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+The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Outdoor Girls at Rainbow Lake, by Laura Lee Hope
+
+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
+www.gutenberg.org. 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.
+
+Title: The Outdoor Girls at Rainbow Lake
+
+Author: Laura Lee Hope
+
+Release Date: April 7, 2002 [eBook #4987]
+[Most recently updated: February 25, 2021]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+Produced by: Jim Weiler, xooqi.com
+
+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE OUTDOOR GIRLS AT RAINBOW LAKE ***
+
+
+
+
+The Outdoor Girls At Rainbow Lake
+
+or
+
+The Stirring Cruise of the Motor Boat Gem
+
+by Laura Lee Hope
+
+1913
+
+
+Contents
+
+ CHAPTER I. A GRAND SURPRISE
+ CHAPTER II. AFTER THE PAPERS
+ CHAPTER III. THE RUNAWAY
+ CHAPTER IV. THE MISSING DOCUMENTS
+ CHAPTER V. THE GEM
+ CHAPTER VI. READY FOR A CRUISE
+ CHAPTER VII. STOWAWAYS
+ CHAPTER VIII. A HINT OF GHOSTS
+ CHAPTER IX. OFF ON THE TRIP
+ CHAPTER X. ADRIFT
+ CHAPTER XI. IN DANGER
+ CHAPTER XII. AT RAINBOW LAKE
+ CHAPTER XIII. CRACKERS AND OLIVES
+ CHAPTER XIV. THE REGATTA
+ CHAPTER XV. THE RACE
+ CHAPTER XVI. FIGHTING FIRE
+ CHAPTER XVII. ON ELM ISLAND
+ CHAPTER XVIII. IN CAMP
+ CHAPTER XIX. A QUEER DISTURBANCE
+ CHAPTER XX. THE STORM
+ CHAPTER XXI. THE GHOST
+ CHAPTER XXII. WHAT MOLLIE FOUND
+ CHAPTER XXIII. SETTING A TRAP
+ CHAPTER XXIV. THE GHOST CAUGHT
+ CHAPTER XXV. THE MISSING SADDLE
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+A GRAND SURPRISE
+
+
+“Girls, I’ve got the grandest surprise for you!”
+
+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.
+
+“Oh, it was so warm walking over!” she breathed. “And I did come too
+fast, I guess.” She fanned herself with a filmy handkerchief.
+
+“But the surprise?” Mollie Billette reminded Betty.
+
+“I’m coming to it, my dear, but just let me get my breath. I didn’t
+know I hurried so. Swing, Grace.”
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“What?” asked Grace, quickly.
+
+“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.”
+
+“You finished the last of the candy yourself!” exclaimed Grace, with
+spirit. If Grace had one failing, or a weakness, it was for chocolates.
+
+“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.
+
+“Yes, you did!” insisted Grace. “Don’t you remember? It was one with a
+cherry inside, and we both wanted it, and——”
+
+“You got it!” declared Mollie. “If you say I took it——”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“It sounds nice,” murmured Betty. “But, girls——”
+
+“Excuse me,” murmured Grace, making a struggle to arise from the
+hammock—never a graceful feat for girl or woman.
+
+“Don’t! You’ll spill me!” screamed Betty, clutching at the yielding
+sides of the net. “Grace! There!”
+
+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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“I wasn’t looking for candy,” replied Amy. “It’s my handkerchief—that
+new lace one; I fancied I left it in the hammock.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“You used to,” observed Amy, smoothing out her rather crumpled dress,
+and making dabs at her warm face with the newly discovered
+handkerchief.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“If Grace can’t find that box of chocolates she’ll most likely run down
+to the store for another,” said Amy.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Betty Nelson, you’ve just got to tell us!” insisted Mollie. “Look out,
+Amy, I’m going to get up.”
+
+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.”
+
+“Never mind, here comes Grace,” interrupted Amy. “Do sit still, Mollie;
+it’s too warm to juggle—or is it jiggle?—around so.”
+
+“Make it wiggle,” suggested Betty.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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!”
+
+“Never mind, did you bring the talcum?” asked Amy. “We can sprinkle it
+on green apples and pretend it’s fruit juice.”
+
+“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.
+
+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.”
+
+“Why not?” asked Betty, for the twins had a habit of appearing most
+unexpectedly, and in the most out-of-the-way places.
