +hold everything, and then we’ll have so much more room. The trunks will +go under the bunks very nicely.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then we’ll agree to that,” said Mollie. “Two sailor +suits, so we can change; one nice shore dress, if we are asked anywhere, and +one rough-and-ready suit for work—or play.” +</p> + +<p> +“Good!” cried Amy. “As for shoes——” +</p> + +<p> +“Who took my candy?” cried Mollie, discovering the loss of the one +she had put down to tie her lace. “It was the only one in the box +and——” +</p> + +<p> +Grace laughed, and thus acknowledged her guilt. +</p> + +<p> +“I’ve got another box up stairs,” she said. “I’ll +get it,” which she proceeded to do. +</p> + +<p> +“Grace, you’ll ruin your digestion with so much sweet stuff,” +declared Betty, seriously. “Really you will.” +</p> + +<p> +“I suppose so, my dear; but really I can’t seem to help it.” +</p> + +<p> +“As captain of the <i>Gem</i> I’m going to put you on short +rations, as soon as our cruise begins,” said Betty. “It will do you +good.” +</p> + +<p> +“Perhaps it will,” Grace admitted, with a sigh. “I’ll +be glad to have you do it. Now, is everything arranged for?” +</p> + +<p> +“Well,” answered Betty, “This is how it stands: We are to +start on Tuesday, and motor down the river, taking our time. Aunt Kate will go +with us for the first few days, and, as you know, we have arranged for other +chaperones on the rest of the cruise. We will eat aboard, when we wish to, or +go ashore for meals if it’s more convenient. Of course we will sleep +aboard, tying up wherever we can find the best place. +</p> + +<p> +“I plan to get to Rainbow Lake about the second day, and we will spend a +week or so on that, visiting the different points of interest—I’m +talking like a guide book, I’m afraid,” she apologized with a +smile. +</p> + +<p> +“That’s all right—go on, Little Captain,” said Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, then, I thought we might do a little camping on Triangle, or one +of the other islands, say, for three or four days.” +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t camp on Triangle,” suggested Grace. “There are +too many people there, and we can’t be free. There’d always be a +lot of curious ones about, looking at our boat, and our things, and all +that.” +</p> + +<p> +“Very well, we can pick out some other island,” agreed Betty. +“You know there is to be a regatta, and water sports, on Rainbow Lake +just about the time we get there, and we can take part, if we like.” +</p> + +<p> +“Do! And if we can get in a race we will!” cried Mollie, with +sparkling eyes. +</p> + +<p> +“Uncle Amos has promised to be with us some of the time,” went on +Betty. “And I suppose we will have to invite the boys occasionally, just +for the day, you know.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, don’t make too much of an effort,” exclaimed Mollie. +“Allen Washburn said he might be going abroad this summer, anyhow.” +</p> + +<p> +“Who said anything about him?” demanded Betty, with a blush. +</p> + +<p> +“No one; but I can read—thoughts!” answered Mollie, helping +herself to another candy. +</p> + +<p> +“I meant Will and Frank,” went on Betty. “They would like to +come.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’m sure of it,” murmured Grace—literally +murmured—for she had a marshmallow chocolate between her white teeth. +</p> + +<p> +“How about Percy Falconer?” asked Amy, mischievously. “I am +sure he would wear a perfectly stunning—to use his own word—sailor +suit.” +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t you dare mention his name!” cried Betty. “I +detest him.” +</p> + +<p> +“Let us have peace!” quoted Mollie. “Then it’s all +settled—we’ll cruise and camp and——” +</p> + +<p> +“Cruise again,” finished Betty. “For we have two months, +nearly, ahead of us; and we won’t want to camp more than a week, perhaps. +We can go into the lower river, below Rainbow Lake, too, I think. It is +sometimes rough there, but the <i>Gem</i> is built for rough weather, Uncle +Amos says.” +</p> + +<p> +The girls discussed further the coming trip and then, as each one had +considerable to do still to get ready, they went gaily to their several homes. +</p> + +<p> +Will came in later, looked moodily into an empty candy box, and exclaimed: +</p> + +<p> +“You might have left a few, Sis.” +</p> + +<p> +“What! With four girls? Will, you expect too much.” +</p> + +<p> +“I wonder if I’ll be disappointed in expecting a ride in +Betty’s boat?” +</p> + +<p> +“No, we are going to be very kind and forgiving, and ask you and Frank. I +believe Betty is planning it.” +</p> + +<p> +“Good for her. She’s a brick! I wish, though, that we could clear +up this business about the papers.” +</p> + +<p> +“So do I. Wasn’t it unfortunate?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes. How is little Dodo coming on?” +</p> + +<p> +“Not very well, I’m afraid,” and Grace sighed. The injury to +the child hung like a black shadow, over her. “The specialist is going to +see her soon again. He has some hopes.” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s good; cheer up, Sis! Come on down town and I’ll blow +you to a soda.” +</p> + +<p> +“‘Blow’—such slang!” +</p> + +<p> +“It’s no worse than ‘hike.’” +</p> + +<p> +“I suppose not. Wait until I fix my hair.” +</p> + +<p> +“Good night!” gasped Will. “I don’t want to wait an +hour. I’m thirsty!” +</p> + +<p> +“I won’t be a minute.” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s what they all say.” But Grace was really not very +long. +</p> + +<p> +In answer to a telephone message next day the three chums assembled at +Betty’s house. +</p> + +<p> +“I think we will go for a little trip all by ourselves on the river this +afternoon,” she said. “Every time so far Uncle Amos, or one of the +boys, has been with us. We must learn to depend on ourselves.” +</p> + +<p> +“That is so,” agreed Mollie. “It will be lovely, it is such a +nice day.” +</p> + +<p> +“Just a little trip,” went on Betty, “to see if we have +forgotten anything of our instructions.” +</p> + +<p> +Just then a clock chimed out eight strokes, in four sections of two strokes +each. +</p> + +<p> +“Eight o’clock!” exclaimed Amy. “Your timepiece must be +wrong, Betty. It’s nearer noon than eight.” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s eight bells—twelve o’clock,” said the +pretty hostess, with a laugh. “That’s a new marine clock Uncle Amos +gave me for the <i>Gem</i>. It keeps time just as it is done on +shipboard.” +</p> + +<p> +“And when it’s eight o’clock it’s twelve,” +murmured Grace. “Do you have to do subtraction and addition every time +the clock strikes?” +</p> + +<p> +“No, you see, eight bells is the highest number. It is eight bells at +eight o’clock, at four o’clock and at twelve—either at night, +or in the daytime.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, I’m sure I’ll never learn that,” sighed Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“It is very simple,” explained Betty, “Now it is eight +bells—twelve o’clock noon. At half-past twelve it will be one bell. +Then half an hour later, it will be two bells—one o’clock. You see, +every half hour is rung.” +</p> + +<p> +“Worse and worse!” protested Mollie. “What time is it at two +o’clock?” +</p> + +<p> +“Four bells,” answered Betty, promptly. “Why, I thought four +bells was four o’clock,” spoke Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“No, eight bells is four o’clock in the after-noon, and also four +o’clock in the morning. Then it starts over again with one bell, which +would be half-past four; two bells, five; three hells, half-past five, +and——” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, stop! stop! you make my head ache!” cried Grace, “Has +anyone a chocolate cream?” +</p> + +<p> +They all laughed. +</p> + +<p> +“You’ll soon understand it,” said Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“It’s worse than remembering to turn the steering wheel the +opposite way you want to go,” objected Mollie. “But we are +young—we may learn in time.” +</p> + +<p> +The <i>Gem</i> was all ready to start, and the girls, reaching Mollie’s +house, in the rear of which, at a river dock, the boat was tied, went aboard. +</p> + +<p> +“Have you enough gasoline?” asked Amy, as she helped Betty loosen +the mooring ropes. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, I telephoned for the man to fill the tank this morning. Look at the +automatic gauge and see if it isn’t registered,” for there was a +device on the boat that did away with the necessity of taking the top off the +tank and putting a dry stick down, to ascertain how much of the fluid was on +hand. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, it’s full,” replied Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“Then here we go!” cried Betty, as the other girls shoved off from +the dock, and the Little Captain pushed the automatic starter. With a throb and +a roar the motor took up its staccato song of progress. When sufficiently away +from the dock Betty let in the clutch, and the craft shot swiftly down the +stream. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, this is glorious!” cried Mollie, as she stood beside Betty, +the wind fanning her cheeks and blowing her hair in a halo about her face. +</p> + +<p> +“Perfect!” echoed Amy. “And even Grace has forgotten to eat a +chocolate for ten minutes.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, let me alone—I just want to enjoy this!” exclaimed the +candy-loving maiden. They had been going along for some time, taking turns +steering, saluting other craft by their whistle, and being saluted in turn. +</p> + +<p> +“Let’s go sit down on the stern lockers,” proposed Grace +after a while, the lockers being convertible into bunks on occasion. As the +girls went aft, there came from the forward cabin a series of groans. +</p> + +<p> +“What’s that?” cried Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“Some one is in there!” added Grace, clinging to Amy. +</p> + +<p> +Again a groan, and some suppressed laughter. +</p> + +<p> +“There are stowaways aboard!” cried Betty. “Girls, we must +put ashore at once and get an officer!” and she shifted the wheel. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap08"></a>CHAPTER VIII<br /> +A HINT OF GHOSTS</h2> + +<p> +“Who can they be?” +</p> + +<p> +“It sounds like more than one!” +</p> + +<p> +“Anyhow, they can’t get out!” It was Betty who said this +last, Grace and Mollie having made the foregoing remarks. And Betty had no +sooner detected the presence on the <i>Gem</i> of stowaways than she had pulled +shut the sliding door leading into the trunk cabin, and had slid the hatch +cover forward, fastening both with the hasps. +</p> + +<p> +“They’ll stay there until we get an officer,” she explained. +“Probably they are tramps!” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, Betty!” It was a startled trio who cried thus. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, maybe only boys,” admitted the Little Captain, as a +concession. “They may have come aboard, intending to go off for a ride in +my boat, and we came just in time. They hid themselves in there. That’s +what I think about it.” +</p> + +<p> +“And you are exactly right, Betty!” unexpectedly exclaimed a voice +from behind the closed door. “That’s exactly how it happened. +We’re sorry—we’ll be good!” +</p> + +<p> +“Dot any tandy?” came in childish accents from another of the +stowaways. +</p> + +<p> +The girls looked at one another in surprise. Then a light dawned on them. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t have us arrested!” pleaded another voice, with +laughter in it. +</p> + +<p> +“That’s Will!” cried Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“And Frank Haley!” added Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“And Paul!” spoke Mollie. “Little brother, are you in +there?” +</p> + +<p> +They listened for the answer. +</p> + +<p> +“Ess, I’se here. Oo dot any tandy?” +</p> + +<p> +“The boys put him up to that,” whispered Grace. +</p> + +<p> +Betty slid open the door, and there stood Will and Frank, with Paul between +them. The boys looked sheepish—the child expectant. +</p> + +<p> +“I ought to put you two in irons,” spoke Betty, but with a smile. +“I believe that is what is done with stowaways.” +</p> + +<p> +“Couldn’t you ship us before the mast?” asked Will, with a +chuckle. “That is the very latest manner of dealing with gentlemen who +are unexpectedly carried off on a cruise.” +</p> + +<p> +“Unexpectedly?” asked Grace, with meaning. +</p> + +<p> +“Certainly,” went on her brother. “We just happened to come +aboard to look over the boat, Frank and I. Then Paul wandered down here, and +before we knew it we heard you coming. For a joke we hid under the bunks, and +thought to give you a little scare. We didn’t think you were going for a +spin, but when you started we just made up our minds to remain hidden until you +got far enough out so you wouldn’t want to turn back. That’s what +stowaways always do,” he concluded. +</p> + +<p> +“I’m glad you do things as they ought to be done,” remarked +Betty, swinging the wheel over. She had changed her mind about going ashore +after an officer. +</p> + +<p> +“Dot any tandy?” asked Paul again. +</p> + +<p> +“Do give him some, if you have any,” begged Will. “We bribed +him with the promise of some to keep quiet. Surely he has earned it.” +</p> + +<p> +“Here,” said Grace, impulsively, as she extended some to the tot, +who at once proceeded to get as much outside his face as into his mouth. Then +she added rather sternly: “I don’t think this was very nice of you, +Will. Betty didn’t invite you aboard.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, that’s all right!” said Betty, good-naturedly. +“I’m glad they’re here now—let them stay. I’m so +relieved to find they aren’t horrid tramps. Besides, the motor may +not—mote—and we’d need help—We will make them work +their passage.” +</p> + +<p> +“Aye, aye, sir!” exclaimed Frank, pulling his front hair, +sailor-fashion. “Shall we holystone the decks, or scrub the lee scuppers? +You have but to command us!” and he bowed exaggeratedly. +</p> + +<p> +“You may steer if you like,” said Betty, graciously, and Frank and +Will were both so eager for the coveted privilege that they had to draw lots to +settle who should stand the first “trick.” +</p> + +<p> +For Betty’s boat was a beauty, and the envy not only of Will and Frank, +but of every other boy in Deepdale. So it is no wonder these two stowed +themselves away for the chance of getting a ride in the fine craft. +</p> + +<p> +“Let’s go down as far as one of the lake islands,” suggested +Will, who was now at the wheel, his turn having come. +</p> + +<p> +“Can we get back in time?” asked Betty. “The river is high +now, after the rains, and there’s quite a current.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, the <i>Gem</i> has speed and power enough to do it in style,” +declared Frank. “We’ll guarantee to get you back in time for +supper.” +</p> + +<p> +“All right,” agreed the captain, who had gone into the cabin with +the other girls. +</p> + +<p> +“And perhaps we can pick out a good place to go camping,” added +Grace. +</p> + +<p> +The boys directed the course of the boat, while the girls looked after Paul. +</p> + +<p> +“We must stop at some place where there is a telephone,” said +Mollie, “and I’ll send word to mamma that Paul is with me. She may +be worried.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, do,” suggested Betty. A little later the girls saw that the +boys were approaching a dock, the main one of a small town just below Deepdale. +</p> + +<p> +“Where are you going?” asked Grace of her brother. +</p> + +<p> +“Going to tie up for a minute. Frank and I want to make amends for +sneaking aboard, so we thought you’d like some soda. There’s a +grocery store here that keeps pretty good stuff.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, yes, I know Mr. Lagg!” exclaimed Mollie. “Barry Lagg is +his name. He’s real quaint and jolly.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then let’s go ashore for the soda ourselves, and meet him,” +suggested Grace. “I am very thirsty. What is Mr. Lagg’s special +line of jollity?” she asked Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, he makes up little verses as he waits on you. You’ll +see,” was Mollie’s answer. I often stop in for a little something +to eat when I am out rowing. He is a nice old gentleman, very polite, and he +has lots of queer stories to tell.” +</p> + +<p> +“Has he dot any tandy?” inquired Paul, eagerly. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, you dear, of course he has!” cried his sister. “You are +getting as bad as Grace,” and she looked at her chum meaningly. +</p> + +<p> +Will skillfully laid the <i>Gem</i> alongside the dock and soon the little +party of young people were trooping up to the store, which was near the river +front. +</p> + +<p> +“Ah, good day to you all—good day, ladies and gentlemen, every one, +and the little shaver too!” cried Mr. Lagg, with a bow as they entered +his shop. +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“What will you please to buy to-day?<br /> + + If it’s coffee or tea, just walk this way,” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +And, with this charming couplet Mr. Lagg started toward the rear of his store, +where the aromatic odor of ground coffee indicated that he had spoken truly. +</p> + +<p> +“We’d like some of your good soda,” spoke Will. +</p> + +<p> +“Ha, soda. I don’t know that I have anything in the line of +soda.” +</p> + +<p> +“No soda?” exclaimed Frank. +</p> + +<p> +“I mean I haven’t made up any poetry about that. I have about +almost everything else in my store. Let me +see—soda—soda——” +</p> + +<p> +He seemed searching for a rhyme. +</p> + +<p> +“Pagoda! Pagoda!” laughed Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“That is it!” exclaimed Mr Lagg. “Thank you for the +suggestion. Let me see, now. How would this do? +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“If you wish to drink of Lagg’s fine soda,<br /> + + Just take your seat in a Chinese pagoda!” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +“Very good,” complimented Will. “We’ll dispense with +the pagoda if you will dispense the soda.” +</p> + +<p> +“Ha! Good again! You are a punster, I see!” +</p> + +<p> +Mr. Lagg laughed genially, and soon provided the party with bottles of +deliciously cool soda, and straws through which to partake of it, glasses being +voted too prosaic. +</p> + +<p> +There came a protest from Paul, who was sharing the treat. +</p> + +<p> +“I tan’t dit no sody!” he cried. “It all bubbles +up!” +</p> + +<p> +“No wonder! You are blowing down your straw. Pull up on it, just as if +you were whistling backwards,” said Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“Whistling backwards is a distinctly new way of expressing it,” +commented Frank. +</p> + +<p> +“I dot it!” cried the tot, as the level of his glass began to fall +under his efforts—successful this time. +</p> + +<p> +Then, having finished that, he fixed his big eyes on Mr. Lagg, and demanded: +</p> + +<p> +“Oo dot any tandy?” +</p> + +<p> +“Candy!” cried the eccentric store keeper. “Ha, I have a +couplet about that. +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“If you would feel both fine and dandy,<br /> + + Just buy a pound of Lagg’s best candy!” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +“That is irresistible!” exclaimed Will. “Trot out a pound of +the most select.” +</p> + +<p> +“With pleasure,” said Mr. Lagg. +</p> + +<p> +Merrily the young people wandered about the store, the girls buying some +notions and trinkets they thought they would need on the trip, for Mr. Lagg did +a general business. +</p> + +<p> +“What are all you folks doing around here?” asked the storekeeper, +when he had waited on some other customers. +</p> + +<p> +“Getting in practice for a cruise,” answered Mollie. “Betty, +here, is the proud possessor of a lovely motor boat, and we are going to +Rainbow Lake soon.” +</p> + +<p> +“And camp on an island, too,” added Amy. “I know I shall love +that.” +</p> + +<p> +“Any particular island?” asked Mr. Lagg. +</p> + +<p> +“Elm is a nice one,” remarked Will “Why don’t you girls +try that? It isn’t as far as Triangle, and it’s nearly as large. +It’s wilder and prettier, too.” +</p> + +<p> +“Know anything about Elm Island, Mr. Lagg?” asked Frank, as he +inspected some fishing tackle. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, yes, I might say I do,” and Mr. Lagg pursed up his lips. +</p> + +<p> +“Is it a good place?” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, it’s good all right, but——” and he +hesitated. +</p> + +<p> +“What is the matter?” demanded Betty quickly. She thought she +detected something strange in Mr. Lagg’s manner. +</p> + +<p> +“Why, the only thing about it is that it’s +haunted—there’s a ghost there,” and as he spoke the +storekeeper slipped a generous slice of cheese on a cracker and munched it. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap09"></a>CHAPTER IX<br /> +OFF ON THE TRIP</h2> + +<p> +The girls stared blankly at one another. The boys frankly winked at each other, +clearly unbelieving. +</p> + +<p> +“Haunted?” Betty finally gasped. +</p> + +<p> +“A ghost?” echoed Amy, falteringly. +</p> + +<p> +“What—what kind?” Grace stammered. +</p> + +<p> +“Why, the usual kind, of course,” declared Will. “A ghosty +ghost, to be sure. White, with long waving arms, and clanking chains, and all +the accessories.” +</p> + +<p> +“Stop it!” commanded his sister. “You’ll scare +Paul,” for the child was looking at Will strangely. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, it’s white all right,” put in Mr. Lagg, “and some +of the fishermen around here did say they heard clanking chains, but I +don’t take much stock in them. Tell me,” he demanded, helping +himself to another slice of cheese, “tell me why would anything as light +as a ghost—for they’re always supposed to float like an airship, +you know—tell me why should they want to burden themselves with a lot of +clanking chains—especially when a ghost is so thin that the chains would +fall right through ’em, anyhow. I don’t take no stock in +that!” +</p> + +<p> +“But what is this story?” asked Betty. “If we are thinking of +camping on Elm Island, we do not want to be annoyed by some one playing pranks; +do we, girls?” +</p> + +<p> +“I should say not!” chorused the three. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, of course I didn’t see it myself,” spoke Mr. Lagg, +“but Hi Sneddecker, who stopped there to eat his supper one night when he +went out to set his eel pots—Hi told me he seen something tall and white +rushing around, and making a terrible noise in the bushes.” +</p> + +<p> +“I thought ghosts never made a noise,” remarked Grace, languidly. +She was beginning to believe now that it was only a poor attempt at a joke. +</p> + +<p> +“Hi said this one did,” went on Mr. Lagg, being too interested to +quote verses now. “It was him as told me about the clanking +chains,” he went on, “but, as I said, I don’t take no stock +in that part.” +</p> + +<p> +“I guess Hi was telling one of his fish stories,” commented Frank. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, Josh Whiteby seen it, too,” said Mr. Lagg. He was enjoying the +sensation he had created. +</p> + +<p> +“Is he reliable?” asked Will. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, he don’t owe me as much as some,” was the judicious +answer. “Josh says he seen the white thing, but he didn’t mention +no chains. It was more like a ‘swishing’ sound he heard. +</p> + +<p> +“Dot any more tandy?” asked Paul, and the laugh that followed in a +measure relieved the nerves of the girls, for in spite of their almost entire +disbelief in what they had heard, the talk bothered them a little. +</p> + +<p> +“There are no such things as ghosts!” declared Betty, with +excellent sense. “We are silly to even talk about them. Oh, there is +something I want for my boat,” and she pointed to a little brass lantern. +“It will be just fine for going up on deck with,” she proceeded. +“Of course the electric lights, run by the storage battery, are all +right, but we need a lantern like that. How much is it, Mr. Lagg?.” +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“That lantern to you<br /> + + Will cost—just two!” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +“I’ll take it,” said Betty, promptly. +</p> + +<p> +“Dollars—not cents,” said the storekeeper, quickly. “I +couldn’t make a dollar rhyme in there, somehow or other,” he added. +</p> + +<p> +“You might say,” spoke Will, “‘’Twill cost you +two dollar, but don’t make a holler.’” +</p> + +<p> +“That isn’t my style. My poetry is always correct,” said Mr. +Lagg, somewhat stiffly. +</p> + +<p> +The lantern was wrapped up and the young people got ready to go down to the +boat. +</p> + +<p> +“Say, Mr. Lagg,” asked Will, lingering a bit behind the others, +“just how much is there in this ghost story, anyhow?” +</p> + +<p> +“Just what I told you,” was the answer. “There is something +queer on that island.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then the girls will find out what it is!” declared Will, with +conviction. “If they could find the man who lost the five hundred dollar +bill, they’re equal to laying the ghost of Elm Island. I’m not +going to worry about them.” +</p> + +<p> +“Let’s go down a little way farther and have a look at the haunted +island,” proposed Grace, when they were again on board the <i>Gem</i>. +</p> + +<p> +“Have we time?” asked Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“Lots,” declared Will. +</p> + +<p> +The motor boat was headed for the place. The island was of good size, well +wooded, and the shore was lined with bushes. There were a few bungalows on it, +but the season was not very good this year, and none of them had been rented. +The girls half-planned to hire one to use as headquarters in case they camped +on the island. +</p> + +<p> +“It doesn’t look very—ghostly,” said Betty, as she +surveyed it from the cockpit of her craft. +</p> + +<p> +“No, it looks lovely,” said Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“Is the ghost going to keep us away?” asked Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“Never!” cried the Little Captain, vigorously. +</p> + +<p> +“Hurray!” shouted Will, waving the boat’s flag that he took +from the after-socket. +</p> + +<p> +They made a turn of the island, and started back up the river for Deepdale, +reaching Mollie’s dock without incident. +</p> + +<p> +Busy days followed, for they were getting ready for the cruise. Uncle Amos went +out with Betty and the girls several times to offer advice, and he declared +that they were fast becoming good sailors. +</p> + +<p> +“Of course not good enough for deep water,” he made haste to +qualify, “but all right for a river and a lake.” +</p> + +<p> +The girls were learning to tell time seaman fashion. Betty fairly lived aboard +her new boat, her mother complained, but the Little Captain was not +selfish—she invited many of her friends and acquaintances to take short +trips with her. Among the girls she asked were Alice Jallow and Kittie +Rossmore, the two who had acted rather meanly toward our friends just prior to +the walking trip. But Alice was sincerely sorry for the anonymous letter she +had written, giving a hint of the mystery surrounding Amy Stonington, and the +girls had forgiven her. +</p> + +<p> +Betty’s Aunt Kate arrived. She was a middle-aged lady, but as fond of the +great out-doors as the girls themselves. She was to chaperone them for a time. +</p> + +<p> +The final preparations were made, the sailor suits were pronounced quite +“chicken” by Will—he meant “chic,” of course. +Trunks had been packed, some provisions put aboard, and all was in readiness. +Uncle Amos planned to meet the girls later, and see that all was going well. +The boys were to be given a treat some time after Rainbow Lake was reached, +word to be sent to them of this event. +</p> + +<p> +“All aboard!” cried Betty on the morning of the start. It was a +glorious, sunshiny day, quite warm, but there was a cool breeze on the river. +“All aboard!” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, I just know I’ve forgotten something!” declared Grace, +</p> + +<p> +“Your candy?” questioned Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“No, indeed. Don’t be horrid!” +</p> + +<p> +“I’m not. Only I thought——” +</p> + +<p> +“I’m just tired of thinking!” returned Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“Shall I cast off?” asked Will, who, with Frank, had come down to +the dock to see the girls start. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t you dare!” cried Mollie. “I’m sure I +forgot to bring my——” She made a hurried search among her +belongings. “No, I have it!” and she sighed in relief. She did not +say what it was. +</p> + +<p> +“All aboard!” cried Betty, giving three blasts on the compressed +air whistle. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t forget to send us word,” begged Frank. “We want +to join you on the lake.” +</p> + +<p> +“We’ll remember,” promised Betty, with a smile that showed +her white, even teeth. +</p> + +<p> +All was in readiness. Good-byes had been said to relatives and friends, and +Mrs. Billette, holding Paul by the hand, had come down to the dock to bid +farewell to her daughter and chums. +</p> + +<p> +“Have a good time!” she wished them. +</p> + +<p> +A maid hurried up to her, and said something in French. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, the doctor has come!” exclaimed Mollie’s mother. +“The doctor who is to look at Dodo—the specialist. Oh, I am so +glad!” +</p> + +<p> +“Shall I stay, mother?” cried Mollie, making a move as though to +come ashore. +</p> + +<p> +“No, dear; no! Go with your friends. I can send you word. You may call me +by the telephone. Good-bye—good-bye!” +</p> + +<p> +The <i>Gem</i> slowly dropped down the stream under the influence of the +current and her own power, Betty having throttled down the motor that the +farewell calls might be better heard. Mrs. Billette, waving her hand, hastened +toward the house, the maid taking care of little Paul, whose last request was: +</p> + +<p> +“Brin’ me some tandy!” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap10"></a>CHAPTER X<br /> +ADRIFT</h2> + +<p> +“Well, Captain Betty, what are your orders?” asked Amy, as the four +girls, and Aunt Kate, stood grouped in the space aft of the trunk cabin, Betty +being at the wheel, while the <i>Gem</i> moved slowly down the Argono River. +</p> + +<p> +“Just make yourselves perfectly at home,” answered Betty. +“This trip is for fun and pleasure, and, as far as possible, we are to do +just as we please. You don’t mind; do you, Aunt Kate?” +</p> + +<p> +“Not in the least, my dear, as long as you don’t sink,” and +the chaperone smiled indulgently. +</p> + +<p> +“This boat won’t sink,” declared Betty, with confidence. +“It has water-tight compartments. Uncle Amos had them built +purposely.” +</p> + +<p> +“It certainly is a beautiful boat—beautiful,” murmured +Mollie, looking about as she pulled and straightened her middy blouse. +“And it was so good of you, Bet, to ask us on this cruise.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why, that’s what the boat is for—for one’s friends. We +are all shipmates now.” +</p> + +<p> +“‘Strike up a song, here comes a sailor,’” chanted +Grace, rather indistinctly, for she was, as usual, eating a chocolate. +</p> + +<p> +The girls, standing there on the little depressed deck, their hair tastefully +arranged, topped by natty little caps, with their sailor suits of blue and +white, presented a picture that more than one turned to look at. The <i>Gem</i> +was near the shore, along which ran a main-traveled highway, and there seemed +to be plenty of traffic this morning. Also, a number of boats were going up or +down stream, some large, some small, and often the occupants turned to take a +second look at the Outdoor Girls. +</p> + +<p> +Certainly they had every appearance of living the life of the open, for they +had been well tanned by the long walk they took, and that +“berry-brown” was being added to now by the summer sun reflecting +from the river. +</p> + +<p> +“Is this as fast as you can go?” asked Mollie, as she looked over +the side and noted that they were not much exceeding the current of the river. +</p> + +<p> +“Indeed, no! Look!” cried Betty, as she released the throttle +control that connected the gasoline supply with the motor. At once, as when the +accelerator pedal of an auto is pressed, the engine hummed and throbbed, and a +mass of foam appeared at the stern to show the presence of the whirling +propeller. +</p> + +<p> +“That’s fine!” cried Grace, as Betty slowed down once more. +</p> + +<p> +“I thought we’d take it easy,” the Little Captain went on, +“as we don’t want to finish our cruise in one day, or even two. If +I drove the <i>Gem</i> to the limit, we’d be in Rainbow Lake, and out of +it, in too short a time. So I planned to go down the river slowly, stop at noon +and go ashore for our lunch, go on slowly again, and tie up for the +night.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then we’re going to sleep aboard?” asked Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“Of course! What would be the fun of having bunks if we didn’t use +them? Of course we’ll sleep here.” +</p> + +<p> +“And stand watches—and all that sort of thing, the way your uncle +told of it being done aboard ships?” Mollie wanted to know. +</p> + +<p> +“There’ll be no need of that,” declared Betty. “But we +can leave a light burning.” +</p> + +<p> +“To scare away sharks?” asked Amy, with a laugh. +</p> + +<p> +“No, but if we didn’t some one passing might think the boat +deserted and—come aboard to take things.” +</p> + +<p> +“I hope they don’t take us!” cried Mollie. “I’m +going to hide my new bracelet,” and she looked at the sparkling trinket +on her wrist. +</p> + +<p> +“Amy, want to steer?” asked Grace, after a while, and the girl of +mystery agreed eagerly. But she nearly came to grief within a few minutes. A +canoeist rather rashly crossed the bows of the <i>Gem</i> at no great distance. +</p> + +<p> +“Port! Port!” cried Betty, suddenly, seeing the danger. +</p> + +<p> +“Which is port—right or left? I’ve forgotten!” wailed +Amy, helplessly. +</p> + +<p> +“To the left! To the left!” answered Betty, springing forward. She +was not in time to prevent Amy from turning the wheel to the left, which had +the effect of swinging the boat to the right, and almost directly toward the +canoeist, who shouted in alarm. +</p> + +<p> +But by this time Betty had reached the wheel, and twirled it rapidly. She was +only just in time, and the <i>Gem</i> fairly grazed the canoe, the wash from +the propeller rocking it dangerously. +</p> + +<p> +“We beg your pardon!” called Betty to the young man in the frail +craft. +</p> + +<p> +“That’s all right,” he said, pleasantly. “It was my own +fault.” +</p> + +<p> +“Thank you,” spoke Amy, gratefully. “Here, Bet, I don’t +want to steer any more.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, keep the wheel. You may as well learn, and I’ll stand by you. +No telling when you may have to steer all alone.” +</p> + +<p> +They stopped for lunch in a pretty little grove, and sat and talked for an hour +afterward. Mollie hunted up a telephone and got into communication with her +house. She came back looking rather sober. +</p> + +<p> +“The specialist says Dodo will have to undergo an operation,” she +reported. Grace gasped, and the others looked worried. +</p> + +<p> +“It isn’t serious,” continued Mollie, “and he says she +will surely be better after it. But of course mamma feels dreadful about +it.” +</p> + +<p> +“I should think so,” observed Betty. “They never found out +who those mean autoists were, did they?” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” answered Grace, “and we’ve never gotten a trace +of Prince, or the missing papers. Papa is much worried.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, let’s talk about something more pleasant,” suggested +Betty. “Shall we start off again?” +</p> + +<p> +“Might as well,” agreed Grace. “And as it isn’t far to +that funny Mr. Lagg’s store, let’s stop and——” +</p> + +<p> +“Get some candy and poetry,” sniped Amy, with a laugh. +</p> + +<p> +“I was going to say hairpins, as I need them,” spoke Grace, with a +dignity that soon vanished, “but since you suggested chocolates, +I’ll get them as well.” +</p> + +<p> +They found Mr. Lagg smiling as usual. +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“This fine and beautiful sunny day,<br /> + + what will you have—oats or hay?” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +Thus he greeted the girls, who laughingly declined anything in the line of +fodder. +</p> + +<p> +“Unless you could put some out as a bait for our horse Prince,” +spoke Grace. “It’s the queerest thing where he can have +gone.” +</p> + +<p> +“It is strange,” admitted the genial storekeeper, who had heard the +story from Will. “But if I hear of him I’ll let you know. And, now +what can I do for you? +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“I’ve razors, soap and perfume rare,<br /> + + To scent the balmy summer air,” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +He bowed to the girls in turn. +</p> + +<p> +“How about chewing gum?” asked Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, would you?” asked Grace, in rather horrified tones. +</p> + +<p> +“Certainly, aboard the boat where no one will see us.” +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“Gum, gum; chewing gum,<br /> + + One and two is a small sum,” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +Mr. Lagg thus quoted as he opened the showcase. +</p> + +<p> +The girls made several purchases, and were treated to more of the +storekeeper’s amusing couplets. Then they started off again, having +inquired for a good place at which to tie up for the night. +</p> + +<p> +Dunkirk, on the western shore, was recommended by Mr. Lagg in a little rhyme, +and then he waved to them from the end of his dock as the <i>Gem</i> was once +more under way. +</p> + +<p> +“Look out for that big steamer,” cautioned Betty a little later, to +Grace, who was steering. +</p> + +<p> +“Why, I’m far enough off,” answered Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“You never can tell,” responded the Little Captain, “for +there is often a strong attraction between vessels on a body of water. Give it +a wide berth, as Uncle Amos would say.” +</p> + +<p> +That Betty’s advice was needed was made manifest a moment later, for the +large steamer whistled sharply, which was an intimation to the smaller craft to +veer off, and Grace shifted the wheel. +</p> + +<p> +They reached Dunkirk without further incident, except that about a mile from it +the motor developed some trouble. In vain Betty and the others poked about in +the forward compartment trying to locate it, and they might not have succeeded +had not a man, passing in a little one-cylindered boat, kindly stopped and +discovered that one of the spark plug wires was loose. It was soon adjusted and +the <i>Gem</i> proceeded. +</p> + +<p> +“I’ll always be on the lookout for that first, when there is any +trouble after this,” said Betty, as she thanked the stranger. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, that isn’t the only kind of trouble that can develop in a +motor,” he assured her. But Betty well knew this herself. +</p> + +<p> +They had passed Elm Island soon after leaving Mr. Lagg’s store, but saw +no sign of life on it. They intended to come back later on in their cruise and +camp there, if they decided to carry out their original plans of living in a +tent or bungalow. +</p> + +<p> +“That is, if the ghost doesn’t make it too unpleasant,” +remarked Betty. +</p> + +<p> +They ate supper aboard the boat, cooking on the little galley stove. Then the +work of getting ready for the night, washing the dishes, preparing the bunks, +and so on, was divided among the five, though Aunt Kate wanted the girls to go +ashore and let her attend to everything. +</p> + +<p> +“We’ll take a little walk ashore after we have everything +ready,” suggested Betty. The stroll along the river bank in the cool of +the evening, while the colors of the glorious sunset were still in the sky, was +most enjoyable. +</p> + +<p> +“Gracious! A mosquito bit me!” exclaimed Grace, as she rubbed the +back of her slim, white hand. +</p> + +<p> +“That isn’t a capital crime,” laughed Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“No, but if there are mosquitoes here they will make life miserable for +us to-night,” Grace went on. +</p> + +<p> +“I have citronella, and there are mosquito nettings over the +bunks,” said Betty. “Don’t worry.” +</p> + +<p> +They went back to the boat, and the lanterns were lighted. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, doesn’t it look too nice to sleep in!” exclaimed Amy, as +they gazed into the little cabin, with its tastefully arranged berths. +</p> + +<p> +“I’m tired enough to sleep on almost any thing,” yawned +Mollie. “Let’s see who’ll be the first +to——” +</p> + +<p> +“Not snore, I hope!” exclaimed Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t suggest such a thing,” came from Amy. “We are +none of us addicted to the luxury.” +</p> + +<p> +But, after all, tired as they were, no one felt like going to sleep, once they +were prepared for it. They talked over the events of the day, got to laughing, +and from laughing to almost hysterical giggling. But finally nature asserted +herself, and all was quiet aboard the <i>Gem</i>, which had been moored to a +private dock, just above the town. +</p> + +<p> +It was Betty, rather a light sleeper, who awoke first, and she could not +account at once for the peculiar motion. It was as though she was swinging in a +hammock. She sat up, and peered about the dimly lighted cabin. Then the +remembrance of where she was came to her. +</p> + +<p> +“But—but!” she exclaimed. “We’re adrift! +We’re floating down the river!” +</p> + +<p> +She sprang from her berth and awakened Grace by shaking her. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap11"></a>CHAPTER XI<br /> +IN DANGER</h2> + +<p> +“What is it? Oh, what has happened?” +</p> + +<p> +Grace cried half hysterically as she saw Betty bending over her. The others +awakened. +</p> + +<p> +“Why, we’re moving!” exclaimed Amy, in wonderment. +</p> + +<p> +“What did you want to start off for, in the middle of the night?” +Mollie asked, blinking the sleep from her eyes. +</p> + +<p> +“I didn’t,” answered Betty quickly. “We’re +adrift! I don’t know how it could have happened. You girls tied the boat, +didn’t you?” +</p> + +<p> +“Of course,” answered Grace. “I fastened both ropes +myself.” +</p> + +<p> +“Never mind about that,” broke in Aunt Kate. “I don’t +know much about boats, but if this one isn’t being steered we may run +into something.” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s so!” cried Betty. “But I didn’t want to +go out on deck alone—slip your raincoats on, girls, and come with me! +There may be—I mean some one may have set us adrift purposely!” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, don’t say such things!” pleaded Grace, looking at the +cabin ports as though a face might be peering in. +</p> + +<p> +Quickly Betty and Mollie got into their long, dark coats, and without waiting +for slippers reached the after deck. As they looked ahead they saw a bright +light bearing directly for them. It was a white light, and on either side +showed a gleam of red and green. Then a whistle blew. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, we’re going to be run down!” cried Mollie. “A +steamer is coming directly for us, Betty!” +</p> + +<p> +“We won’t be run down if we can get out of the way!” +exclaimed Betty, sharply. “Push that button—the automatic, I +mean—and start the motor. I’ll steer,” and Betty grasped the +wheel with one hand, while with the other she pulled the signal cord, sending +out a sharp blast that indicated her direction to the oncoming steamer would be +to port. The steamer replied, indicating that she would take the same course. +Evidently there was some misunderstanding. +</p> + +<p> +“And we haven’t our side lamps going!” cried Betty, in alarm, +as she realized the danger. “Quick, girls, come up here!” she +called to Grace and Amy. “One of you switch on the electric lamps. At +least they can see us, then, and can avoid us. Oh, I don’t know what to +do! I never thought of this!” +</p> + +<p> +A sudden glow told that Amy had found the storage battery switch, for the red +and green lights now gleamed. Again the on-coming steamer whistled, +sharply—interrogatively. Betty answered, but she was not sure she had +given the right signal. +</p> + +<p> +“Why don’t you start the motor?” she called to Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“I can’t! It doesn’t seem to work.” +</p> + +<p> +“The switch is off!” exclaimed Grace, as she came out of the cabin. +With a quick motion she shoved it over. +</p> + +<p> +“How stupid of me!” cried Betty. “I should have seen to that +first. Try again, Mollie!” +</p> + +<p> +Again Mollie pressed the button of the self-starter, but there was no response. +The <i>Gem</i> was still drifting, seemingly in the very path of the steamer. +</p> + +<p> +“Why don’t they change their course?” wailed Amy. +“Can’t they see we’re not under control? We can’t +start! We can’t start!” she cried at the top of her voice, hoping +the other steersman would hear. +</p> + +<p> +“The steamer can’t get out of the channel—that’s the +reason!” gasped Betty. “I see now. It’s too shallow for big +boats except in certain places here. We must get out of her way—she +can’t get out of ours! Girls, we must start the motor!” +</p> + +<p> +“Then try it with the crank, and let the automatic go,” suggested +Aunt Kate, practically. “Probably it’s out of order. You must do +something, girls!” +</p> + +<p> +“Use the crank!” cried Betty, who was hobbling the wheel over as +hard as she could, hoping the tug of the current would carry the <i>Gem</i> out +of danger. But the craft hardly had steerage way on. +</p> + +<p> +Mollie seized the crank, which, by means of a long shaft and sprocket chain, +extending from the after cabin bulkhead to the flywheel, revolved that. She +gave it a vigorous turn. There was no welcome response of throbbing explosions +in the cylinders. +</p> + +<p> +“Try again!” gasped Betty, “Oh, all of you try. I simply +can’t leave the wheel.” +</p> + +<p> +The steamer was now sending out a concert of sharp, staccato blasts. Plainly +she was saying, loudly: +</p> + +<p> +“Get out of my way! I have the right of the river! You must get out of my +way! I can’t avoid you!” +</p> + +<p> +“Why don’t they stop?” wailed Grace. “Then we +wouldn’t bump them so hard!” +</p> + +<p> +As if in answer, there came echoing over the dark water the clang of the +engine-room bell, that told half-speed ahead had been ordered. A moment later +came the signal to stop the engines. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, if only Uncle Amos—or some of the boys—were here!” +breathed Betty. “Girls, try once more!” +</p> + +<p> +Together Mollie and Grace whirled the crank, and an instant later the motor +started with a throb that shook the boat from stem to stern. +</p> + +<p> +“There!” cried Betty. “Now I can avoid them.” +</p> + +<p> +She threw in the clutch, and as the <i>Gem</i> shot ahead she whistled to +indicate her course. This time came the proper response, and a little later the +motor boat shot past the towering sides of the river steamer. So near had a +collision been that the girls could hear the complaining voice of the pilot of +the large craft. +</p> + +<p> +“What’s the matter with you fellows?” the man cried, as he +looked down on the girls. “Don’t you know what you’re +doing?” Clearly he was angry. +</p> + +<p> +“We got adrift, and the motor wouldn’t start,” cried Betty, +in shrill tones. +</p> + +<p> +“Pilot biscuit and puppy cakes!” cried the man. “It’s a +bunch of girls! No wonder they didn’t know what to do!” +</p> + +<p> +“We did—only we couldn’t do it!” shouted Betty, not +willing to have any aspersions cast on herself or her friends. “It was an +accident!” +</p> + +<p> +“All right; don’t let it happen again,” cried the steersman, +in more kindly tones. And then the <i>Gem</i> slipped on down the river. +</p> + +<p> +“What are we going to do?” asked Mollie, as Grace steered her boat. +</p> + +<p> +“If we’re going to stay out here I’m going to get +dressed,” declared Grace. “It’s quite chilly.” +</p> + +<p> +Can you find your way back to the dock?” Aunt Kate inquired. “Can +you do it, Betty?” +</p> + +<p> +“I think so. We left a light on it, you know. I’ll turn around and +see if I can pick it out. Oh, but I’m all in a tremble!” +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t blame you—it was a narrow escape,” said +Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t see how we could have gone adrift, unless some one cut the +ropes,” remarked Grace. “I’m sure I tied them tightly +enough.” +</p> + +<p> +“They may have become frayed by rubbing,” suggested Betty. +“We’ll look when we get a chance. What are you going to do, +Amy?” for she was entering the cabin. +</p> + +<p> +“I’m going to make some hot chocolate,” Amy answered. +“I think we need it.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’ll help,” spoke Aunt Kate. “That’s a very +sensible idea.” +</p> + +<p> +“I think that is the dock light,” remarked Betty a little later, +when the boat was headed up stream. +</p> + +<p> +“Anyhow, we can’t be very far from it,” observed Grace. +“Try that one,” and she pointed to a gleam that came across the +waters. “Then there’s another just above.” +</p> + +<p> +The first light did not prove to be the one on the private dock where they had +been tied up, but the second attempt to locate it was successful, and soon they +were back where they had been before. Betty laid the <i>Gem</i> alongside the +stringpiece, and Grace and Mollie, leaping out, soon had the boat fast. The +ends of the ropes, which had been trailing from the deck cleats in the water, +were found unfrayed. +</p> + +<p> +“They must have come untied!” said Grace. “Oh, it was my +fault. I thought I had mastered those knots, but I must have tied the wrong +kind.” +</p> + +<p> +“Never mind,” said Betty, gently. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap12"></a>CHAPTER XII<br /> +AT RAINBOW LAKE</h2> + +<p> +Once the <i>Gem</i> was securely tied—and Betty now made sure of +this—the tired and rather chilly girls adjourned to the cabin, and under +the lights had the hot chocolate Aunt Kate and Amy had made. +</p> + +<p> +“It’s delicious,” spoke Betty. “I feel so much better +now.” +</p> + +<p> +“We must never let on to the boys that we came near running down a +steamer,” said Grace. “We’d never hear the last of it.” +</p> + +<p> +“But we didn’t nearly run down a steamer—she came toward +us,” insisted Betty, not willing to have her seamanship brought into +question. “If it had been any other boat, not drawing so much water, she +could have steered out of the way. As it was we, not being under control, had +the right of way.” +</p> + +<p> +“It wouldn’t have done any good to have insisted on it,” +remarked Grace, drawlingly. +</p> + +<p> +“No, especially as we couldn’t hoist the signal to show +that,” went on Betty. “Uncle Amos told me there are signals for +nearly everything that can happen at sea, but of course I never thought of such +a thing as that we’d get adrift. I must be prepared next time.” +</p> + +<p> +“I can’t understand about those knots,” spoke Grace. +“Where is that book?” +</p> + +<p> +“What book?” +</p> + +<p> +“The one showing how to tie different kinds of knots. I’m going to +study up on the subject.” +</p> + +<p> +“Not to-night,” objected Aunt Kate. “It’s nearly +morning as it is.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, the first thing to-morrow, then,” declared Grace. +“I’m going to make up for my blunder.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, don’t be distressed,” consoled Betty. “Any of us +might have made the same mistake. It was only an accident, Grace dear.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, I seem fated to have accidents lately. There was poor little +Dodo——” +</p> + +<p> +“Not your fault at all!” exclaimed Mollie, promptly. +“I’ll not allow you to blame yourself for her accident. It was +those motorists, if any-one, and I’m not sure they were altogether to +blame. Anyhow, I’m sure Dodo will be cured after the operation.” +</p> + +<p> +“I hope so,” murmured Grace. +</p> + +<p> +The appetizing odor of bacon and eggs came from the little galley, mingled with +the aromatic foretaste of coffee. Aunt Kate was busy inside. The girls were +laughing out in the cabin, or on the lowered after-deck. It was the next +morning—which makes all the difference in the world. +</p> + +<p> +“I’m afraid we’re going to have a shower today,” +observed Amy, musingly, as she looked up at the sky. A light fog hung over the +river. +</p> + +<p> +“Will you ever forget the awful shower that kept us in the deserted house +all night?” asked Betty, as she arranged her hair. “I mean when we +were on our walking trip,” she added, looking for a ribbon that had +floated, like a rose petal, under her shelf-dresser. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, we’ll never get over that!” declared Mollie, who was +industriously putting hairpins where they would be more serviceable. “And +we couldn’t imagine, for the longest time, why the house should be left +all alone that way.” +</p> + +<p> +“Now I’m going to begin my lesson,” announced Grace, who, +having gotten herself ready for breakfast, took up the book showing how various +sailor knots should be made. With a piece of twine she tied +“figure-eights,” now and then slipping into the +“grannie” class; she made half-hitches, clove hitches, a running +bowline, and various other combinations, until Amy declared that it made her +head ache to look on. +</p> + +<p> +The girls had breakfast, strolled about on shore for a little while, and then +started off, intending to stop in Dunkirk, which town lay a little below them, +to get some supplies, and replenish the oil and gasoline. +</p> + +<p> +It was while Betty was bargaining for the latter necessaries for her motor in a +garage near the river that she heard a hearty voice outside asking: +</p> + +<p> +“Have you men seen anything of a trim little craft, manned by four pretty +girls, in the offing? She’d be about two tons register, a rakish little +motor boat, sailing under the name <i>Gem</i> and looking every inch of it. She +ought to be here about high tide, stopping for sealed orders, +and——” +</p> + +<p> +“Uncle Amos!” cried Betty, hurrying to the garage door, as she +recognized his voice. “Are you looking for us?” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s what I am, lass, and I struck the right harbor first thing; +didn’t I? Davy Jones couldn’t be any more accurate! Well, how are +you?” +</p> + +<p> +“All right, Uncle. The girls are down in the boat at the dock,” and +she pointed. “The man is going to take down the oil and gasoline. +Won’t you come on a trip with us? We expect to make Rainbow Lake by +night.” +</p> + +<p> +“Of course I’ll come! That’s why I drifted in here. I worked +out your reckoning and I calculated that you’d be here about to-day, so I +come by train, stayed over night, and here I am. What kind of a voyage did you +have?” +</p> + +<p> +“Very good—one little accident, that’s all,” and she +told about getting adrift. +</p> + +<p> +“Pshaw, now! That’s too bad! I’ll have to give you some +lessons in mooring knots, I guess. It won’t do to slip your cable in the +middle of the night.” +</p> + +<p> +The girls were as glad to see Betty’s uncle as he was to greet them, and +soon, with plenty of supplies on board, and with the old sea captain at the +wheel, which Betty graciously asked him to take, the <i>Gem</i> slipped down +the river again. +</p> + +<p> +At noon, when they tied up to go ashore in a pleasant grove for lunch, Mr. +Marlin demonstrated how to tie so many different kinds of knots that the girls +said they never could remember half of them. But most particularly he insisted +on all of them learning how to tie a boat properly so it could not slip away. +</p> + +<p> +Betty already knew this, and Mollie had a fairly good notion of it, but Grace +admitted that, all along, she had been making a certain wrong turn which would +cause the knot to slip under strain. +</p> + +<p> +They motored down the river again, stopping at a small town to enable Mollie to +go ashore and telephone home to learn the condition of little Dodo. There was +nothing new to report, for the operation would not take place for some time +yet. +</p> + +<p> +Grace also called up to ask if anything had been heard of the missing horse and +papers, but there was no good news. However, there was no bad news, Will, who +talked to his sister, reporting that the interests opposed to their father had +made no move to take advantage of the non-production of the documents. +</p> + +<p> +“Have a good time, Sis,” called Will over the wire. +“Don’t worry. It doesn’t do any good, and it will spoil your +cruise. Something may turn up any time. But it sure is queer how Prince can be +away so long.” +</p> + +<p> +“It certainly is,” agreed Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“And so you expect to make Rainbow Lake by six bells?” asked +Betty’s uncle, as he paced up and down the rather restricted quarters of +the deck. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, Uncle, by seven o’clock,” answered Betty, who was at +the wheel. “Six bells—six bells!” he exclaimed. “You +must talk sea lingo on a boat, Bet.” +</p> + +<p> +“All right, Uncle—six bells.” +</p> + +<p> +“Where’s your charts?” he asked, suddenly. +</p> + +<p> +“Charts?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, how are you sailing? Have you marked the course since last night +and posted it? Where are your charts—your maps? How do you expect to make +Rainbow Lake without some kind of charts? Are you going by dead +reckoning?” +</p> + +<p> +“Why, Uncle, all we have to do is to keep right on down the river, and it +opens into Rainbow Lake. The lake is really a wide part of the river, you know. +We don’t need any charts.” +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t need any charts? Have you heaved the lead to see how much +water you’ve got?” +</p> + +<p> +“Why, no,” and she looked at him wonderingly. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, well!” he exclaimed. “Oh, I forgot this isn’t +salt water. Well, I dare say you will stumble into the lake after some +fashion—but it isn’t seaman-like—it isn’t +seaman-like,” and the old tar shook his grizzled head gloomily. +</p> + +<p> +Betty smiled, and shifted her course a little to give a wide berth to some boys +who were fishing. She did not want the propeller’s wash to disturb them. +They waved gratefully to her. +</p> + +<p> +The sun was declining in the west, amid a bank of golden, olive and purple +clouds, and a little breeze ruffled the water of the river. The stream was +widening out now, and Betty remarked: +</p> + +<p> +“We’ll soon be in the lake now.” +</p> + +<p> +“The boat—not us, I hope,” murmured Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“Of course,” assented Betty, “Won’t you stay with us +to-night, Uncle Amos?” she asked, as she opened the throttle a little +wider, to get more speed. “You can have one of the rear—I mean +after, bunks,” she corrected, quickly. +</p> + +<p> +“That’s better,” and he smiled. “No, I’ll berth +ashore, I guess. I’ve got to get back to town, anyhow. I just wanted to +see how you girls were getting along.” +</p> + +<p> +The <i>Gem</i> was speeding up. They rounded a turn, and then the girls +exclaimed: +</p> + +<p> +“Rainbow Lake!” +</p> + +<p> +In all its beauty this wide sheet of water lay before them. It was dotted with +many pleasure craft, for vacation life was pulsing and throbbing in its summer +heydey now. As the <i>Gem</i> came out on the broad expanse a natty little +motor boat, long and slender, evidently built for speed, came racing straight +toward the craft of the girls. +</p> + +<p> +“Gracious, I hope we haven’t violated any rules,” murmured +Betty, as she slowed down, for she caught a motion that indicated that the two +young men in the boat wished to speak to her. +</p> + +<p> +As they came nearer Grace uttered an exclamation. +</p> + +<p> +“What is it?” asked Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“Those young men—in the boat. I’m sure they’re the same +two who were in the auto that made Prince run away! Oh, what shall I do?” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap13"></a>CHAPTER XIII<br /> +CRACKERS AND OLIVES</h2> + +<p> +Betty grasped the situation, and acted quickly, as she always did in an +emergency. +</p> + +<p> +“Are you sure, Grace?” she asked. She could speak without fear of +the men in the racing boat overhearing her, for they had thrown out their +clutch, a moment later letting it slip into reverse, and the churning +propeller, and the throb of the motor, made it impossible for them to hear what +was said aboard the <i>Gem</i>. “Are you sure, Grace?” repeated +Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, almost. Of course I only had a glimpse of them, but I have good +cause to remember them.” +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t say anything now, then,” suggested Betty. “We +will wait and see what they say. Later we may be able to make sure.” +</p> + +<p> +“All right,” Grace agreed, looking intently at the two young men. +They seemed nice enough, and were smiling in a pleasant, frank manner at the +outdoor girls and Aunt Kate. The two boats were now slowly drifting side by +side on Rainbow Lake, the motors of both stilled. +</p> + +<p> +“I beg your pardon,” said the darker complexioned of the two men, +“my name is Stone, and this is my friend, Mr. Kennedy. We are on the +regatta committee and we’d like to get as many entries for the water +pageant as we can. Is your boat entered yet?” +</p> + +<p> +He gazed from one girl to another, as though to ascertain who was in command of +the newly arrived craft, which seemed to have attracted considerable attention, +for a number of other boats were centering about her. +</p> + +<p> +“We have just arrived,” spoke Betty in her capacity as captain. +“We are cruising about, and we haven’t heard of any regatta or +pageant, except a rumor that one was to be held some time this summer.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, it’s only been in process of arrangement for about a +week,” explained Mr. Stone. “It will be the first of its kind to be +held on the lake, and we want it to be a success. Nearly all of the campers and +summer cottagers, who have motor boats, have agreed to enter the parade, and +also in the races. We’d like to enter you in both. We have different +classes, handicapped according to speed, and your craft looks as though it +could go some.” +</p> + +<p> +“It can,” Betty admitted, while Grace was intently studying the +faces of the two young men. The more she looked at them, the more convinced she +was that they were the ones who had been in the auto. +</p> + +<p> +“We saw you arrive,” said Mr. Kennedy, who, Mollie said afterward, +had a pleasant voice, “and we hurried over to get you down on the list +the first thing.” +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t disappoint us—say you’ll enter!” urged Mr. +Stone. “You don’t know us, of course, but I have taken the liberty +of introducing myself, If you are acquainted with any of the cottagers on the +lake shore, or on Triangle Island, you can ask them about us.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, we are very glad you invited us,” replied Betty, quickly. She +did not want the young men to think that she resented anything. Besides, if +what Grace thought about them was so, they would want a chance to inquire about +the young men more closely, perhaps, than the young men themselves would care +to be looked after. For Betty recalled what Grace had said—that her +father had a faint idea that perhaps the motorists might have acted as they did +purposely, to get possession of the papers. +</p> + +<p> +“Then you’ll enter?” asked Mr. Kennedy. +</p> + +<p> +“We can’t be sure,” spoke Betty, who seemed to be doing all +the talking. “Our plans are uncertain, we have no very definite ones, +though. We intended merely to cruise about, and perhaps camp on one of the +islands for a few days. But if we find we can, we will at least take part in +the water pageant—that is, in the parade with the other boats.” +</p> + +<p> +“And we’d like you to be in the races,” suggested Mr. +Kennedy. “Your boat has very fine lines. What horse power have +you?” +</p> + +<p> +“It is rated twenty,” answered Betty, promptly, proud that she had +the knowledge at her tongue’s end, “but it develops nearer +twenty-five.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then you’d go in Class B.” said Mr. Stone. “I will +enter you, tentatively at least, for that race, and if you find you can’t +compete, no harm will be done. There are some very handsome prizes.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, do enter, Bet!” exclaimed Mollie in a whisper, for she was +fond of sports of all kinds. “It will he such jolly fun!” +</p> + +<p> +Betty looked at her aunt. Racing had not entered into their plans when they +talked them over with the folks at home. +</p> + +<p> +“I think you might; they seem very nice, and we can easily find out if +other girls are to race,” said Aunt Kate, in a low voice. +</p> + +<p> +“You may enter my boat, then,” said Betty, graciously. +</p> + +<p> +“Thank you!” exclaimed Mr. Stone. “The <i>Gem</i> goes in, +and her captain’s name—?” +</p> + +<p> +“Miss Nelson.” +</p> + +<p> +“Of—?” again he paused suggestively, pencil poised. +</p> + +<p> +“Of Deepdale.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, yes, I have been there. I am sure you will not regret having decided +to enter the regatta. Now if you would like to tie up for the night there are +several good public docks near here. That one over there,” and he +pointed, “is used by very few other boats, and perhaps you would like it. +Plenty of room, you know.” +</p> + +<p> +“Thank you,” said Betty. “We shall go over there.” +</p> + +<p> +“I will send you a formal entry blank to-morrow,” said Mr. Stone, +as his companion started the motor, and a moment later they were rushing off in +a smother of foam thrown up by the powerful racing craft. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, what do you think of that?” gasped Mollie, when they had +gone. “No sooner do we arrive than we are plunged into the midst +of—er—the midst of—what is it I want to say?” She +laughed and looked about for assistance. +</p> + +<p> +“Better give it up,” said Amy. “But what Grace said surprises +me—about those two young men.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, of course I can’t be sure of it,” said Grace, as all +eyes were turned in her direction, “but the more I look at those two the +more I really think they are the ones. I wonder if there isn’t some way I +could make sure?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” said practical Betty, “there is. That is why I decided +to enter the <i>Gem</i> in the regatta. It will give us a chance to do a little +quiet investigating.” +</p> + +<p> +“But how?” inquired Grace, puzzled. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, if we make some inquiries, and find out that they are all right to +talk to—and they may be in spite of the mean way they acted toward +you—why, then, we can question them, and gradually lead the talk around +to autos, and racing, and storms, and all that. They’ll probably let out +something about having been caught in a storm once, and seeing a horse run +away. Then we will be sure they are the same ones, and—well, I +don’t know what would be the best thing to do then, Grace.” +</p> + +<p> +“Grace had better notify her father or brother if she finds out these are +the men,” suggested Aunt Kate. “They would be the best ones to act +after that.” +</p> + +<p> +“Surely,” agreed Grace. “That’s what I’ll do. And +now let’s go over to the dock, and see about supper. I’m as hungry +as a starved kitten.” +</p> + +<p> +“And with all the candy she’s eaten since lunch!” exclaimed +Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“I didn’t eat much at all!” came promptly from Grace. +“Did I, Amy?” +</p> + +<p> +“I wasn’t watching. Anyhow, I am hungry, too.” +</p> + +<p> +“I fancy we all are,” spoke Betty. “Well, we will soon be +there,” and she started the motor, and swung the prow of the <i>Gem</i> +over toward the dock. +</p> + +<p> +There were one or two small open motor boats tied there, but they were not +manned. The girls made sure of their cable fastenings, and soon the appetizing +odor of cooking came from the small galley. The girls donned long aprons over +their sailor costumes, and ate out on the open deck, for it was rather close in +the cabin. +</p> + +<p> +“It is as sultry as though there were going to be a storm,” +remarked Betty, looking up at the sky, which was taking on the tints of +evening. “I am glad we’re not going to be out on the lake +to-night.” +</p> + +<p> +“Aren’t we ever going to do any night cruising?” asked +Mollie, who was a bit venturesome at times. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, of course. Why, the main water pageant takes place at night, one of +those young men said, and we’ll be in that. Only I’m just as glad +we’re tied up to-night,” spoke Betty. +</p> + +<p> +Near where they had docked was a little colony of summer cottages, and not far +off was an amusement resort, including a moving picture show. +</p> + +<p> +“Let’s go, girls!” proposed Grace after supper, “We +don’t want to sit around all evening doing nothing. The boat will be +safe; won’t it, Betty?” +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t say ‘it’—my boat is a lady—speak of +her as such,” laughed the Little Captain. “Yes, I think she will be +safe. But I will see if there is a dock watchman, and if there is I’ll +engage him.” +</p> + +<p> +There proved to be one, who, for a small fee, would see that no unauthorized +persons entered the <i>Gem</i>. Then the girls, attiring themselves in their +“shore togs,” as Betty expressed it, went to see the moving +pictures. +</p> + +<p> +“What will we do to-morrow?” asked Grace, as they came out, having +had two hours of enjoyment. +</p> + +<p> +“I was thinking of a little picnic ashore,” answered Betty. +“There are some lovely places on the banks of the lake, to say nothing of +the several small islands. We can cruise about a bit, and then go ashore with +our lunch. Or, if any of you have any other plan, don’t hesitate to +mention it. I want you girls to have a good time.” +</p> + +<p> +“As if we weren’t having it, Little Captain!” cried Mollie +with an impulsive embrace. “The picnic by all means, and please +let’s take plenty of crackers and olives.” +</p> + +<p> +“Talk about me eating candy,” mocked Grace, “you are as bad +on olives.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, they’re not so bad for one as candy.” +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t know about that.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, don’t argue!” begged quiet little Amy. +“Let’s talk about the picnic.” +</p> + +<p> +It was arranged that they should have an informal one, and the next morning, +after an uneventful night—save that Grace awakened them all by declaring +someone was coming aboard, when it proved to be only a frightened dog—the +next morning they started off again, leaving word with the dock watchman, who +did boat repairing, that they would be back late that afternoon. +</p> + +<p> +They had made some inquiries, and decided to go ashore on Eel Island, so named +from its long, narrow shape. There was a small dock there, which made it easy +for the <i>Gem</i> to land her passengers, since she drew a little too much +water to get right up to shore. +</p> + +<p> +The girls cruised about Rainbow Lake, being saluted many times by other craft, +the occupants of which seemed to admire Betty’s fine boat. In turn she +answered with the regulation three blasts of the air whistle. At several +private docks, the property of wealthy cottagers, could be seen signs of +preparation for the coming water carnival. The boat houses were being +decorated, and in some cases elaborate schemes of ornamentation were under way +for the boats themselves. +</p> + +<p> +“It looks as though it would be nice,” remarked Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, I think we shall enjoy it,” agreed Betty. +</p> + +<p> +They stopped at one cottage, occupied by a Mrs. Ralston, whom Betty knew +slightly. Mrs. Ralston wanted the girls and Aunt Kate to stay to lunch, but +they told of their picnic plans. They wanted to inquire about Mr. Stone and Mr. +Kennedy, and they were all glad to learn that the two young men were held in +the highest esteem, and were given a great deal of credit for their hard work +in connection with the lake pageant. +</p> + +<p> +“And to think they could be so unfeeling as to make Prince run away and +cause all that trouble,” observed Mollie, as they were again aboard the +boat. +</p> + +<p> +“Perhaps it was not they, or there may be some explanation of their +conduct,” suggested Betty. “We must not judge too hastily.” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s Betty Nelson—all over,” said Amy. +</p> + +<p> +Eel Island proved to be an ideal picnic place, and there were one or two other +parties on it when the girls arrived. They made the <i>Gem</i> secure, and +struck off into the woods with their lunch baskets, Betty having removed a +certain patented spark plug, without which the motor could not be started. It +was not likely that anyone would be able to duplicate it and make off with the +craft in their absence, so they felt it safe to leave the boat unguarded. +</p> + +<p> +“Pass the olives, Grace my dear,” requested Mollie, when they were +seated on a grassy knoll under a big oak tree. “I have the crackers +beside me. Now I am happy,” and she munched the appetizing combination. +</p> + +<p> +“Crackers and olives!” murmured Betty. “Our old schoolday +feast. I haven’t gotten over my love for them, either. Let them +circulate, Mollie.” +</p> + +<p> +The girls were making merry with quip and jest when Grace, hearing a crackling +of under brush, looked back along the path they had come. She started and +exclaimed: +</p> + +<p> +“Here come those two young men—Mr. Stone and Mr. Kennedy.” +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t notice them,” begged Amy, who was not much given to +making new acquaintances. +</p> + +<p> +“Too late! They see us—they’re coming right toward us!” +cried Grace, in some confusion. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap14"></a>CHAPTER XIV<br /> +THE REGATTA</h2> + +<p> +The two young men came on, apparently with the object of speaking to the girls. +Evidently they had purposely sought them out. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, it is Miss Nelson, and her friends from the <i>Gem</i>!” +exclaimed Mr. Stone, which might indicate that he had expected to meet some +other party of picnic lovers. +</p> + +<p> +“I hope we are not intruding,” said Mr. Kennedy, “but we want +to borrow some salt, if you have any.” +</p> + +<p> +Betty looked at them curiously. Was this a subterfuge—a means to an +acquaintance? Her manner stiffened a trifle, and she glanced at Aunt Kate. +</p> + +<p> +“You see we came off on a little picnic like yourselves,” explained +Mr. Stone, “and Bob, here, forgot the salt.” +</p> + +<p> +“You told me you’d put it in yourself, Harry!” exclaimed the +other, “and of course I thought you did.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, be that as it may,” said his friend, “we have no salt. +We heard your voices over here and decided to be bold enough to ask for some. +Do you remember us, Miss Nelson?” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, yes.” Betty’s manner softened. The explanation was +sufficient. Clearly the young men had not resorted to this trick to scrape an +acquaintance with the girls. +</p> + +<p> +“Is there anything else you’d like?” asked impulsive Mollie. +“Grace has plenty of candy, I think, and as for +olives——” she tilted one empty bottle, and smiled. Mr. +Kennedy smiled back in a frank manner. Betty decided that introductions would +be in good form, since they had learned that the young men were +“perfectly proper.” +</p> + +<p> +Names were exchanged, and Mr. Kennedy and his friend sat down on the grass. +They did not seem in any special hurry about the salt, now that it was offered. +</p> + +<p> +“We hope you haven’t changed your minds about the race and +regatta,” spoke Mr. Stone, after some generalities had been exchanged. +“By the way, I have the entry blanks for you,” and he passed the +papers to Betty, who accepted them with murmured thanks. +</p> + +<p> +“We shall very likely enter both the pageant and the race,” she +said. “When do they take place?” +</p> + +<p> +“The pageant will be held two nights hence. That will really open the +carnival. The boats, decorated as suit the fancies of the owners, will form in +line, and move about the lake, past the judges’ stand. There will be +prizes for the most beautifully decorated boat, the oddest, and also the worst, +if you understand me. I mean by the last that some captains have decided to +make their boats look like wrecks, striving after queer effects.” +</p> + +<p> +“I should not like that,” said Betty, decidedly. “But if +there is time, and we can do it, we might decorate?” and she looked at +her chums questioningly. +</p> + +<p> +“Surely,” said Grace, and Mollie took the chance to whisper to her: +</p> + +<p> +“Why don’t you start some questions?” +</p> + +<p> +“I will—if I get a chance,” was the answer. +</p> + +<p> +Betty was finding out more about the carnival when the start would be made, the +course and other details. The races would take place the day after the boat +parade. +</p> + +<p> +“There will be canoe and rowing races, as well as tub and +‘upset’ events,” said Mr. Stone. “We are also planning +to have a swimming and diving contest the latter part of the regatta week, but +I don’t suppose you young ladies would care to enter that.” +</p> + +<p> +“We all swim, and we have our bathing suits,” said Mollie, +indefinitely. +</p> + +<p> +“Mollie dives beautifully!” exclaimed Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“I do not—that is, I’m not an expert at it,” Mollie +hastened to say. “But I love diving.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then why not enter?” asked Mr. Kennedy. “I am chairman of +that committee. I’ll put the names of you girls down, if you don’t +mind. It doesn’t commit you to anything.” +</p> + +<p> +The girls had no formal objections. +</p> + +<p> +“You are real out-door girls, I can see that!” complimented Mr. +Stone. “You must like life in the woods and on the lake.” +</p> + +<p> +“Indeed they do,” spoke Aunt Kate. “They walked—I think +it was two hundred miles, just before coming on this cruise; didn’t you, +Betty?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, but we took it by easy stages,” evaded the Little Captain. +</p> + +<p> +“That was fine!” exclaimed Mr. Kennedy. “Well, Harry, if +we’re gong to eat we’d better take our salt and go.” +</p> + +<p> +“Won’t you have some of our sandwiches?” asked Mollie, +impulsive as usual. “We have more than we can eat,” for they had +brought along a most substantial lunch. Mollie looked at Betty and Aunt Kate. +They registered no objections. +</p> + +<p> +“You are very good,” protested Mr. Kennedy, “but really we +don’t want to deprive you——” +</p> + +<p> +“It will be no deprivation,” said Betty. “We will be glad not +to have them wasted——” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, then by all means let us be—the wastebaskets!” exclaimed +Mr. Stone, laughing. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, I didn’t mean just that,” and Betty blushed. +</p> + +<p> +“I understand,” he replied, and Aunt Kate passed over a plate of +chicken sandwiches. Under cover of opening another bottle of olives, Mollie +whispered to Grace: +</p> + +<p> +“Ask him some questions—start on motoring—ask if they ever +motored near Deepdale.” +</p> + +<p> +“I will,” whispered Grace, and, as the two young men ate, she led +the topic of talk to automobiles. +</p> + +<p> +“Do you motor?” she asked, looking directly at Mr. Stone. She was +certain now that at least he had been in the car that caused Prince to run +away. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, yes, often,” he answered. “Do you?” +</p> + +<p> +“No, but I am very fond of horseback riding,” she said. She was +certain that Mr. Stone started. +</p> + +<p> +“Indeed,” said he, “that is something I never cared about. +Frankly, I am afraid of horses. I saw one run away once, with a young lady, +and——” +</p> + +<p> +“Do you mean that time we were speeding up to get out of the +storm?” his friend interrupted, “and we hit a stone, swerved over +toward the animal, and nearly struck it?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, that was the time,” answered Mr. Stone. Grace could hardly +refrain from crying out that she was on that same horse. +</p> + +<p> +“I have always wondered who that girl was,” Mr. Stone went on, +“and some day I mean to go back to the scene of the accident, and see if +I can find out. I have an idea she blames us for her horse running away. But it +was an accident, pure and simple; wasn’t it, Bob?” +</p> + +<p> +“It certainly was. You see it was this way,” he explained, and +Grace felt sure they would ask her why she was so pale, for the blood had left +her cheeks on hearing that the young men were really those she had suspected. +“Harry, here, and myself,” went on Mr. Kennedy, “had been out +for a little run, to transact some business. We were on a country road, and a +storm was coming up. We put on speed, because we did not want to get wet, and I +had to be at a telegraph office at a certain time to complete a deal by wire. +</p> + +<p> +“Just ahead of us was a girl on a white horse. The animal seemed +frightened at the storm, and just as we came racing past our car struck a +stone, and was jolted right over toward the animal. I am not sure but what we +hit it. Anyhow the horse bolted. The girl looked able to manage it, and as it +was absolutely necessary for us to keep on, we did so.” +</p> + +<p> +“I looked back, and I thought I saw the horse stumble with the +girl,” put in Mr. Stone, “but I was not sure, and then the rain +came pelting down, and the road was so bad that it took both of us to manage +the car. We were late, too. But we meant to go back and see if any accident +happened.” +</p> + +<p> +“Only when we got to the telegraph office,” supplied his friend, +“we were at once called to New York in haste, and so many things have +come up since that we never got the chance. Tell me,” he said earnestly, +“you girls live in Deepdale. This happened not far from there. Did you +ever hear of a girl on a white horse being seriously hurt?” +</p> + +<p> +Grace made a motion to her chums to keep silent about the whole affair, and let +her answer. She had her reasons. +</p> + +<p> +“There was no report of any girl being seriously hurt at the time you +mention,” she said, a trifle coolly, “but a little child was +knocked down by a horse—a white horse. It may have been the one you +scared.” +</p> + +<p> +“But unintentionally—unintentionally! I hope you believe +that!” said Mr. Stone earnestly. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh—yes—of course,” and Grace’s voice was not +quite so cold now. She could readily understand that the accident could have +happened in just that way, and it was beginning to look so. Certainly, not +knowing the girls, the young man could have no object in deceiving them, +</p> + +<p> +“A little child knocked down, you say!” exclaimed Mr. Kennedy. +“I hope it was not badly hurt. Who was it?” +</p> + +<p> +“My——” began Mollie, and she was on the point of saying +it was her sister Dodo, when from the lake there sounded the cry of: +</p> + +<p> +“Fire! Fire! Fire!” +</p> + +<p> +Then came a sharp explosion. Everyone arose, and Mr. Kennedy exclaimed +excitedly: +</p> + +<p> +“That must be an explosion on a motor boat. Come on, Harry. We may he +needed!” +</p> + +<p> +They rushed through the bushes toward the place whence the alarm came, the +girls following as fast as they could. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t let him know it was I, or that it was your sister who was +hurt!” Grace cautioned her chums. “I am going to write to papa, and +he can make an investigation. Their explanation sounds all right, but they may +have the papers after all. I’m going to write to-day.” +</p> + +<p> +“I would,” advised Aunt Kate.” “It may amount to +nothing, but it can do no harm to let your father know. And I think it wise not +to let these young men know that you were in that runaway. If they really were +not careless, as it seemed at first, you can tell them later, when you see how +the investigation by Mr. Ford turns out.” +</p> + +<p> +“That will be best,” spoke Betty. “Oh, see, it is a boat on +fire!” +</p> + +<p> +They had reached a place where they could see a small motor boat, not far from +shore, wrapped in a pall of black smoke, through which could be observed +flickering flames. +</p> + +<p> +“There—he’s jumped!” cried Mollie, as a figure leaped +from the burning craft. “He’s safe, anyhow.” +</p> + +<p> +“There go Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Stone in their boat!” exclaimed +Grace, as the slender racing craft shot out from shore. +</p> + +<p> +Whatever may have been the faults of the young men as motorists, they knew how +to act promptly in this case. As they passed the man who had leaped from the +burning boat they tossed him a life preserver. +</p> + +<p> +Then, nearing the burning boat, they halted their own, and began using a +chemical extinguisher—the only safe thing save sand with which to fight a +gasoline blaze. The fire did not have a chance to get much headway, and it was +soon out, another boat coming up and lending aid. +</p> + +<p> +The man who had jumped was taken aboard this second boat, and his own, rather +charred but not seriously damaged, was towed to shore. Later the girls learned +that there had been some gasoline which leaked from his tank. He had been +repairing his motor, which had stalled, when a spark from the electric wire set +fire to the gasoline. There was a slight explosion, followed by the fire. +</p> + +<p> +“And it came just in time to stop me from telling what might have spoiled +your plans, Grace,” said Mollie, when they went back to gather up their +lunch baskets. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, I haven’t any plans. I am going to let father or Will make +them, after I send the information,” she answered, “But I think it +best to let the two young men remain in ignorance, for a while.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, I do, too!” exclaimed Betty. “They will probably not +refer to it again, being so busy over the regatta.” +</p> + +<p> +There was a busy time for the girls, too. They finally decided to convert the +<i>Gem</i>, as nearly as possible under the circumstances, into a Venetian +gondola. By building a light wooden framework about it, and tacking on muslin, +this could be done without too much labor. Betty engaged the help of a man and +boy, and with the girls to aid the work was soon well under way. +</p> + +<p> +The girls saw little of Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Stone—save passing +glimpses—after the picnic. Grace telephoned to her father, who promised +to at once look into the matter. +</p> + +<p> +“I do hope we win a prize!” exclaimed Mollie, on the evening of the +regatta. “The <i>Gem</i> looks lovely!” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, I think it is rather nice,” admitted Betty. +</p> + +<p> +The muslin, drawn tightly over the temporary frame, had been painted until in +the dark the boat bore a striking resemblance to a gondola, even to the odd +prow in front. It was arranged that Grace should stand at the stern with a long +oar, or what was to pass for it, while Betty would run the motor and do the +real steering. Mollie, Amy, and Aunt Kate were to be passengers. Mollie +borrowed a guitar and there was to be music and singing as they took part in +the water pageant. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, it’s time to start,” announced Betty after supper. +“We’ll light the Chinese lanterns after we get to our place in +line,” for the boats were to be illuminated. +</p> + +<p> +The <i>Gem</i> started off, being in the midst of many craft, all more or less +decorated, that were to take part in the affair. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap15"></a>CHAPTER XV<br /> +THE RACE</h2> + +<p> +Like the scene from some simulated fairyland, or a stage picture, was the water +pageant on Rainbow Lake. In double lines the motor boats moved slowly along +from the starting point toward the float where the judges were stationed to +decide which craft was entitled to the prize in its own class. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, I’m so glad we entered!” cried Betty, as she stood at +the wheel. Because of the cloth side of the “gondola” it appeared +that she was merely reclining at her ease, as did the Venetian ladies of old, +for a seat with cushions had been arranged near the steering wheel. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, see that boat—just like an airship!” exclaimed Mollie, +as they saw just ahead of them a craft so decorated. +</p> + +<p> +“And here’s one that looks just like a floating island, with trees +and bushes,” added Amy. “That ought to take a prize.” +</p> + +<p> +“We ought to take one ourselves!” exclaimed Mollie. “We +worked hard enough. My hands are a mass of blisters.” +</p> + +<p> +“And my back aches!” declared Grace. “But it was worth while. +I don’t see any boat just like ours,” and she glanced along the +line of craft ahead of them, and to those in the rear, as they were making a +turn just then. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, there’s one of the lanterns gone out!” cried Mollie. +“I’ll light it,” and she proceeded to do so, taking it into +the cabin because of the little breeze that blew over the lake. +</p> + +<p> +There was a band on one of the larger boats, and this played at intervals. +</p> + +<p> +“Let’s sing!” proposed Grace, and, with guitar accompaniment, +the girls mingled their voices in one of the many part songs they had practiced +at school. Applause followed their rendition, for they had chosen a time when +there was comparative quiet. +</p> + +<p> +Around the course went the flotilla of boats, past the judges’ float, and +back to the starting point. Then the parade was over, but a number of affairs +had been arranged—dances, suppers and the like—by different +cottagers. The girls had been invited to the dance at the headquarters of the +Rainbow Lake Yacht Club, and they had accepted. They had dressed for the +affair, and tying their boat to the club dock they went into the pretty little +ballroom with Aunt Kate. +</p> + +<p> +“Congratulations!” exclaimed Mr. Kennedy, stepping up to Betty as +she entered with her chums. +</p> + +<p> +“For what?” +</p> + +<p> +“Your boat won first prize for those of most original design. It is a +beautiful silver cup.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, I’m so glad! Girls, do you hear? We won first prize in our +class!” +</p> + +<p> +“Fine!” cried Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, isn’t it nice?” said Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“Did we really?” asked Grace, somewhat incredulously, +</p> + +<p> +“You really did. I just heard the decision of the judges. Harry and I are +out of it, though. We tried in the ‘wreck’ class, but the Rabbit, +which was rigged out like the Flying Dutchman, beat us.” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s too bad,” said Mollie, sympathetically. +</p> + +<p> +“Never mind, we’ve had our fun,” said Mr. Stone, coming up at +this point. “You girls certainly deserved the prize, if anyone did. And +now I hope your dance cards aren’t filled.” +</p> + +<p> +They were not—but they soon were, and the evening passed most +delightfully. +</p> + +<p> +“Who said breakfast?” yawned Grace the next morning, as she looked +from her bunk down on Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“I ate so much lobster salad last night I don’t want anything but a +glass of water on toast,” murmured Mollie. “Oh, but we had a lovely +time!” and she sighed in regret at its departure. +</p> + +<p> +“And those young men were lovely dancers,” said Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“And wasn’t it nice of Will, Frank, and Allen to come?” spoke +Amy, for Grace’s brother, and his two friends, had arrived most +unexpectedly at the Yacht Club ball. Will had come to tell his sister certain +things in regard to the missing papers, and had met a friend who belonged to +the club. +</p> + +<p> +Naturally there was an invitation to the dance, which was quite informal in a +way, and so the three boys from Deepdale had also had a good time. They were +put up at the club over night. +</p> + +<p> +It developed that Mr. Ford had investigated certain matters in regard to Mr. +Kennedy and Mr. Stone, and had learned that by no possibility could they have +secured the missing papers. There would have been absolutely no interest in the +documents for them. It was merely a coincidence that they had been on the +scene. And this news made their explanation about the auto accident most +plausible. +</p> + +<p> +Will had come to Rainbow Lake to tell his sister this, to relieve her mind. +When he mentioned coming he had told Frank and Allen, asking them to go with +him. All the boys expected to do was to spend the evening on board the +<i>Gem</i> with the girls, but when they arrived, and learned of the pageant, +and Will met his club friend, the plans were changed. +</p> + +<p> +“Too bad Percy Falconer didn’t come,” remarked Grace, as she +slipped into her dressing gown. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t spoil everything,” begged Betty. “You know I +detest him!” +</p> + +<p> +Gradually the girls got breakfast, talking of the events of the night before. +</p> + +<p> +“I wonder when we will get our prize?” said Betty. “I am wild +to see it. I hope it’s that oddly shaped cup we so admired when we looked +at the prizes.” +</p> + +<p> +It proved to be that one, the trophy being sent over to the dock where the +<i>Gem</i> was tied, by a special messenger. It was given the place of honor in +the cabin. +</p> + +<p> +Will and his two chums went home rather late that day. +</p> + +<p> +“Is father much worried about the missing papers?” asked Grace, as +she parted from her brother. +</p> + +<p> +“He sure is. He’s afraid the other side may spring something on him +any minute.” +</p> + +<p> +“You mean—take some action to get the property?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes.” +</p> + +<p> +“It’s too bad. But I don’t see what we can do.” +</p> + +<p> +“Neither do I. I wish I could find Prince. I think that’s the +queerest thing about him.” +</p> + +<p> +“It certainly is. Say, Will, how is poor little Dodo getting on?” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, as well as you can expect. They’re going to operate soon, I +heard. How is Mollie standing it, Grace?” +</p> + +<p> +“Fairly well. Isn’t it strange that we should meet the two +autoists?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes. Have you put them wise yet?” +</p> + +<p> +“Wise? What do you mean? Such slang!” +</p> + +<p> +“I mean told ’em who you are?” +</p> + +<p> +“No, and we’re not going to for a while yet. We don’t want to +make them feel bad.” +</p> + +<p> +“All right, suit yourselves. We’re coming up and see you when you +get in camp.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, do. We’ll write when we’re settled.” +</p> + +<p> +Preparations for the race were going on, and the <i>Gem</i>, as were the other +boats, was being groomed for the contest. She had been converted into her own +self again, and Betty had engaged a man to look over the motor, and make a few +adjustments of which she was not quite capable. +</p> + +<p> +Uncle Amos came to Rainbow Lake to see the girls and the boat. He was not much +impressed with the sheet of water, large as it was, but he did take +considerable interest in the coming race, and insisted on personally doing a +lot of work to the boat to get her “ship-shape.” +</p> + +<p> +So that when the <i>Gem</i> was ready to go to the starting line she was +prepared to make the “try of her life,” as Betty expressed it. +</p> + +<p> +There were six boats in the class that included the <i>Gem</i>. Some were about +the same size, one was larger and one was smaller. In horse power they rated +about the same, but some handicapping had been done by the judges. The +<i>Gem</i> was to start four minutes after the first boat got away, and of +course she would have to make up this time to win. +</p> + +<p> +“But we can do it!” declared Betty, confidently. +</p> + +<p> +As they were on their way to the starting line the girls noticed two boys +rowing along the shore, looking intently as they proceeded. +</p> + +<p> +“Say, you haven’t seen a big green canoe, with an Indian’s +head painted in red on each end; have you?” asked one of the lads. +</p> + +<p> +“No; why?” asked Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“Someone took ours last night,” spoke the other boy. “We were +going in the races with it, too. It was a dandy canoe!” and he seemed +much depressed. +</p> + +<p> +“That’s too bad,” spoke Betty sympathetically. “If we +see anything of your canoe we’ll let you know.” +</p> + +<p> +“Just send word to Tom Cardiff, over at Shaffer’s dock!” +cried the elder boy eagerly. “There’s a reward of two dollars for +anyone who finds it.” +</p> + +<p> +“Poor fellows!” said Betty as they rowed off. “I’d give +two dollars of my own now if we could find their canoe for them. They must be +dreadfully disappointed. Well, shall we start?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, let’s get it over with,” replied Grace, nervously. +</p> + +<p> +Grace and Amy were selected to look after the motor, they having been +“coached” by Uncle Amos for several days. They were to see that it +did not lack for oil, and if anything got out of adjustment they could fix it. +They would be stationed well forward in the cabin, and the bulkhead being +removed, they could easily get at the machinery. +</p> + +<p> +Betty and Mollie would be at the wheel. Aunt Kate declined to take part in the +race, and Uncle Amos was not eligible under the rules, this being strictly a +race for girls and women. +</p> + +<p> +Several events were run off before the Class B race was called. Then the boats, +including the <i>Gem</i>, moved up, and were formally inspected to make sure +that all the rules and regulations had been complied with. No fault was found. +</p> + +<p> +“Are you all ready?” asked the starter. +</p> + +<p> +“Ready,” was the answer, and the first boat shot away. It was +nervous waiting for Betty and her chums—those four minutes—but they +finally passed. +</p> + +<p> +“Ready?” asked the starter again. +</p> + +<p> +“Ready,” answered Betty, her voice trembling in spite of herself. +There was a sharp crack of the pistol, and the <i>Gem</i> shot ahead, as Betty +let the clutch slip into place. The race was on! +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap16"></a>CHAPTER XVI<br /> +FIGHTING FIRE</h2> + +<p> +“Betty, do you think we can win?” +</p> + +<p> +It was Mollie who asked this as she stood beside her chum at the wheel of the +<i>Gem</i>. The boat was churning through the water, gradually creeping up on +the craft that had gotten away ahead of her. Behind came other boats, starting +as the crack of the official pistol was heard. +</p> + +<p> +“Of course we’ll win!” exclaimed Betty, as she changed the +course slightly. She wanted to keep it as straight as possible, for well she +knew that the shortest distance between any two points is in a straight line. +</p> + +<p> +“We wouldn’t miss that lovely prize for anything,” called +Grace from up forward, where she was helping Amy look after the laboring motor. +</p> + +<p> +A number of prizes had been provided by the regatta committee; the chief one +for this particular race was a handsome cut-glass bowl, that had been much +admired when on exhibition at the club house. +</p> + +<p> +The course was a triangular one of three miles, and now all the craft that were +competing were on the last “leg” of the triangle. +</p> + +<p> +“We’re creeping up on her!” whispered Amy, as she directed +the attention of Grace to the boat just ahead of them. It was a light, open +affair, with a two-cylinder motor, but speedy, and two girls in it seemed to be +working desperately over their machinery. Something seemed to have gone wrong +with one of the cylinders, for Betty could detect a “miss” now and +then. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, we’re coming up,” admitted Grace, as she skillfully put +a little oil on a cam shaft. “If we can only hold out!” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, trust Betty for that.” +</p> + +<p> +“It isn’t that—it’s the motor. One never knows when +they are not going to ‘mote.’ But this one seems to be coming on +well,” and Grace glanced critically at the various parts. +</p> + +<p> +They were well out in Rainbow Lake now, and many eyes were watching the race. +One of the last boats to get away had given up, for the girls in charge could +not remedy the ignition trouble that developed soon after they started. This +left five. The <i>Gem</i> was second in line, but behind her a very powerful +boat was gradually creeping up on her, even as she was overhauling the boat +that got away first. +</p> + +<p> +“Can’t you turn on a little more gasoline?” asked Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“I think I can—now,” spoke Betty. “I wanted to give it +gradually.” +</p> + +<p> +She opened the throttle a little more, and advanced the spark slightly. The +result was at once apparent. The <i>Gem</i> shot ahead, and the girls in the +leading boat looked back nervously. +</p> + +<p> +“One of them is that pretty girl Will danced with so often at the +ball,” said Mollie, as she got a glimpse of the rival’s face. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, and the other is her cousin, or something,” spoke Betty. +“I was introduced to her. It’s mean, perhaps, to beat you, +girls,” she whispered, “But I’m going to do it.” +</p> + +<p> +The chugging of many motors—the churning to foam of the blue waters of +the lake—a haze of acrid smoke hanging over all, as some cylinder did not +properly digest the gasoline vapor and oil fed to it, but sent it out half +consumed—spray thrown up now and then—the distant sound of a +band—eager eyes looking toward the stake buoys—tense +breathing—all this went to make up the race in which our outdoor girls +were taking part. +</p> + +<p> +Foot by foot the <i>Gem</i> crept up on the <i>Bug</i>, which was the name of +the foremost boat. Drop by drop Betty fed more gasoline to her striving motor. +The other girls did their duty, if it was only encouragement. Those in the +<i>Bug</i> worked desperately, but it was not to be. The <i>Gem</i> passed +them. +</p> + +<p> +“We’re sorry!” called Betty, as she flashed by. The other +girls smiled bravely. +</p> + +<p> +The <i>Gem</i> was now first, but the race was far from won. They were on the +last leg, however, but in the rear, coming on, and overhauling Betty and her +chums as they had just overhauled the others, was the speedy <i>Eagle</i>. She +had been last to get off, but had passed all the others. +</p> + +<p> +“They are after us,” spoke Mollie, as she held the wheel a moment +while Betty tucked under her natty yachting cap some wind-tossed locks of hair. +</p> + +<p> +“But they shan’t get us,” declared the Little Captain grimly. +“We haven’t reached our limit yet.” +</p> + +<p> +Once more she gave more gasoline, but the rivals in the rear were settling down +now to win the race for themselves. The <i>Eagle</i> came on rapidly. The +finish line was near at hand, but it seemed that Betty and her chums had the +upper hand. +</p> + +<p> +Suddenly Grace cried: +</p> + +<p> +“One of the wires is broken. It’s snapped in two, and it’s +spouting sparks!” +</p> + +<p> +There came a noticeable slowing down to the speed of the motor. The <i>Gem</i> +lagged. The <i>Eagle</i> was in hot pursuit. Betty acted quickly. +</p> + +<p> +“Put on those rubber gloves!” she ordered. “Take a pair of +pliers, and hold the ends of that wire together. That will make it as good as +mended until after the race. Amy, you help. But wear rubber gloves, and then +you won’t get a shock. Quick, girls!” +</p> + +<p> +The breaking of the wire threw one cylinder out of commission. The <i>Gem</i> +was one third crippled. There came a murmur from the pursuing boat. There was a +commotion in the forward engine compartment of Betty’s boat. This was +caused by Grace and Amy seeking to repair the damage. +</p> + +<p> +A moment later the resumption of the staccato exhaust of the motor told that +the break had been repaired—temporarily, at least. The boat shot ahead +again, at her former speed, and only just in time, for her rival was now on +even terms with her. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, Betty, we can’t do it!” Mollie said, pathetically. +“We’re going to lose!” +</p> + +<p> +“We are not! I’ve got another notch I can slip forward the gasoline +throttle, and here it goes! If that doesn’t push us ahead nothing +will— and——” +</p> + +<p> +“We don’t get that cut glass,” finished Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +But just that little fraction was what was needed. The <i>Gem</i> went ahead +almost by inches only, but it was enough. The <i>Eagle’s</i> crew of +three girls tried in vain to coax another revolution out of her propeller, but +it was not to be, and the <i>Gem</i> shot over the line a winner. A winner, but +by so narrow a margin that the judges conferred a moment before making the +announcement. But they finally made it. The <i>Gem</i> had undoubtedly won. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh!” exclaimed Grace as she climbed out into the cabin, and thence +to the deck, followed by Amy. “Oh, my hand is numb holding the ends of +that wire together. I didn’t dare let go——” +</p> + +<p> +“It was brave of you!” exclaimed Betty, patting Grace on the +shoulder. “If you had let go we would have lost. We’ll bathe your +hand for you in witch hazel.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, it is only cramped. It will be all right in a little while.” +</p> + +<p> +“What a din they are making!” cried Amy, covering her ears with her +hands. +</p> + +<p> +“They are saluting the winner,” said Mollie, as she noted the +tooting of many boat whistles. Betty slowed down her boat, and saluted as she +swept past the boat of the judges. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, I’m glad it’s over,” sighed Grace. “It was +nervous work. I’m going to make some chocolate, and have it iced. It was +warm up there by the motor.” +</p> + +<p> +“And you both need baths,” remarked Mollie with a laugh. “You +are as grimy as chimney sweeps.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, but we don’t mind,” said Amy. “You won, Betty! +I’m so glad!” +</p> + +<p> +“We won, you mean,” corrected the Little Captain. “I +couldn’t have done it except for you girls,” +</p> + +<p> +Many craft saluted the <i>Gem</i> as she came off the course. +</p> + +<p> +“I wish Uncle Amos could have seen us!” exclaimed Betty. “He +would have been proud.” The girls remained as spectators for the +remainder of the carnival, and then, the day being warm, they went to their +dock. Near it was a sandy bathing beach, and soon they were swimming about in +the limpid waters of Rainbow Lake. +</p> + +<p> +“Here goes for a dive!” cried Mollie, as she climbed out on the end +of the pier, and mounted a mooring post. She poised herself gracefully. +</p> + +<p> +“Better not—you don’t know how deep it is,” cautioned +Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“I’m only going to take a shallow dive,” was the answer and +then Mollie’s slender body shot through the air in a graceful curve, and +cut down into the water. A second later she bobbed up, shaking her head to rid +her eyes of water. +</p> + +<p> +“That was lovely!” cried Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“Did I splash much?” +</p> + +<p> +“Not at all.” +</p> + +<p> +“It’s real deep there,” said Mollie. “Some day +I’m going to try to touch bottom.” +</p> + +<p> +The girls splashed about, refreshing themselves after the race. Then came calm +evening, when they sat on deck and ate supper prepared by Aunt Kate. +</p> + +<p> +“Now you girls just sit right still and enjoy yourselves,” she told +them, when they insisted on helping. “You don’t win motor boat +races every day, and you’re entitled to a banquet.” +</p> + +<p> +That night there was another informal dance at the Yacht Club, and the girls +had a splendid time. Mr. Stone and Mr. Kennedy exerted themselves to see that +our friends did not lack for partners, and Grace was rather ashamed of the +suspicions she had entertained concerning the twain. +</p> + +<p> +The carnival came to an end with a series of water sports. There were swimming +races for ladies, and Mollie won one of these, but her chums were less +fortunate. The carnival had been a great success and many congratulations were +showered on Messrs. Stone and Kennedy for their part in it. +</p> + +<p> +“We are glad it is over,” said Mr. Stone, as he and his chums sat +on the deck of the <i>Gem</i> one evening, having called to ask the girls to go +to another dance. But Betty and her chums voted for staying aboard, and +proposed a little trip about the lake by moonlight. Soon they were under way. +</p> + +<p> +It was a perfect night, and the mystic gleam of the moon moved them to song as +they swept slowly along under the influence of the throttled-down engine. +</p> + +<p> +Suddenly Mr. Kennedy, who was sitting well forward on the trunk cabin with +Grace, sprang to his feet, exclaiming: +</p> + +<p> +“What’s that?” +</p> + +<p> +“It looks like a fire,” said Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“It is a fire!” cried Mr. Stone. “Say, it’s that hay +barge we noticed coming over this evening, tied up at Black’s dock. +It’s got adrift and caught fire!” +</p> + +<p> +“Look where it’s drifting!” exclaimed Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“Right for the Yacht Club boathouse!” added Mollie. “The wind +is taking it there. Look, the fire is increasing!” +</p> + +<p> +“And if it runs against the boat house there’ll be no saving +it!” said Mr. Kennedy. “There’s no fire-boat up +here—there ought to be!” +</p> + +<p> +“Girls!” cried Betty, “there’s just a chance to save +the boat house!” +</p> + +<p> +“How?” demanded Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“If we could get on the windward side of that burning barge, throw a line +aboard and tow it out into the middle of the lake, it could burn there without +doing any damage!” +</p> + +<p> +“By Jove! She’s hit the nail on the head!” declared Mr. +Stone, with emphasis. “But dare you do it, Miss Nelson?” +</p> + +<p> +“I certainly will dare—if you’ll help!” +</p> + +<p> +“Of course we’ll help! Steer over there!” +</p> + +<p> +The burning hay, fanned by a brisk wind, was now sending up a pillar of fire +and a cloud of smoke. And the barge was drifting perilously near the boathouse. +Many whistles of alarm smote the air, but no boat was as near as the +<i>Gem</i>. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap17"></a>CHAPTER XVII<br /> +ON ELM ISLAND</h2> + +<p> +“Have you a long rope aboard, Miss Nelson?” asked Mr. Stone, when +they had drawn near to the burning load of hay. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, you will find it in one of the after lockers,” answered +Betty, as she skillfully directed the course of her boat so as to get on the +windward side of the barge. +</p> + +<p> +“And have you a boathook? I want to fasten it to the rope, and see if I +can cast it aboard the barge.” +</p> + +<p> +“There is something better than that,” went on the Little Captain. +“I have a small anchor—a kedge, I think my Uncle Amos called +it.” +</p> + +<p> +“Fine, that will be just the thing to cast! Where is it?” +</p> + +<p> +“In the same locker with the rope. Uncle insisted that I carry it, though +we’ve never used it.