+
+“They’re over at Aunt Kittie’s for the day, and I told mamma I
+shouldn’t mind if she kept them a week.”
+
+“Oh, the dears!” murmured Amy.
+
+“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.
+
+“Here’s the talcum,” spoke Grace. “I’m sorry about the chocolates. Wait
+until I see Will,” and she shook an imaginary brother.
+
+“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?”
+
+“It’s a new sample lot Harrison’s pharmacy got in. Mr. Harrison gave me
+a box to try, and said——”
+
+“He wanted you to recommend it to your friends, I’ve no doubt,”
+remarked Mollie.
+
+“He didn’t say so, but I haven’t any hesitation in doing so. I just
+love it.”
+
+“It is nice,” said Amy. “I’m going to get some the next time I go
+down-town.”
+
+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.
+
+“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?”
+
+“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.
+
+“Gracious, I hope I haven’t lost it!” she exclaimed, glancing about,
+anxiously.
+
+“Was it only a letter?” asked Mollie, something of disappointment
+manifesting itself in her tones.
+
+“_Only_ a letter!” repeated Betty, with proper emphasis. “Well, I like
+the way you say that! It isn’t a common letter, by any means.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Then we are going to meet him?” interjected Grace, questioningly.
+
+“Yes, he’s coming to pay me a visit.”
+
+“Was that the grand surprise?” Amy wanted to know.
+
+“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——”
+
+“But _what_ is the surprise itself?” inquired Mollie.
+
+“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——”
+
+“Hark!” exclaimed Amy.
+
+A voice was calling:
+
+“Miss Ford! Miss Ford!”
+
+“Yes, Nellie, what is it?” asked Grace, as she saw a maid coming
+towards her, beckoning.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+AFTER THE PAPERS
+
+
+“Hello, is this you, Will?”
+
+“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!”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“No, I’m not going. Besides, it looks like a thunder storm.”
+
+“Say, Sis, will you go if I let you ride Prince?”
+
+“Your new horse?” asked Grace, eagerly.
+
+“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.
+
+“You must want to see that ball game awfully bad, to lend me Prince,”
+said Grace.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Oh, I know that—I can manage.”
+
+“Then you’ll get those papers from grandmother for me, and take them to
+dad?”
+
+“Yes, I guess so, though I don’t like leaving the girls.”
+
+“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!”
+
+“Yes, go on.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Trouble?”
+
+“Yes. But there’s not much chance of that. They don’t even know where
+the papers are.”
+
+“All right, I’ll get them. Have a good time at the game, Billy boy.”
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Oh, it was Will. He——”
+
+“Did he ‘fess up’ about the chocolates?” inquired Mollie.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Gone!” echoed Betty, blankly. “Where are you going, pray tell?”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Angry? Of course not,” said Amy, gently. “Besides, it’s important;
+isn’t it?”
+
+“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!”
+
+“I’m afraid of horses,” confessed Amy.
+
+“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.”
+
+“I should think you’d rather have an auto,” spoke Mollie.
+
+“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.”
+
+“You’d better!”
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“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:
+
+“‘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.
+
+“‘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.
+
+“‘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 _Flying Dutchman_ into port that you could have it
+for a toy. And I promised.
+
+“‘Well, now I have the chance to get the _Flying Dutchman_ 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.’
+
+“That’s all there is to it,” concluded Betty, “and I’ve been puzzling
+my brains as to just what the surprise may be.”
+
+“He’s going to take you on a voyage,” said Amy.
+
+“He’s bought you some toy ship,” was the opinion of Mollie.
+
+“Oh, if he’d only bring a real boat that we could make real a trip in!”
+sighed Grace. “That would be—lovely!”
+
+“Betty Nelson! Write to your uncle right away!” commanded Mollie, “and
+find out exactly what he means.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Well, if it should be some sort of a boat, even a big rowboat, we
+could have some fun,” asserted Grace.
+
+“Yes, for mine isn’t much account,” remarked Mollie, who owned a small
+skiff on the river.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“Oh, no, Miss,” said the groom, who heard her. “That was only a romp
+for him. He’ll be much easier to handle now.”
+
+He gave Grace a hand to help her mount to the saddle, and adjusted the
+stirrups for her.
+
+“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.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+THE RUNAWAY
+
+
+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.
+
+“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!”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Want a drink, lady?” he asked, smiling.
+
+“Yes,” answered Grace, “but I have no cup.”
+
+“I kin make ye one.”
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Say, is it Christmas, or Fourth of July?” gasped the urchin as he
+accepted them. “Thanks, lady.”
+
+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.
+
+The distance was not long now, and Grace, noting the gathering clouds,
+was glad of it.
+
+“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,”
+
+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.
+
+“Why Grace!” exclaimed the elderly lady, “I expected Will to come over.
+Your father said——”
+
+“I know, grandma, but Will—well, he is wild about baseball, and I said
+I’d come for him.”
+
+“That was good of you.”
+
+“Oh, no it wasn’t. I don’t deserve any praise. Chocolates and Prince—a
+big bribe, grandma.”
+
+“Oh, you young folks! Well, come in. Thomas will see to Prince.”
+
+“I can’t stay long.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“I wonder if they are any worse than girls, grandma?”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Yes, I think we will have a shower.”
+
+“Then I must not keep you. Is everyone well?”
+
+“Yes. How have you been?”
+
+“Oh, well enough for an old lady.”
+
+“Old, grandma? I only hope I look as nice as you when I get——”
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Yes, grandma.”
+
+“And if they should happen to fall into other hands it might make
+trouble—at least for a time.”
+
+“Yes. I will take good care of them.”
+
+“How can you carry them?”
+
+“In the saddle. Will had pockets, made especially for his needs. They
+will fit nicety. I looked before starting out.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Yes, Will said he wanted them quickly. Oh, well, I think I can
+out-race the storm,” and Grace laughed.
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+“Prince, we are going to get wet, I’m very much afraid,” Grace
+exclaimed. “And yet—well, we’ll try a little faster pace!”
+
+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.
+
+“Come, Prince!” cried Grace.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+Prince jumped nervously and shied to one side at the sound of the
+on-coming car.
+
+“Quiet, old fellow,” said Grace, soothingly.
+
+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.
+
+She glanced down and saw a red streak on his off fore shoulder. He had
+been cut by some part of the car.
+
+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.
+
+“Prince! Prince!” she cried, bracing herself in the stirrups, and
+gripping the reins with all her might. “Prince! Quiet, old fellow!”
+
+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.
+
+“Prince! Prince!” she pleaded.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“Go back! Go back!” screamed Grace. “Go back, Dodo!”
+
+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.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+THE MISSING DOCUMENTS
+
+
+“How do you feel now? Do you think you can drink a little of this?”
+
+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.
+
+“Try and take a little of this. The doctor does not think you are badly
+hurt. Fortunately the horse did not fall on you.”
+
+Again it seemed as though the voice came from the distant clouds.
+
+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.
+
+“Try and take it.”
+
+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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“He will be, my dear,” said the woman. “Don’t fret about the horse. He
+did not seem to be hurt.”
+
+Oh, it isn’t so much Prince himself, though Will would feel very badly
+if anything happened to him. It is——”
+
+Then Grace recalled that to mention the papers in the saddle bag might
+not be wise, so she stopped.
+
+“There now, don’t worry, my dear,” spoke the woman, soothingly. “Some
+one will catch the horse,”
+
+“Oh, he must be caught!” cried Grace. “You say the doctor was here to
+see me?”
+
+“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.”
+
+“You were very kind. I can’t seem to think very clearly,” and poor
+Grace put her hand to her head.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Why is he here—in the house—is some one else ill?” asked Grace,
+quickly.
+
+“Yes, my dear. Poor little Dodo was knocked down by the horse, and we
+fear is badly hurt.”
+
+“Dodo?” and the voice of Grace fairly rang at the name.
+
+“Yes, little Dora Billette. This is her aunt’s house. She and her
+brother Paul are visiting here.”
+
+“Yes, yes! I know. They live near me in Deepdale. Their sister Mollie
+is one of my best friends. I am Grace Ford.”
+
+“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!”
+
+“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!”
+
+She tried to rise.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Yes, I saw that. I thought she would be terribly hurt. Oh, to think it
+had to be I and Prince who did it!”
+
+“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!”
+
+“Oh, but poor Dodo! poor Dodo!” murmured Grace. “Is she much hurt?”
+
+“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.”
+
+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.
+
+The doctor came into the room.
+
+“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.