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, it will come in mighty handy now,” declared Mr. Kennedy, as +he prepared to assist his chum. “You girls had better get in the +cabin,” he added, “for there is no telling when the wind may shift, +and blow sparks on your dresses. They’re too nice to have holes burned in +them,” and he gazed, not without proper admiration, at Betty and her +chums. Even in this hour of stress and no little danger he could do that. +</p> + +<p> +“We’ll put on our raincoats,” suggested Mollie. “The +little sparks from the hay won’t burn them. Or, if they do, we can have a +pail of water ready.” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s a good idea,” commented Mr. Stone, who was making the +kedge anchor fast to the long rope. “Have several pails ready if you can. +No telling when the sparks may come aboard too fast for us.” +</p> + +<p> +“And we have fire extinguishers, too,” said Betty. “Grace, +you know where they are in the cabin. Get them out.” +</p> + +<p> +“And I’ll draw the water,” said Mr. Kennedy. +</p> + +<p> +“I can help at that,” added Aunt Kate, bravely. “I know where +the scrubbing pail is.” She had insisted on making it one of her duties +to scrub the deck every day, and for this purpose she kept in readiness a pail +to which a rope was attached, that it might be dropped overboard into the lake +and hauled up full. This was soon in use. Aunt Kate insisted on having several +large pots and pans also filled. +</p> + +<p> +“You can’t have too much water at a fire,” she said, +practically. +</p> + +<p> +The burning hay barge was rapidly being blown down toward the boathouse. At the +latter structure quite a throng of club members, and others, had gathered in +readiness to act when the time came. +</p> + +<p> +In the moonlight they could be seen getting pails and tubs of water in +readiness, and one small line of hose, used to water the lawn, was laid. But it +would be of small service against such a blaze as now enveloped the barge. Many +boats were hastening to the scene, whistling frantically—as though that +helped. +</p> + +<p> +“Have you got a pump aboard?” some one hailed those on the +<i>Gem</i>. +</p> + +<p> +“No, we’re going to haul the barge away,” answered Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“Good idea, but don’t go too close!” came the warning. +</p> + +<p> +“It is going to be pretty warm,” remarked Mr. Stone. He had the +anchor made fast, and with the rope coiled so that it would not foul as he made +the cast, he took his place on one of the after lockers. Betty’s plan was +to go as close to the burning craft as she could, to allow the cast to be made, +As soon as the prongs of the anchor caught, she would head her motor and out +toward the middle of the lake, towing the barge where it could be anchored and +allowed to burn to the water’s edge. +</p> + +<p> +“But what are you going to anchor it with?” asked Mr. Kennedy, when +this last feature had been discussed. +</p> + +<p> +“That’s so,” spoke his chum, reflectively. +</p> + +<p> +“There’s a heavy piece of iron under the middle board of the +cabin,” said Betty. “Uncle Amos said it was there for ballast in +case we wanted to use a sail, but I don’t see that we need it.” +</p> + +<p> +“We’ll use it temporarily, anyhow, for an anchor,” decided +Mr. Stone. He and his companion soon had it out, and made fast to the other end +of the rope. +</p> + +<p> +“Get ready now!” warned Betty, when this had been done. +“I’m going as close as I can.” +</p> + +<p> +She steered her boat toward the burning barge. There came whistles of +encouragement from the surrounding craft. The heat was intense, and on the +suggestion of Mr. Kennedy the motor boat’s decks were kept wet from the +water in the pails. The girls felt their hands and faces grow warm. Those on +the boathouse float and pier were all anxiety. The flames, blown by the wind, +seemed to leap across the intervening space as if to reach the boat shelter. +</p> + +<p> +“Here she goes!” cried Mr. Stone, as he cast the anchor. It was +skillfully done, and the prongs caught on some part of the barge, low enough +down so that the hempen strands would not burn. Mr. Stone pulled on the rope to +see if it would hold. It did, and he called: +</p> + +<p> +“Let her go, Miss Nelson! Gradually though; don’t put too much +strain on the rope at first! After you get the barge started the other way, it +will be all right.” +</p> + +<p> +Betty sent the <i>Gem</i> ahead. The rope paid out over the +stern—taunted—became tight. There was a heavy strain on it. Would +it hold? It did, and slowly the hay barge began to move out into the lake. +</p> + +<p> +“Hurray!” cried Mr. Kennedy. “That solved the problem.” +</p> + +<p> +“You girls certainly know how to do things,” said Mr. Stone, +admiringly. +</p> + +<p> +Cheers from those in surrounding boats seemed to emphasize this sentiment. +There was now no danger to the Yacht Club boathouse. +</p> + +<p> +A little later, when the flames in the hay were at their height, the piece of +iron was dropped overboard from the <i>Gem</i>. This, with the rope and the +kedge anchor, served to hold the barge in place. There it could burn without +doing any harm. +</p> + +<p> +Soon the fire began to die down, and a little later it was but a smouldering +mass, not even interesting as a spectacle. Betty Nelson’s plan had worked +well, and later she received the thanks of the Yacht Club, she and her chums +being elected honorary life members in recognition of the service they had +rendered. +</p> + +<p> +Summer days passed—delicious, lazy summer days—during which the +girls motored, canoed or rowed as they fancied, went on picnics in the woods, +or on some of the islands of Rainbow Lake, or took long walks. Mr. Stone and +Mr. Kennedy, sometimes one, often both, went with the girls. Occasionally Will +and his friends ran out for a day or two, taking cruises with Betty, and her +chums. +</p> + +<p> +Aunt Kate remained as chaperone, others who had been invited finding it +impossible to come. The girls’ mothers made up a party and paid them a +visit one day, being royally entertained at the time. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, you girls certainly know how to do things,” said Mr. Stone +one day; after Betty had skillfully avoided a collision, due to the +carelessness of another skipper. +</p> + +<p> +“I wish we could do something to get those papers for father,” +thought Grace. Not a trace had been found of Prince or the missing documents. +It was very strange. Mr. Ford and his lawyer friends could not understand it. +The interests opposed to him were preparing to take action, it was rumored, and +if the papers were found this would be stopped. Even a detective agency that +made a specialty of tracing lost articles had no success. Prince and the papers +seemed to have vanished into thin air. +</p> + +<p> +One day as Betty and her chums were motoring about the lake, having gone to the +store for some supplies, they saw the two boys who had been searching for their +canoe. +</p> + +<p> +“Did you find it?” asked Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“No, not a trace of it, Too, bad, too, for we saved up our +money—four dollars, now,” said the taller of the two lads. +“If you find her we’ll give you that money; won’t we?” +and he appealed to his companion. +</p> + +<p> +“We sure will!” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, if we see, or hear, anything of it we’ll let you +know,” promised Betty. “Poor fellows,” she murmured, as they +rowed away. They had made a circuit of the lake, going in many coves, but +without success. +</p> + +<p> +“It’s about time to be thinking of camp, if we’re going in +for that sort of thing,” announced Betty one day. “Shall we try it, +girl?” +</p> + +<p> +“I’d like it,” said Mollie. “We can use the boat, too; +can’t we?” +</p> + +<p> +“Of course,” replied Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“And sleep aboard?” asked Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“No, let’s sleep in a tent,” proposed Amy. “It will be +lots of fun.” +</p> + +<p> +“But the bugs, and mosquitoes—not to mention frogs and +snakes,” came protestingly from Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, we’ve done it before, and we can use our mosquito nets,” +said Betty. “I heard of a nice tent, and a well-fitted up camp over on +Elm Island we can hire for a week or so.” +</p> + +<p> +“But the ghost—the one Mr. Lagg told about?” asked Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“We’ll ‘lay’ the ghost!” laughed Betty. +“Seriously, I don’t believe there is anything more than a +fisherman’s story to account for it. Still, if you girls are +afraid——” +</p> + +<p> +“Afraid!” they protested in chorus. +</p> + +<p> +“Then we’ll go to Elm Island,” decided Betty, and they did. +The camp, near a little dock where the <i>Gem</i> could be tied, was well +suited to their needs. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, we’ll have a good time here!” declared Betty as they +took possession. “But we must get in plenty of supplies. Let’s go +over and call on Mr. Lagg,” and they headed for the mainland in the motor +boat. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap18"></a>CHAPTER XVIII<br /> +IN CAMP</h2> + +<p> +“Well, well, young ladies, I certainly am glad to see you again! Indeed I +am.” +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“Ladies, ladies, one and all,<br /> + + I’m very glad to have you call!” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +Thus Mr. Lagg made our friends welcome as they entered his +“emporium,” as the sign over the door had it. +</p> + +<p> +“What will it be to-day?” he went on. +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“I’ve prunes and peaches, pies and pills,<br /> + + To feed you well, and cure your ills.” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +“Thank you, but we haven’t any ills!” cried “Brown +Betty,” as her friends were beginning to call her, for certainly she was +tanned most becomingly. “However, we do want the lottest lot of things. +Where is that list, Mollie?” +</p> + +<p> +“You have it.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, I gave it to you.” +</p> + +<p> +“Grace had it last,” volunteered Amy. “She said she did not +want to forget——” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, we know what Grace doesn’t want to forget,” interrupted +Mollie with a laugh. “Produce that list, Grace,” and it was +forthcoming. +</p> + +<p> +“You see we have let our supplies run low,” remarked Betty as she +gave her order, +</p> + +<p> +“Are you going on a long cruise?” Mr. Lagg, wanted to know. +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“To sail and sail the bounding main,<br /> + + And then come back to port again? +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +“Of course I know that isn’t very good,” he apologized. +“When I make ’em up on the spur of the moment that way I +don’t take time to polish ’em off. And of course Rainbow Lake +isn’t exactly the bounding main, but it will answer as well.” +</p> + +<p> +“Certainly,” agreed Betty, with a laugh. “I think that is +all,” she went on, looking at her list. “Oh, I almost forgot, we +want some more of your lovely olives—those large ones.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, those are fine olives,” admitted the store keeper. “I +get them from New York. +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“Olives stuffed, and some with pits,<br /> + + With girls my olives sure make hits.” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +He chanted this with a bow and a smile. +</p> + +<p> +“I am aware,” he said, “I am aware that the foregoing may +sound like a baseball game, but such is not my intention. I use hit in the +sense of meaning that it is well-liked.” +</p> + +<p> +“Too well liked—I mean the olives,” spoke Mollie. “We +can’t keep enough on hand. I think we’ll have to buy them by the +case after this.” +</p> + +<p> +“As Grace does her chocolates,” remarked Betty, with a smile that +took all the sarcasm out of the words. +</p> + +<p> +“Well,” remarked Grace, drawlingly, “I have noticed that you +girls are generally around when I open a fresh box.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well hit!” cried Amy. “Don’t let them fuss you, Grace +my dear.” +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t intend to.” +</p> + +<p> +Mr. Lagg helped his red-haired boy of all work to carry the girls’ +purchases down to the boat. +</p> + +<p> +“You must be fixing for a long voyage,” he remarked. +</p> + +<p> +“No, we are going to camp over on Elm Island,” said Betty. +</p> + +<p> +The storekeeper started. +</p> + +<p> +“What! With the ghost?” He nearly dropped a package of fresh eggs. +</p> + +<p> +“Really, Mr. Lagg, is there—er—anything really there?” +asked Mollie, seriously. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, now, far be it from me to cause you young ladies any alarm,” +said Mr. Lagg, “but I only repeat what I heard. There is something on +that island that none of the men or boys who have seen and heard it cannot +account for.” +</p> + +<p> +“Just what is it?” asked Betty, +</p> + +<p> +“Do you want me to tell you?” +</p> + +<p> +“Certainly—we are not afraid. Though we mustn’t let Aunt Kate +know,” said Betty, quickly. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, it’s white and it rattles,” said Mr. Lagg. +</p> + +<p> +“Sounds like a riddle,” commented Amy. “Let’s see who +can guess the answer.” +</p> + +<p> +“White—and rattles,” murmured Betty. “I have +it—it’s a pan full of white dishes. Some lone camper goes down to +wash his dishes in the lake every night, and that accounts for it.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then we’ll ask the lone camper—to scamper!” cried +Grace with a laugh. “We want peace and quietness.” +</p> + +<p> +“And you are really going to camp on Elm Island?” asked Mr. Lagg, +as he put the purchases aboard. +</p> + +<p> +“We are,” said Betty, solenmly. “And if you hear us call for +help in the middle of the night——” +</p> + +<p> +“Betty Nelson!” protested Amy. +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“And if for help you call on I—<br /> + + I’ll come exceeding quick and spry!” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +Thus spouted Mr. Lagg. +</p> + +<p> +“I am painfully aware,” he said, quickly, “that my poem on +this occasion needs much polishing, but I sometimes make them that way, just to +show what can be done—on the spur of the moment. Howsomever, I wish you +luck. And if you do need help, just holler, or light a fire on shore, or fire a +gun. I can see you or hear you from the end of my dock.” Indeed, Elm +Island was in sight. +</p> + +<p> +The girls went back with their supplies, and soon were in camp. The hard part +of the work had been done for them by those of whom they had hired the tent and +the outfit. All that remained to do was to light the patent oil stove, and +cook. They could prepare their meals aboard the boat if they desired, and take +them to the dining tent. In short they could take their choice of many methods +of out-door life. +</p> + +<p> +Their supplies were put away, the camp gotten in “ship-shape,” cots +were made up, and mosquito bars suspended to insure a night of comfort. A +little tour was made of the island in the vicinity of the camp, and, as far as +the girls could see, occasional picnic parties were the only visitors. There +were no other campers there. +</p> + +<p> +“We’ll have a marshmallow roast to-night,” decided Betty, as +evening came on. They had gathered wood for a fire on the shore of the lake, +and the candy had been provided by Grace, as might have been guessed. +</p> + +<p> +“I hope the ghost doesn’t come and want some,” murmured +Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“Hush!” exclaimed Betty. A noise in the woods made them all jump. +Then they laughed, as a bird flew out. +</p> + +<p> +“Our nerves are not what they should be,” said Betty. “We +must calm down. I wonder did we get any pickles?” +</p> + +<p> +“I saw him put some in,” spoke Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“Then let’s have supper, and we’ll go out for a ride on the +lake afterward,” suggested Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“Maybe the ghost will carry off our camp,” remarked Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t you dare let Aunt Kate hear you say that or she’ll run +away!” cried Betty. “Come on, everyone help get supper, and +we’ll be through early,” and, gaily humming she began to set the +table that stood under a canvas shelter in front of the big tent. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap19"></a>CHAPTER XIX<br /> +A QUEER DISTURBANCE</h2> + +<p> +“Have we blankets enough?” +</p> + +<p> +“It’s sure to be cool before morning.” +</p> + +<p> +“We can burn the oil stove turned down love—that will make the tent +warm.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, but it makes it so close and—er—smelly.” +</p> + +<p> +They all laughed at that. +</p> + +<p> +Betty and her chums were preparing to spend their first night in camp on Elm +Island, in the tent. They had had supper—eating with fine +appetites—and after a little run about the lake had tied up at the small +dock near their tent. +</p> + +<p> +“A lantern would be a good thing to burn,” said Aunt Kate. +“That will give some warmth, too.” +</p> + +<p> +“And we can see better, if—if anything comes!” exclaimed Amy, +evidently with an effort. +</p> + +<p> +“Anything—what do you mean?” demanded Mollie, as she combed +out her long hair, preparatory to braiding it. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, I mean—er—<i>anything</i>!” and again Amy +faltered. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, girls she means—the ghost!” exclaimed Betty, with a +laugh. “Why not say it?” +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t!” pleaded Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“Now look here,” went on practical Betty. “There’s no +use evading this matter. There’s no such thing as a ghost, of that we are +certain, and yet if we shy at mentioning it all the while it will only make us +more nervous.” +</p> + +<p> +“The idea! I’m not nervous a bit,” declared Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, then,” resumed Betty, “there’s no use in being +afraid to use the word, as Amy seemed to be. So talk ghost all you +like—you can’t scare me. I’m so tired I know I’ll sleep +soundly, and I hope the rest of you will. Only, for goodness sakes, don’t +be talking in weird whispers. That is far worse than all the ghosts in +creation.” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s what I say!” exclaimed Aunt Kate, who was an +old-fashioned, motherly soul. “If the ghost comes I’m going to talk +to it, and ask how things are—er—on the other side. Girls, +it’s a great privilege to have a ghostly friend. If the man who owns this +island knew what was good for him he’d advertise the fact that it was +haunted. If Mr. Lagg were here I’d get him to make up a poem about the +ghost. That would scare it off, if anything could.” +</p> + +<p> +“That’s the way to talk!” cried Betty, cheerfully. “And +now for a good night’s rest. Bur—r—r—r! It <i>is</i> +cold!” and she shivered. +</p> + +<p> +“I’m going to get some more blankets from the boat,” declared +Mollie. “I know we’ll be glad of them before morning. Come along +with me, Grace,” she added, after a moment’s pause, as she took up +one of the lanterns. “You can help carry them.” +</p> + +<p> +“And scare away the——” began Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“Indeed, I wasn’t thinking a thing about it!” insisted +Mollie, with emphasis. “And I’ll thank you to——” +</p> + +<p> +She began in that impetuous style, that usually presaged a burst of temper, and +Betty looked distressed. But Mollie corrected her fault almost before she had +committed it. +</p> + +<p> +“Excuse me, Amy,” she said, contritely. “I know what you +mean. Will you come, Grace?” +</p> + +<p> +“Of course. I’ll be glad of some extra coverings myself.” +</p> + +<p> +The two girls were back in remarkably short time. +</p> + +<p> +“You didn’t stay long,” commented Betty, drily. +“it’s only a step to the dock,” answered Mollie, as she and +Grace deposited their arm-loads of blankets on the cots. +</p> + +<p> +Then after the talk and laughter had died away, quiet gradually settled down in +the camp tent. The Outdoor Girls were trying to go to sleep, but one and all, +afterward, even Aunt Kate, complained that it was difficult. Whether it was the +change from the boat, or the talk of the ghost, none could say. At any rate +there were uneasy turnings from side to side, and as each cot squeaked in a +different key, and as one or the other was constantly “singing,” +the result may be imagined. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, dear!” exclaimed Grace, impatiently, after a half-hour of +comparative quiet, “I know I’ll never get to sleep. Do you girls +mind if I sit up and read a little? That always makes me drowsy, and I’ve +got a book that needs finishing.” Only Aunt Kate was slumbering. +</p> + +<p> +“Got any chocolates that need eating?” asked Mollie, with a laugh, +in which they all joined, half-hysterically. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, I have!” with emphasis. “But, just for that you +won’t get any.” +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t want them! You couldn’t hire me to eat candy at +night,” and again Mollie flared up. +</p> + +<p> +“Girls, girls!” besought Betty. “This will never do! We will +all be rags in the morning.” +</p> + +<p> +“Polishing rags then, I hope,” murmured Amy. “My hands are +black from the oil stove—it smoked, and I’ll need a cake of +sand-soap to get clean again.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, I can’t stand this—I’m too fidgety!” +declared Grace. “I’m going to sit up a little while, and read. +I’m going to eat a chocolate, too. I’ll give you some, Mollie, if +you like. I bought a fresh box of Mr. Lagg. +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“Chocolates they are nice and sweet,<br /> + + Good for man and beast to eat.” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +“Give me a young lady-like brand,” suggested Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“Why don’t we all of us sit up a while, and—I have +it—we’ll make a pot of chocolate,” exclaimed Mollie. +“That will make us all sleep, and warm us—it is getting real chilly +already.” +</p> + +<p> +“Perhaps that will be best,” agreed Betty, as she donned her heavy +dressing gown and warm slippers, for the tent was cool even in July. +</p> + +<p> +Soon there was the aroma of chocolate in the little cooking shelter, and the +girls sat around, in various picturesque and comfortable attitudes, sipping the +warm beverage and nibbling the crisp crackers. +</p> + +<p> +Then gradually their nerves quieted down, and even Grace, more aroused than any +of the others, began to feel drowsy. One by one they again sought their cots, +and finally a series of deep breathings told of much-needed sleep. +</p> + +<p> +It must have been long after midnight when Betty was suddenly aroused by a +queer noise. She had slept heavily, and at first she was not fully aware of her +surroundings, nor what had awakened her. Then she became conscious of a curious +heavy breathing, as of some animal. She sat up in alarm, her heart pounding +furiously. Her throat went dry. +</p> + +<p> +“Girls—girls!” she gasped, hoarsely. “Aunt Kate!” +</p> + +<p> +The latter was the first to reply. Quickly reaching out to the lantern near +her, she turned up the wick. Following the sudden illumination in the tent +there was a cracking in the underbrush near it. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh!” screamed Grace, sitting up. “What is it?” +</p> + +<p> +“I’m going to look!” said Mollie, resolutely. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t! Don’t!” pleaded Amy, but Mollie was already at +the flap of the tent, which she quickly loosed. Then she screamed. +</p> + +<p> +“Look! It’s white! It’s white!” +</p> + +<p> +Betty, forcing herself to action, stood beside her chum. She was just in time +to see some-thing big and white run down toward the lake. There was a clash and +jingling as of chains, and a splashing of water. Then the white thing +disappeared, and the girls stood staring at one another, trembling violently. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap20"></a>CHAPTER XX<br /> +THE STORM</h2> + +<p> +Grace “draped” herself over the nearest cot. Amy followed her +example, with the added distinction that she covered her head with the +blankets. Betty and Mollie stood clinging to each other. +</p> + +<p> +“Though I don’t think they were any braver than we,” declared +Grace afterward. “They simply couldn’t fall down, for Betty wanted +to go one way and Grace the other. So they just naturally held each other +up.” +</p> + +<p> +“I couldn’t stand,” declared Amy. “My, knees shook +so.” +</p> + +<p> +Aunt Kate was the first to speak after the apparition had passed away, seeming +to lose itself in the lake. +</p> + +<p> +“Girls, have you any idea what it was?” she asked. +</p> + +<p> +“The—the—” began Amy. “Oh, I can’t say +it!” she wailed from beneath the covers. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t be silly!” commanded Betty, sharply. “If you +mean—ghost—say so,” but she herself hesitated over the word. +</p> + +<p> +“If that was the ghost it was the queerest one I ever saw!” +declared Mollie, with resolution. “I don’t just mean that, +either,” she hastened to add, “for I never saw a ghost before. But +in all the stories I ever read ghosts were tall and thin, of the willowy +type——” +</p> + +<p> +“Like Grace,” put in Betty, with rather a wan smile. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t you dare compare me to a ghost!” commanded the Gibson +girl,” with energy that brought the blood to her pale cheeks. She +ventured to peer out from under the tent flap now. “Is it—is it +gone?” she faltered. +</p> + +<p> +“It’s in the lake—whatever it was,” said Mollie. +“But wasn’t it oddly shaped, Betty?” +</p> + +<p> +“It was indeed. And it made plenty of noise. Real ghosts never do +that.” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, some do!” asserted Amy. “I read the ‘Ghost of the +Stone Castle,’ a most fascinating story, and that ghost always rattled +chains, and made a terrible noise.” +</p> + +<p> +“What did it turn out to be?” asked Aunt Kate. +</p> + +<p> +“The story didn’t say. No one ever found out.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, this one is exactly like Mr. Lagg described,” spoke Grace, +“chains and all. What could it have been?” +</p> + +<p> +“I imagine,” said Betty, slowly, “that it may be some wild +animal——” +</p> + +<p> +Grace screamed. +</p> + +<p> +“What is it now?” asked Betty, regarding her. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t say wild animals—they’re worse than +ghosts!” +</p> + +<p> +“Nonsense! Don’t be silly! I mean it may he some wild animal, like +a fox or deer that has been caught in a trap. Traps have chains on them, you +know. This animal may have been caught some time ago, have pulled the chain +loose, and the poor thing may be going around with the trap still fastened to +him. That would account for the rattling.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” said Mollie, “that may be so, and there may be white +foxes, but I never heard of any outside of Arctic regions. But, Betty Nelson, +there never was a fox as large as that. Why it was as—as big as our +tent!” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, and how it sniffed and breathed!” added Betty. “I guess +it couldn’t be a wild animal. It may have been a cow. I wonder if any +campers here keep a white cow?” +</p> + +<p> +“A cow would moo,” declared Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“But whatever it was, it was frightened at the light,” said Aunt +Kate, practically, “so I don’t think we need to be afraid of +it—whatever it was. We’ll leave a light outside the tent the rest +of the night, and it won’t come back.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’m going to sleep in the boat!” declared Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“Nonsense!” cried Betty. “Don’t be a deserter! Have +some more chocolate, and we’ll all go to sleep,” and they finally +persuaded Grace to remain. It took some little time to get their nerves quiet, +but finally they all fell into a more or less uneasy slumber that lasted until +morning. The “ghost” did not return. +</p> + +<p> +Wan, and with rather dark circles under their eyes, the girls got breakfast the +next morning. The meal put them in better spirits, and when they bustled around +about the camp duties they, forgot their scare of the night before. +</p> + +<p> +They made a partial tour of the island, though some parts were too densely +wooded and swampy to penetrate. But such parts as they visited showed the +presence of no other campers. They were alone on Elm Island, save for an +occasional picnic party, several evidently having been there the day before. +</p> + +<p> +“Then that—thing—couldn’t have been a cow,” said +Grace, positively. +</p> + +<p> +“Make up a new theory,” suggested Betty, with a laugh. “One +thing, though, we’re not going to let it drive us away, are we—not +away from our camp?” +</p> + +<p> +The others did not answer for a moment, and then Mollie exclaimed: +</p> + +<p> +“I’m going to stay—for one.” +</p> + +<p> +“So am I!” declared Aunt Kate, vigorously. “A light will keep +whatever animal it is away, and I’m sure it was that. Of course +we’ll stay!” +</p> + +<p> +There was nothing for Grace and Amy to do but give in—which they did, +rather timidly, be it confessed. +</p> + +<p> +“And now let’s go for a ride,” proposed Betty, after lunch. +“There are some things I want to get at Mr. Lagg’s store.” +</p> + +<p> +“Will you tell him about the—ghost?” asked Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“Certainly not. It may be,” said Betty, “that some one is +playing a joke on us. In that case we’ll not give him the satisfaction of +knowing that we saw anything. We will keep silent, girls.” And they did. +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“Matches, soap and oil and butter,<br /> + + Business gives me such a flutter.” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +Mr. Lagg recited this as Betty gave her order. +</p> + +<p> +“Have you seen the ghost?” he asked. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh!” cried Grace, “you have in some fresh chocolates! I must +have some.” +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“You’ll find my chocolates sweet and good,<br /> + + To eat on lake or in the wood!” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +Mr. Lagg’s attention being diverted to a net subject, he did not press +his question. Thus the girls escaped committing themselves. +</p> + +<p> +“I think we are going to have a storm,” remarked Betty, when they +were under way again, cruising down the lake toward Triangle Island, where they +expected to call on some friends. “And as Rainbow gets rough very +quickly, I think we shall turn back.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, do,” urged Amy. “I detest getting wet.” +</p> + +<p> +“The cabin is dry,” urged Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“We had better go back,” urged Aunt Kate, and the prow of the +<i>Gem</i> was swung around. Other boats, too small or not staunch enough to +weather the blow that was evidently preparing, had turned about for a run to +shore. There passed Betty’s craft the two boys whose canoe had been +taken. +</p> + +<p> +“Any luck?” asked Betty, interestedly. +</p> + +<p> +“No, we haven’t found a trace of it yet,” the older one +replied. +</p> + +<p> +In the West dark masses of vapor were piling up, and now and then the clouds +were split by a jagged chain of lightning, while the ever-in-creasing rumble of +thunder told of the onrush of the storm. +</p> + +<p> +“We’re going to get caught!” declared Mollie. “I guess +I’ll close the ports, Betty.” +</p> + +<p> +“Do; and bring out my raincoat, please.” +</p> + +<p> +Attired in this protective garment over her sailor suit, the Little Captain +stood at the wheel. +</p> + +<p> +With a blast that flecked the crests of the waves into foam, with a rattle and +roar, and a vicious swish of rain, the storm broke over the <i>Gem</i> while +she was yet a mile from the camp on Elm Island. The boat heeled over, for her +cabin was high and offered a broad surface to the wind. +</p> + +<p> +“We’ll capsize!” screamed Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“We will not!” exclaimed Betty, above the noise. She shifted the +wheel to bring the boat head-on to the waves, and this made her ride on a more +even keel. Then, with a downpour, accompanied by terrific thunder and vivid +lightning, the storm broke. Betty bravely stood to her post, the others +offering to relieve her, but she would not give up the wheel, and remained +there until the little dock was reached. Then, making snug their craft, they +raced for the tent. It had stood up well, for it was protected from the gale by +big elm trees. Soon they were in shelter. +</p> + +<p> +And then, almost as suddenly as it had come up, the storm passed. The clouds +seemed to melt away, and the sun came out, the shower passing to the East. +</p> + +<p> +Grace, who had gone out on the end of the dock, called to the others. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, come on and see it!” +</p> + +<p> +“What—the ghost?” inquired Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“No, but the most beautiful rainbow I ever saw—a double one!” +</p> + +<p> +They came beside her, and Grace pointed to where, arching the heavens, were two +bows of many colors, one low down, vivid and perfect, the other above +it—a fainter reflection. As the sun came out from behind the clouds the +colors grew brighter. +</p> + +<p> +“How lovely!” murmured Amy, clasping her hands. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, it is the most brilliant bow I have ever seen,” added Aunt +Kate. “It seems almost like like a painted one.” I would be more +poetical if I were Mr. Lagg,” and she laughed. +</p> + +<p> +“It is very vivid,” went on Betty. “In fact I have heard it +said that on account of the peculiar situation of this lake, the high mountains +around it, and the clouds, there are brighter rainbows here than anywhere else +in this country. That is how the lake got its name—Rainbow. It was the +Indians who first gave it that, I was told, though I don’t know the +Indian name for rainbow.” +</p> + +<p> +“We don’t need to—this is beautiful as it is,” murmured +Grace. “Oh, isn’t it wonderful!” and they stood there +admiring the beautiful scene, and recalling the old story of the bow—the +promise of the Creator after the flood that never again would the world be +submerged. +</p> + +<p> +Then the light gradually died from the colored arches, to be repeated again in +the wonderful cloud effects at sunset. The storm had been like the weeping of a +little child, who smiles before its tears—and afterward. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap21"></a>CHAPTER XXI<br /> +THE GHOST</h2> + +<p> +“Girls, there are letters for each of us!” exclaimed Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“Any for me?” asked Aunt Kate. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, a nice—adipose—that is to say, fleshy one,” +exclaimed Mollie, passing it over. It was bulky. +</p> + +<p> +The girls had stopped at the store of Mr. Lagg, where they had sent word to +have their mail forwarded. The occasion was a morning visit several days after +they had established their camp on Elm Island. +</p> + +<p> +“Any news?” asked Betty of Mollie, the former having finished a +brief note from home, stating that all were well. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, poor little Dodo is to go to the specialist to be operated on this +week. Oh, it does seem as if I ought to go home, and yet mamma writes that I am +to stay and enjoy myself. She says there is practically no danger, and that +there is great hope of success. Aunt Kittie—Dodo was at her house when +the accident happened, you know—Aunt Kittie has come to stay with mamma. +Every one else is well, including Paul. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, but I shall be so anxious until it is over! They are going to let me +know as soon as it is. Are we going to stay around here, where I can get word +quickly?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, we will remain on Elm Island, I think,” said Betty. +“There is no use in cruising about too much when we are so comfortable +there, and really it is lovely in the woods.” +</p> + +<p> +“As long as the ghost doesn’t bother us,” spoke Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“Nonsense!” exclaimed Betty. “What is your news, +Grace?” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, Will writes that he and Frank are coming up to camp on the island +near us.” +</p> + +<p> +“That will be fine!” exclaimed Betty. “When will they get +here?” +</p> + +<p> +“Allen can’t come up until the week-end,” went on Grace. +“He has to take some kind of bar examinations. For the—high jump, I +think.” +</p> + +<p> +“Silly!” reproved Betty, with a blush. +</p> + +<p> +“But Will told me to tell you specially that Allen is coming,” went +on Grace. “They can stay a few days.” +</p> + +<p> +“It will be fine,” cried Mollie. “Any news about the papers, +Grace?” +</p> + +<p> +“Not a word, and no trace of Prince.” +</p> + +<p> +“That is queer,” said Betty. “But we will live in +hopes—that Dodo will be all right, and that the papers will be +found.” +</p> + +<p> +“Indeed we will,” sighed Grace. Mr. Lagg was bowing and smiling +behind his counter while the girls were reading their letters. +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“What will it be? What will it be? What will it be to-day?<br /> + + Be pleased to leave an order, before you go away!” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +“Really, I don’t believe we need a thing,” answered Mollie, +in answer to this poetical effusion. “We might have——” +</p> + +<p> +“Some more olives,” interrupted Grace. “They are so handy to +eat, if you wake up in the night, and can’t sleep.” +</p> + +<p> +“Shades of Morpheus preserve us!” laughed Mollie. +“Olives!” +</p> + +<p> +“Does the ghost keep you awake?” asked the storekeeper. +</p> + +<p> +“Not—not lately!” answered Betty, truthfully. +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“The ghost! The ghost! with clanking chains,<br /> + + It comes out only when—it rains!” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +Thus Amy anticipated Mr. Lagg. +</p> + +<p> +“Very good—very good!” he commended. “I must write that +down. Hank Lefferton was over setting eel pots on the island last night, and he +said he seen it.” +</p> + +<p> +“The ghost?” faltered Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“Yep. Chains and all.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, we didn’t,” said Aunt Kate, decidedly. “Come +along, girls.” +</p> + +<p> +They had written some souvenir cards, which they mailed, and again they went +sailing about Rainbow Lake. +</p> + +<p> +Several days passed. The girls went on little trips, on picnics, cruised about +and spent delightful hours in the woods. They thoroughly enjoyed the camp, and +the “ghost” did not annoy them. Mollie waited anxiously for news +from home, but none came. +</p> + +<p> +Then the boys arrived, with their camping paraphernalia, and in such bubbling +good spirits that the girls were infected with them, for they had become rather +lonesome of late. +</p> + +<p> +The boys pitched their tent near that of the girls, and many meals were eaten +in common. Then one night it happened! +</p> + +<p> +It was late, and after a jolly session—a marshmallow roast, to be +exact—they had all retired. No one remained awake now, for the girls had +become used to their surroundings, and the boys—Allen included, for he +had come up—were sound sleepers. +</p> + +<p> +There was a crash of underbrush, a series of snorts—no other word +describes them—and the screaming girls, hastening to their tent flaps, +cried: +</p> + +<p> +“The ghost! The ghost!” +</p> + +<p> +“Get after it, fellows!” called Will, as he recognized his +sister’s voice. “We’ll lay this chap—whoever he +is!” +</p> + +<p> +There was a vision of something white, again that rattling of chains, and a +plunge into the lake. Then all was still. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap22"></a>CHAPTER XXII<br /> +WHAT MOLLIE FOUND</h2> + +<p> +“Did you get—it?” +</p> + +<p> +Betty hesitated a moment over the question. +</p> + +<p> +Will, Frank and Allen stood just outside the tent of the girls. They had come +back from a hurried race after the white object that had again disturbed the +slumbers of the campers. +</p> + +<p> +“We only had a glimpse of it,” answered Will. “Then it seemed +to melt into the water.” +</p> + +<p> +“But it was big,” said Frank. +</p> + +<p> +“And made lots of noise,” added Allen. +</p> + +<p> +“That’s just the way it acted before,” declared Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +In dressing gowns, warmly wrapped up, and in slippers, the girls were talking +through the opened flap of the tent to Grace’s brother and his chums. +</p> + +<p> +“Can you imagine what it may be?” asked Aunt Kate. She had been +making chocolate—a seemingly never-failing remedy for night alarms. +</p> + +<p> +“Haven’t the least idea,” answered Will, “unless +it’s someone trying to play a so-called practical joke.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’d like to get hold of the player,” announced Allen. +“I’d run him off——” +</p> + +<p> +“Off the scale,” interrupted Betty, with a laugh. +</p> + +<p> +“That’s it,” conceded Allen. “Are you girls all +right?” +</p> + +<p> +“All but our nerves,” answered Grace. +</p> + +<p> +The boys made a search in the gloom, but found nothing, and once more quiet +settled down. Nor were they disturbed again that night. In the morning they +laughed. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, but it’s hot!” exclaimed Mollie during the forenoon, +when the question of dinner was being discussed. “I think we might go for +a swim. There’s a nice sandy beach at the side of our dock.” +</p> + +<p> +“Let’s!” proposed Grace. The boys had gone off fishing. +</p> + +<p> +Soon the girls were splashing around in the lake, making a pretty picture in +their becoming bathing suits, of which they had more use than they had +anticipated. +</p> + +<p> +“Let’s try some diving!” proposed Mollie, always a daring +water sprite. “It’s lovely and deep here,” and she looked +down from the end of the dock. +</p> + +<p> +“I wish I dared dive,” said Amy. She was a rather timid swimmer, +slow and deliberate, probably able to keep afloat for a long time, but always +timid in deep water. +</p> + +<p> +“Here goes!” cried impulsive Mollie, as she poised for a flash into +the water. +</p> + +<p> +She went down cleanly, but was rather long coming up. Grace and Betty looked +anxiously at one another. +</p> + +<p> +“She is——” began Betty. +</p> + +<p> +Mollie flashed into sight like a seal. +</p> + +<p> +“I—I found something!” she panted. +</p> + +<p> +“Did you strike bottom?” asked Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“Almost. But that’s all right. I’m going down again. There is +something down there. Maybe it’s the ghost!” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, do be careful!” cautioned Betty, but Mollie was already in the +water. She was longer this time coming up, and Betty was getting nervous. Then +Mollie shot into view. +</p> + +<p> +“I—I found it!” she gasped. +</p> + +<p> +“What?” chorused the others. +</p> + +<p> +“The missing canoe those boys have been looking for! It is down there on +the bottom, freighted with stones. We will get it up for them!” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap23"></a>CHAPTER XXIII<br /> +SETTING A TRAP</h2> + +<p> +“Are you sure it is the canoe?” asked Betty, who did not want +Mollie to take any unnecessary risks. +</p> + +<p> +“Of course I am,” came the confident answer, as Mollie poised, in +her dripping bathing suit, on the little dock. She made a pretty picture, too, +with her red cap, and blue suit trimmed with white. “I could feel the +edge of the gunwhale,” she went on, “and the stones in it that keep +it down.” +</p> + +<p> +“But how can we get it up?” asked Grace, who was sitting on the +dock, splashing her feet in the water. Grace never did care much about getting +wet. Amy said she thought she looked better dry. Certainly she was a pretty +girl and knew how to “pose” to make the most of her +charms—small blame to her, though, for she was unconscious of it. +</p> + +<p> +“We can get it up easily enough,” declared Mollie, wringing the +water from her skirt, “All we’ll have to do will be to toss out the +stones, one by one, and the canoe will almost float itself. I can tie a rope to +the bow, and we can stand on shore and pull. Those boys will be so glad to get +it back.” +</p> + +<p> +“But can we lift out the heavy stones?” asked Amy, in considerable +doubt. +</p> + +<p> +“Of course we can. You know any object is much lighter in water than out +of it, we learned that in physics class, you remember. The water buoys it up. +You can move a much heavier stone under water than you could if the same stone +was on land. We can all try.” +</p> + +<p> +“I never could stay under water long enough to get out even one +stone,” declared Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“Nor I,” added Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“I’ll try,” spoke Betty—she was always willing to +try—“but I’m afraid I can’t be of much help, Mollie. +And I’m sure I don’t want you to do it all.