+
+“Yes, I feel pretty well, except that my head aches,” said Grace,
+rather wanly.
+
+“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.
+
+“How—how is little Dodo?” faltered Grace.
+
+Dr. Morrison did not answer at once. He seemed to be studying Grace.
+
+“How is she—much hurt?” Grace asked again.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“That was the trouble,” explained Mrs. Watson, who had been ministering
+to Grace, “she seemed just wild to get out in the rain.”
+
+“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——”
+
+He paused suggestively.
+
+“Miss Ford is my name,” Grace supplied.
+
+“Ah, yes, I am glad to know you. Now I must go back to the little one.”
+
+“Could I see her?” asked Grace, impulsively.
+
+“I had rather not—now.”
+
+Grace caught her breath convulsively. It was worse than she had
+feared—not to even see Dodo!
+
+“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——”
+
+“Mollie,” said Grace.
+
+“Well, then, Mollie is to come to take Paul home. We cannot move Dodo
+yet.”
+
+“Oh, is Mollie coming here?”
+
+“Yes. You can arrange to go home with her if you like. I believe Mrs.
+Carr asked for a closed carriage.”
+
+“Then, I will go home with Mollie and Paul. Oh, will they ever forgive
+me?”
+
+“It was not your fault at all!” insisted Mrs. Watson.” I saw the whole
+thing. Please don’t worry.”
+
+“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.
+
+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:
+
+“Oo dot any tandy?”
+
+“No, dear,” said Grace, gently, “but I’ll get you some soon. Mollie
+will bring some, perhaps.”
+
+With this promise Paul was content, and Mrs. Carr left him with Grace.
+
+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.
+
+“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.”
+
+Mrs. Carr took her unexpected guest to the telephone, and Grace was
+soon talking to her mother.
+
+“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.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+THE GEM
+
+
+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.
+
+“Oh, it must have been perfectly dreadful, Grace,” said Mollie,
+sympathetically. “Perfectly terrible!”
+
+“It was! And are you sure you don’t feel resentful toward me?”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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?”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“But they can’t blame you.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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
+_know_ she will be all right.”
+
+“I shall never cease praying that she will,” spoke Grace, softly.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“What will happen if we can’t find the papers?” asked Grace of her
+father, when she had explained everything.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“No!” exclaimed Will, aghast.
+
+“It seems terrible, but that is his opinion.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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?”
+
+“What do you mean?” asked Grace, in wonderment.
+
+“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?”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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:
+
+“Come and see. I want you to meet some one.”
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“But what is it?” whispered Amy.
+
+“If it’s a strange young man, I’m not going to go and meet him,” said
+Mollie, with quick decision.
+
+“It’s a man, but not young, and I think you’ll be glad to meet him,”
+answered Betty.
+
+Grace instinctively looked at her dress.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+Betty presented her friends in turn, and Mr. Martin had something odd
+to say to each as he shook hands heartily.
+
+“Uncle Amos has brought the—surprise,” said Betty. “But even yet he
+won’t tell me what it is.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“But we have no tide here, Uncle Amos,” spoke Betty.
+
+“What! No tide! What sort of a place is it without a tide? I’m
+disappointed, lass, disappointed!”
+
+“We’ll try and have one made for you,” said Mollie, with a laugh.
+
+“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?”
+
+“I don’t know, Uncle, unless that it would make the desert blossom like
+the rose.”
+
+“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.”
+
+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.
+
+“It’s a boat—I’m sure it is,” said Mollie.
+
+“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.”
+
+“What if it’s an airship?” asked Amy.
+
+“I shall—learn to run it!” declared Betty.
+
+“Never!”
+
+“Yes I shall.”
+
+“Let us hope it is but a rowboat then,” sighed Amy.
+
+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.”
+
+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.
+
+“There she is!” cried Mr. Marlin. “There’s the surprise, Bet. I got her
+for you! I named her the _Gem_—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 _Gem_ 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 _Gem_ for you, Betty. Let’s
+go aboard and see if that rascally mate has grub ready. There’s the
+_Gem!_” and he led the way toward the beautiful boat. The girls simply
+gasped with delight, and Betty turned pale—at least Grace said so.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+READY FOR A CRUISE
+
+
+“What a pretty cabin!” cried Mollie.
+
+“And see the places to put things!” exclaimed Betty.
+
+“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 _put_ things. The aft starboard locker, the
+for’d port locker. You must learn sea lingo if you’re to cruise in the
+_Gem_.”
+
+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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Or a chaperone,” added Grace. “We may have to do that, you know.”
+
+“Well, we can,” admitted Betty. “The question is, shall we go on a
+cruise?”
+
+“Ask us!” exclaimed Mollie with a laugh. “Just ask us!”
+
+“I do ask you,” retorted the little captain of the _Gem_. “Girls, you
+are hereby invited to accompany me on a cruise to go—Oh, where can we
+go?”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“But what makes the boat go?” asked gentle Amy.
+
+“The motor makes it ‘mote,’” spoke Betty. “It’s up in front; isn’t it,
+Uncle Amos?”
+
+“Up in front! There you go again, Bet. Up in front! You mean for’ard;
+up for’ard!”
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Kitchen!” cried Captain Marlin. “That isn’t a kitchen!”
+
+“What is it?” Amy wanted to know.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Oh, call ’em galley truck, that’s as good a name as any,” said the old
+captain. “Do you like this, Bet?”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Where is that?” asked Amy, innocently.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Never!” cried Mollie.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Like her! Who could help it? Uncle you’re a——”
+
+“No more kissing, Bet. I’m too old for that.”
+
+“The idea! Oh, girls, aren’t the bunks too cute for anything!” and
+Betty sat down on one.
+
+“And the dining room—may I call it that?” Grace timidly asked of the
+captain.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Oh, how lovely!” cried Betty. “Let’s go, girls.”
+
+“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.
+
+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 _Gem_ started down the stream, attracting not a little
+attention.
+
+“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.”
+
+“I’ll remember, Uncle.”
+
+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.
+
+“Oh, I couldn’t have had anything in the world I wanted more than
+this!” she cried to her uncle. “It is just great!”
+
+“And you think you girls will go for a cruise?”
+
+“I am sure we will, and as soon as we can. It will be the very thing
+for the hot summer.”
+
+“Wouldn’t Will just love this?” sighed Grace.
+
+“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.
+
+“Never Percy!” she declared. “I’ll ask Will, of course, and Frank
+Haley, but——”
+
+“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.
+
+“Which way shall I steer to pass that boat, Uncle?” asked Betty, to
+change a subject that was getting too personal.
+
+“Port,” he answered briefly.
+
+“And that is——” she hesitated.
+
+“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.”
+
+“I’m sure it’s easy to say left and right,” commented Grace, who was
+eating a chocolate.
+
+“Hum!” exclaimed the old captain, disapprovingly.
+
+The _Gem_ 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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“When?” asked Betty, thinking that this would spoil Mollie’s trip.
+
+“Oh, not for some time,” was the answer. “They are going to try
+everything else first.”
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“We will,” promised Grace.
+
+The telephone rang—they were all at Grace’s house. She answered.
+
+“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!”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+STOWAWAYS
+
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“I’m sorry myself, Mr. Randall. I can’t imagine where Prince can be.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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?”
+
+“It looks so, Sis. Has dad said anything lately?”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Which, means that I must become like a tree in Spring,” sighed Will.
+
+“How is that?” asked Amy. “Is it a riddle?”
+
+“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.
+
+“Of course there are some left,” answered Grace.
+
+“Which is a wonder!” exclaimed Will, as he hurried out of the room
+before his sister could properly punish him.
+
+“Will we wear our sailor costumes all the while?” asked Betty, for the
+girls, as soon as the cruise in the _Gem_ 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.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“It is not!” came indignantly from Billy.
+
+“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.
+
+“As I said,” went on Betty, “we can wear our sailor suits when aboard.
+When we go ashore we can wear our other dresses.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“And I agree with you, my dear,” said Betty. “Besides, we haven’t room
+for many things on the _Gem_. 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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Good!” cried Amy. “As for shoes——”
+
+“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——”
+
+Grace laughed, and thus acknowledged her guilt.
+
+“I’ve got another box up stairs,” she said. “I’ll get it,” which she
+proceeded to do.
+
+“Grace, you’ll ruin your digestion with so much sweet stuff,” declared
+Betty, seriously. “Really you will.”
+
+“I suppose so, my dear; but really I can’t seem to help it.”
+
+“As captain of the _Gem_ I’m going to put you on short rations, as soon
+as our cruise begins,” said Betty. “It will do you good.”