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, wait until I make another inspection,” said the diving girl. +“It may be more than I bargained for. I’ll hold my breath longer +this time.” +</p> + +<p> +“Do be careful!” cautioned Aunt Kate, coming out from the tent. +</p> + +<p> +“We will,” promised Betty. +</p> + +<p> +Again Mollie dived. She had practiced the trick of opening her eyes under +water, and this time she looked carefully over the sunken canoe. She stayed +under her full limit, and when she came up she was panting for breath. +</p> + +<p> +“You must not stay under so long,” warned Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“There—are—a—lot—of—stones,” gasped +Mollie. “But I think we can do it,” she added a moment later. +</p> + +<p> +“I’ll see what I can do,” spoke Betty. She was a good swimmer +and diver, perhaps not so brilliant a performer as Mollie, but with more +staying qualities. Down went Betty in a clean dive, and when she came up, +panting and shaking the water from her eyes, she called: +</p> + +<p> +“I lifted out two, but I think we had better let the boys do it, +Mollie.” +</p> + +<p> +“Perhaps,” was the reply. +</p> + +<p> +“I’m sorry you can’t count on me,” sail Grace, +“but really I’d have nervous prostration if I went down there, even +though it’s only ten feet deep, as you say.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, getting nervous prostration under water would be a very bad +idea,” commented Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“And I’m sure I never could do it,” remarked Amy. “Do +let the boys manage it, Bet. The lads who own the canoe will be glad of the +chance.” +</p> + +<p> +“I’m going to move out a couple of stones, so Betty won’t +beat my record,” laughed Mollie, diving again. She bobbed up a moment +later. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, dear!” she cried. “An eel slid right over me. Ugh! +I’m not going down again!” and she shivered. Even the fearless +Mollie had had enough of the under-water work. +</p> + +<p> +By means of a cord and a float the position of the sunken canoe was marked, so +that the boys could locate it, and when they returned from a rather +unsuccessful fishing trip, they readily agreed to raise the boat. It did not +take them long to remove the stones, for Will, Frank and Allen were all expert +swimmers, and could remain under water much longer than can most persons. +</p> + +<p> +Then a rope was made fast to the canoe, which would not rise completely because +of being filled with water. It was pulled ashore and word sent to the young +owners. That they were delighted goes without saying. They proffered the reward +they had offered, but of course our friends would not take it. Later it was +learned that the canoe had been taken by an unscrupulous fisherman, who was not +above the suspicion of making a practice of such tricks. It was thought he +intended to let it remain where it was until fall, when he would raise it, +paint it a different color, and sell it. But Mollie’s fortunate dive +frustrated his plans. +</p> + +<p> +“Seen anything more of the ghost?” asked Will of the girls, when +the canoe had been moored to the shore. +</p> + +<p> +“No, and we don’t want to,” returned Betty. +</p> + +<p> +“Afraid?” Allen wanted to know. +</p> + +<p> +“Indeed not!” she exclaimed, with a blush. +</p> + +<p> +“I’ll tell you what let’s do,” suggested Frank. +“Let’s take a look around and see if that ghost left any +footprints.” +</p> + +<p> +“Ghosts never do,” asserted Will. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, let’s have a look anyhow. We should have done it before. +Now, as nearly as I can recollect, the creature came about to here, and then +rushed into the lake,” and Frank went to a spot some distance from the +tents. The others agreed that it was about there that the white object had been +seen. Will was looking along the ground, going toward the lake. Suddenly he +uttered an exclamation. +</p> + +<p> +“Girls! Fellows!” he cried. “Come here!” They all +hastened to his side. He pointed to some marks in the sandy soil. +</p> + +<p> +“What are they?” he asked, excitedly. +</p> + +<p> +“Hoof marks!” cried Allen, dramatically. +</p> + +<p> +“That’s right!” agreed Will. “They are the marks of a +horse! Girls, that’s what your ghost is—a white horse, +and—and——” +</p> + +<p> +He ceased abruptly, looked at Grace strangely, and then brother and sister +gasped together: +</p> + +<p> +“Prince!” +</p> + +<p> +“What?” demanded Allen. +</p> + +<p> +“I’ll wager almost anything that this ghost is my white horse, +Prince, that has been missing so long!” went on Will. “But how in +the world he could have gotten on this island, so far from the mainland, is a +mystery!” +</p> + +<p> +“Couldn’t he swim?” asked Frank. +</p> + +<p> +“Of course!” cried Will. “I forgot about that. And Prince was +once a circus horse, or at least in some show where he had to jump into a tank +of water. Prince is a regular hippopotamus when it comes to water. Strange I +never thought of that before! +</p> + +<p> +“But this solves the ghost mystery, girls. You and the other folks have +been frightened by white Prince scooting about the island.” +</p> + +<p> +“We—we weren’t so very frightened,” spoke Mollie. +</p> + +<p> +“But the rattling chains?” questioned Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“What were they?” +</p> + +<p> +“The stirrups, of course,” answered her brother. “And, by +Jove, Grace, if the stirrups are on Prince the saddle must be on him also, and +the papers——” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, isn’t this just fine!” cried Grace, her face alight. +“Now papa can complete that business deal. I never loved a ghost before. +Dear old Prince!” +</p> + +<p> +“Of course we are assuming a lot,” said Will. “It may not be +Prince after all, but all signs point to it. He must have been on this island +all the while. No wonder we could get no trace of him. Probably he was so +frightened at the storm and the auto, and his fall, that he ran on until he +came to the lake. Then his old training came back to him, and in he plunged. +There’s enough fodder here for a dozen horses. He’s just been +running wild. I’ll have my own troubles with him when I get him +back.” +</p> + +<p> +“But how are you going to do it?” asked Frank. +</p> + +<p> +“We’ll search the island for him,” replied Will. “Come +on, we’ll start now.” +</p> + +<p> +Changing from their bathing suits to more conventional garments, the boys and +girls at once began a tour of the island. But though it was not very large, +there were inaccessible places, and it must have been in one of these that +Prince hid during the day, for they neither saw, nor heard anything of him. +</p> + +<p> +“We’ve got to set a trap!” exclaimed Will. +</p> + +<p> +“How?” asked Grace. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, evidently he’s been in the habit of coming around the tent +to get scraps of food. We’ll leave plenty out to-night, and also some +oats. Then we’ll watch, and when Prince comes I’ll catch +him.” +</p> + +<p> +The boys voted this plan a good one. They went over to Mr. Lagg’s store +in the <i>Gem</i> to get a supply of fodder for the trap. +</p> + +<p> +“A horse on the island!” exclaimed Mr. Lagg. So that’s the +ghost; eh? Well, it’s very likely, but it sort of spoils the story; +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“A ghostly ghost—a ghost in white<br /> + + Appearing in the darkest night.<br /> + + That it should prove a horse to be,<br /> + + Most certainly amazes me.” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +“Good!” exclaimed Will, with a laugh. “You are progressing, +Mr. Lagg.” +</p> + +<p> +A goodly supply of oats was placed in a box near the tent that evening, and +then the boys and girls sat about the camp-fire and talked, while waiting for +the time to retire. The boys were to make the attempt to capture Prince. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap24"></a>CHAPTER XXIV<br /> +THE GHOST CAUGHT</h2> + +<p> +“When do you expect to hear about little Dodo?” asked Grace, as the +girls sat together on a log in front of the fire, “like roosting +chickens,” Will was ungallant enough to remark. +</p> + +<p> +“Almost any day now,” replied Mollie. “They were to wait for +the most favorable time for the operation, and the specialist, so mamma wrote, +could not exactly fix on the day. But I am anxious to hear.” +</p> + +<p> +“I should think you would be. Poor little Dodo! I’d give anything +to hear her say now ‘Has oo dot any tandy?’” +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t,” spoke Betty in a low tone to Grace, for she saw the +tears in Mollie’s eyes. +</p> + +<p> +“It was the strangest thing how Stone and Kennedy should turn out to be +the two chaps in the auto,” remarked Will, to change the subject. +“And you have never let on that Grace was the girl on the horse?” +</p> + +<p> +“Never,” answered Amy. “Don’t say after this that girls +can’t keep a secret.” +</p> + +<p> +Frank was to watch the first part of the night, to be relieved by Allen, and +the latter by Will. +</p> + +<p> +“For, from what the girls say, Prince has been in the habit of coming +rather late,” Will explained, “and he’s more likely to let me +catch him than if you fellows tried it. So I’ll take last watch.” +</p> + +<p> +Frank’s vigil was unrewarded, and when he awakened Allen, who sat up, +sleepy-eyed, there was nothing to report. Allen found it hard work to keep +awake, but managed to do so by drinking cold coffee. +</p> + +<p> +“Anything doing, old man?” asked Will, as, yawning, he got on some +of the clothes he had discarded, the more comfortably to lie down on the cot. +</p> + +<p> +“Something came snooping around about an hour ago. At first I thought it +was the horse, and went out to take a look. But it was only a fox, I guess, for +it scampered away in the bushes. I hope you have better luck.” +</p> + +<p> +“So do I. Dad wants those papers the worst way. If I could get them for +him I’d feel better, for I can’t get over blaming myself that it +was my fault they were lost. It was, because I shouldn’t have sent Grace +for them when I knew how important they were.” +</p> + +<p> +Allen went to his cot, and Will took up his vigil. For an hour he sat reading +by a shaded lantern, so the light would not shine in the faces of his chums. +Then, when he was beginning to nod, in spite of the attractions of the book, he +heard a noise that brought him bolt upright in the chair. +</p> + +<p> +“Something is coming!” he whispered. He stole to the edge of the +board platform, and cautiously opened the flap of the tent. The box containing +oats and sugar had been placed a little distance away, in plain view. +</p> + +<p> +“That’s Prince!” exclaimed Will, for in the moonlight he saw +a white horse eating from the box. The “ghost” had arrived. +</p> + +<p> +Will resolved to make the attempt alone. He stepped softly from the tent, and +made his way toward the horse. He had on a pair of tennis shoes that made his +footsteps practically noiseless. Fortunately, Prince, should it prove to be +that animal, stood sideways to the tent, his head away from it, so that he did +not see Will. The boy tried to ascertain if there was a saddle on the horse, +but there was the shadow of a tree across the middle of his back, and it was +impossible to say for sure. +</p> + +<p> +Nearer and nearer stole Will. He thought he was going to have no trouble +catching him, but when almost beside Prince, for Will was certain of the +identity now, he stepped on a twig, that broke with a snap. +</p> + +<p> +With a snort Prince threw up his head and wheeled about. He saw Will, and +leaped away. +</p> + +<p> +“Prince, old fellow! Prince! don’t you know me?” called the +boy, and he gave a whistle that Prince always answered. +</p> + +<p> +The horse retreated. Will held out some sugar he had ready for such an +emergency. +</p> + +<p> +“Prince! Prince!” he called. The horse stopped and stretched out +his head, sniping. Prank and Allen came to the tent opening. “Keep +back!” called Will, in even tones. “I think I have him. Prince! +Come here!” +</p> + +<p> +The horse took a step forward. He sensed his master now. Will advanced, +speaking gently, and a moment later Prince, with a joyful whinny, was nibbling +at the sugar in the boy’s hand. Then Will slid the other along and caught +the mane. The bridle was gone. +</p> + +<p> +“I have him!” cried Will. “Bring the rope, fellows.” +</p> + +<p> +Prince was not frightened now. He stood still. Will led him into the full +moonlight. Then he exclaimed: +</p> + +<p> +“The saddle is gone!” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="chap25"></a>CHAPTER XXV<br /> +THE MISSING SADDLE</h2> + +<p> +“Have you caught Prince?” Grace called this to her brother from the +tent where she and the other girls had been aroused by the commotion. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, I have him. He knew me almost at once,” answered Will. +“But the saddle is gone!” +</p> + +<p> +“And the papers?” Grace faltered. +</p> + +<p> +“Gone with it, I fancy. Too bad!” +</p> + +<p> +“Maybe he just brushed the saddle off,” suggested Allen, who, with +Frank, had come out with a rope halter that had been provided in case the +“ghost hunt” was a success. “We’ll look around. +I’ll get a lantern.” +</p> + +<p> +But a hasty search in the darkness revealed nothing. There was no sign of a +saddle. +</p> + +<p> +“We’ll have to wait until morning,” sighed Will, as he tied +Prince to a tree. “Then we can see better, and look all around. Prince, +old boy, you knew me; didn’t you?” The handsome animal whinnied, +and rubbed his nose against Will’s arm. +</p> + +<p> +“And so you played the part of a ghost, you rascal! Scaring the +girls——” +</p> + +<p> +“We’ll never admit that,” called Betty from the tent. +</p> + +<p> +There was nothing more to do that night, after making Prince secure. The boys +ate a little mid-night supper, and from the tent of the girls came the odor of +chocolate, which Grace insisted on making. Then, after fitful slumbers, morning +came. +</p> + +<p> +Will was up early to examine Prince. He found the healed cut, where the auto +had struck, and there was evidence that the saddle had been on the animal until +recently. The iron stirrups would account for the sound like chains. +</p> + +<p> +“The saddle must be somewhere on this island,” declared Will. +“I’m going to find it.” +</p> + +<p> +“How?” asked Allen, who had made a careful toilet, as Betty had +promised to go for a row with him. +</p> + +<p> +“I’ll strap a pad on Prince, get on his back, and see where he +takes me. The way I figure is this. Prince never liked to be in the open. +I’m almost certain he has been staying in some sort of +shelter—either a cave, or an old cabin, or stable on the island. The +saddle may have come off there. Now he’ll most likely take me right to +his stopping place. Of course he may not, but it’s worth trying.” +</p> + +<p> +“Indeed it is,” agreed Prank. +</p> + +<p> +After a hasty breakfast Will put his plan to the test. Prince was fed well, and +with Frank and Allen to follow, Will leaped on his pet’s back, and gave +him free rein—or, rather, free halter, since there was no bridle. The +girls said they would take a walk around the island, looking for the saddle as +they went. +</p> + +<p> +Prince, after a little hesitation, started off with Will on his back. The +splendid animal headed for the lake shore, and for a moment Will was inclined +to think that Prince was going to plunge in and swim to some other island or +the mainland. But Prince was only thirsty, and, slaking that desire, he ambled +along the shore for a mile or so, the two young men following. +</p> + +<p> +“Where can he be going?” asked Frank. +</p> + +<p> +“Just let him alone,” counseled Will. “He knows what he is +about.” +</p> + +<p> +And so Prince did. He took a path he had evidently traveled many times before, +to judge by the hoof-marks, and presently came to a swampy place at which Frank +and Allen balked. +</p> + +<p> +“Wait here,” advised Will. “I’ll soon be back. This is +near one end of the island. It must be here that Prince has his stable.” +</p> + +<p> +And so it proved. Splashing through the swamp, Prince ascended a little slope, +pushed under some low tree branches that nearly brushed Will from his back, and +came to a halt before a tumbled-down cabin, that was just about large enough +for an improvised stable. Will leaped off, gave a look inside, and uttered a +shout of joy, for there, trampled on and torn, broken and water-stained, was +the saddle. A second later Will was kneeling before it, exploring the saddle +pockets. +</p> + +<p> +“Here they are!” he cried, as he pulled out the missing papers. +“I have them, fellows!” +</p> + +<p> +A hasty survey showed him that they were all there—somewhat stained and +torn, to be sure, but as good as ever for the purpose intended. +</p> + +<p> +“This is great luck!” cried Will. He looked about him. Then he saw +the reason why Prince had made this place his headquarters. The former occupant +of the deserted cabin had left behind a quantity of salt, and as all animals +like, and need, this crystal, Prince had been attracted to the place. It was +like the old “buffalo licks.” Then, too, there was shelter from +storms. +</p> + +<p> +“Prince, old man, you’re all right!” cried Will, as he put +the papers in his pockets. By dint of a little hasty repairing the saddle could +be used temporarily. It was evident that Prince had kept it on until lately, +and the dangling stirrups had caused the sound like rattling chains. There was +no sign of the bridle, however, but the halter would answer. Will saddled his +pet, and soon had rejoined Frank and Allen, to whom he had shouted the good +news. Then a hasty trip was made back to camp. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, I’m so glad!” cried Grace. “Now I can really enjoy +camping and cruising. You must telephone papa at once.” +</p> + +<p> +Which Will did, the whole party going over to Mr. Lagg’s store in the +motor boat. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, I have the papers safe,” Will told Mr. Ford. “Yes, +I’ll mail them at once. What’s that—Dodo—tell Mollie +Dodo is over the operation and is going to get well? I will—that’s +good news! Hurrah!” +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, thank the dear Lord!” murmured Mollie, and then she sobbed on +Betty’s shoulder. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, I guess we are ready to start,” announced Grace. “I +have the chocolates. Who has the olives?” +</p> + +<p> +“Chocolates and olives—the school girl’s delight!” +mocked Will, +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, you’ll be asking for some,” declared his sister. +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“Chocolates and olives are good for the boys,<br /> + + And to the girls they also bring joys.” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +Thus remarked Mr. Lagg. The crowd of young people were in his store, stocking +up the <i>Gem</i> for a resumption of her cruise on Rainbow Lake. It was +several days after the finding of the missing saddle and the papers. The latter +had been sent to Mr. Ford, Prince had been swum across to the mainland and sent +home, and the news about little Dodo had been confirmed. The child would fully +recover, and not even be lame. +</p> + +<p> +“Oh, what a fine time we’ve had!” exclaimed Grace, as she +waltzed about the store with Amy. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, the summer isn’t over yet by any means,” spoke Mollie. +“And there is the glorious Fall to come. I wonder what we shall do +then?” +</p> + +<p> +And what they did do may be ascertained by reading the next volume of this +series, to be called “The Outdoor Girls in a Motor Car; Or, The Haunted +Mansion of Shadow Valley,” in which we will meet all our old friends +again, and some new ones. +</p> + +<p> +“All aboard!” called Betty, as she led the way down to the dock +where the <i>Gem</i> awaited them. Each one was carrying a bundle of supplies, +for they expected to cruise for about a week. +</p> + +<p> +They boarded the motor boat. Betty threw over the lever of the self-starter. +The engine responded promptly. As the clutch slipped in, white foam showed at +the stern where the industrious propeller whirled about. The <i>Gem</i> slid +away from the dock. +</p> + +<p> +“Good-bye! Good-bye!” called the boys and girls to Mr. Lagg. +</p> + +<p> +“Good-bye!” he answered, waving his red handkerchief at them. Then +he recited. +</p> + +<blockquote> + +<p> +“As you sail o’er the bounding sea,<br /> + + Pause now and then and think of me.<br /> + + I’ve many things for man and beast,<br /> + + From chocolate drops to compressed yeast.” +</p> + +</blockquote> + +<p> +“Good!” shouted Will, laughing. +</p> + +<p> +And Betty swung around the wheel to avoid the two boys whose canoe Mollie had +so strangely found, as the <i>Gem</i>, continued her cruise down Rainbow Lake. +And here, for a time, we, too, like Mr. Lagg, will say farewell to our friends. +</p> + +<h4>THE END</h4> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div style='display:block;margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE OUTDOOR GIRLS AT RAINBOW LAKE ***</div> +<div style='display:block;margin:1em 0;'>This file should be named 4987-h.htm or 4987-h.zip</div> +<div style='display:block;margin:1em 0;'>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in https://www.gutenberg.org/4/9/8/4987/</div> +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> +Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will +be renamed. +</div> + +<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> +Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright +law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, +so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United +States without permission and without paying copyright +royalties. 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