+
+“Perhaps it will,” Grace admitted, with a sigh. “I’ll be glad to have
+you do it. Now, is everything arranged for?”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+“That’s all right—go on, Little Captain,” said Amy.
+
+“Well, then, I thought we might do a little camping on Triangle, or one
+of the other islands, say, for three or four days.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Do! And if we can get in a race we will!” cried Mollie, with sparkling
+eyes.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Oh, don’t make too much of an effort,” exclaimed Mollie. “Allen
+Washburn said he might be going abroad this summer, anyhow.”
+
+“Who said anything about him?” demanded Betty, with a blush.
+
+“No one; but I can read—thoughts!” answered Mollie, helping herself to
+another candy.
+
+“I meant Will and Frank,” went on Betty. “They would like to come.”
+
+“I’m sure of it,” murmured Grace—literally murmured—for she had a
+marshmallow chocolate between her white teeth.
+
+“How about Percy Falconer?” asked Amy, mischievously. “I am sure he
+would wear a perfectly stunning—to use his own word—sailor suit.”
+
+“Don’t you dare mention his name!” cried Betty. “I detest him.”
+
+“Let us have peace!” quoted Mollie. “Then it’s all settled—we’ll cruise
+and camp and——”
+
+“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 _Gem_ is built for rough weather, Uncle Amos
+says.”
+
+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.
+
+Will came in later, looked moodily into an empty candy box, and
+exclaimed:
+
+“You might have left a few, Sis.”
+
+“What! With four girls? Will, you expect too much.”
+
+“I wonder if I’ll be disappointed in expecting a ride in Betty’s boat?”
+
+“No, we are going to be very kind and forgiving, and ask you and Frank.
+I believe Betty is planning it.”
+
+“Good for her. She’s a brick! I wish, though, that we could clear up
+this business about the papers.”
+
+“So do I. Wasn’t it unfortunate?”
+
+“Yes. How is little Dodo coming on?”
+
+“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.”
+
+“That’s good; cheer up, Sis! Come on down town and I’ll blow you to a
+soda.”
+
+“‘Blow’—such slang!”
+
+“It’s no worse than ‘hike.’”
+
+“I suppose not. Wait until I fix my hair.”
+
+“Good night!” gasped Will. “I don’t want to wait an hour. I’m thirsty!”
+
+“I won’t be a minute.”
+
+“That’s what they all say.” But Grace was really not very long.
+
+In answer to a telephone message next day the three chums assembled at
+Betty’s house.
+
+“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.”
+
+“That is so,” agreed Mollie. “It will be lovely, it is such a nice
+day.”
+
+“Just a little trip,” went on Betty, “to see if we have forgotten
+anything of our instructions.”
+
+Just then a clock chimed out eight strokes, in four sections of two
+strokes each.
+
+“Eight o’clock!” exclaimed Amy. “Your timepiece must be wrong, Betty.
+It’s nearer noon than eight.”
+
+“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 _Gem_. It
+keeps time just as it is done on shipboard.”
+
+“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?”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Oh, I’m sure I’ll never learn that,” sighed Amy.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Worse and worse!” protested Mollie. “What time is it at two o’clock?”
+
+“Four bells,” answered Betty, promptly. “Why, I thought four bells was
+four o’clock,” spoke Grace.
+
+“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——”
+
+“Oh, stop! stop! you make my head ache!” cried Grace, “Has anyone a
+chocolate cream?”
+
+They all laughed.
+
+“You’ll soon understand it,” said Betty.
+
+“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.”
+
+The _Gem_ 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.
+
+“Have you enough gasoline?” asked Amy, as she helped Betty loosen the
+mooring ropes.
+
+“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.
+
+“Yes, it’s full,” replied Amy.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Perfect!” echoed Amy. “And even Grace has forgotten to eat a chocolate
+for ten minutes.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+“What’s that?” cried Mollie.
+
+“Some one is in there!” added Grace, clinging to Amy.
+
+Again a groan, and some suppressed laughter.
+
+“There are stowaways aboard!” cried Betty. “Girls, we must put ashore
+at once and get an officer!” and she shifted the wheel.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+A HINT OF GHOSTS
+
+
+“Who can they be?”
+
+“It sounds like more than one!”
+
+“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 _Gem_ 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.
+
+“They’ll stay there until we get an officer,” she explained. “Probably
+they are tramps!”
+
+“Oh, Betty!” It was a startled trio who cried thus.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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!”
+
+“Dot any tandy?” came in childish accents from another of the
+stowaways.
+
+The girls looked at one another in surprise. Then a light dawned on
+them.
+
+“Don’t have us arrested!” pleaded another voice, with laughter in it.
+
+“That’s Will!” cried Grace.
+
+“And Frank Haley!” added Amy.
+
+“And Paul!” spoke Mollie. “Little brother, are you in there?”
+
+They listened for the answer.
+
+“Ess, I’se here. Oo dot any tandy?”
+
+“The boys put him up to that,” whispered Grace.
+
+Betty slid open the door, and there stood Will and Frank, with Paul
+between them. The boys looked sheepish—the child expectant.
+
+“I ought to put you two in irons,” spoke Betty, but with a smile. “I
+believe that is what is done with stowaways.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Unexpectedly?” asked Grace, with meaning.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Dot any tandy?” asked Paul again.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+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.
+
+“Let’s go down as far as one of the lake islands,” suggested Will, who
+was now at the wheel, his turn having come.
+
+“Can we get back in time?” asked Betty. “The river is high now, after
+the rains, and there’s quite a current.”
+
+“Oh, the _Gem_ has speed and power enough to do it in style,” declared
+Frank. “We’ll guarantee to get you back in time for supper.”
+
+“All right,” agreed the captain, who had gone into the cabin with the
+other girls.
+
+“And perhaps we can pick out a good place to go camping,” added Grace.
+
+The boys directed the course of the boat, while the girls looked after
+Paul.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“Where are you going?” asked Grace of her brother.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Oh, yes, I know Mr. Lagg!” exclaimed Mollie. “Barry Lagg is his name.
+He’s real quaint and jolly.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Has he dot any tandy?” inquired Paul, eagerly.
+
+“Oh, you dear, of course he has!” cried his sister. “You are getting as
+bad as Grace,” and she looked at her chum meaningly.
+
+Will skillfully laid the _Gem_ alongside the dock and soon the little
+party of young people were trooping up to the store, which was near the
+river front.
+
+“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.
+
+
+“What will you please to buy to-day?
+
+ If it’s coffee or tea, just walk this way,”
+
+
+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.
+
+“We’d like some of your good soda,” spoke Will.
+
+“Ha, soda. I don’t know that I have anything in the line of soda.”
+
+“No soda?” exclaimed Frank.
+
+“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——”
+
+He seemed searching for a rhyme.
+
+“Pagoda! Pagoda!” laughed Betty.
+
+“That is it!” exclaimed Mr Lagg. “Thank you for the suggestion. Let me
+see, now. How would this do?
+
+
+“If you wish to drink of Lagg’s fine soda,
+
+ Just take your seat in a Chinese pagoda!”
+
+
+“Very good,” complimented Will. “We’ll dispense with the pagoda if you
+will dispense the soda.”
+
+“Ha! Good again! You are a punster, I see!”
+
+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.
+
+There came a protest from Paul, who was sharing the treat.
+
+“I tan’t dit no sody!” he cried. “It all bubbles up!”
+
+“No wonder! You are blowing down your straw. Pull up on it, just as if
+you were whistling backwards,” said Mollie.
+
+“Whistling backwards is a distinctly new way of expressing it,”
+commented Frank.
+
+“I dot it!” cried the tot, as the level of his glass began to fall
+under his efforts—successful this time.
+
+Then, having finished that, he fixed his big eyes on Mr. Lagg, and
+demanded:
+
+“Oo dot any tandy?”
+
+“Candy!” cried the eccentric store keeper. “Ha, I have a couplet about
+that.
+
+
+“If you would feel both fine and dandy,
+
+ Just buy a pound of Lagg’s best candy!”
+
+
+“That is irresistible!” exclaimed Will. “Trot out a pound of the most
+select.”
+
+“With pleasure,” said Mr. Lagg.
+
+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.
+
+“What are all you folks doing around here?” asked the storekeeper, when
+he had waited on some other customers.
+
+“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.”
+
+“And camp on an island, too,” added Amy. “I know I shall love that.”
+
+“Any particular island?” asked Mr. Lagg.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Know anything about Elm Island, Mr. Lagg?” asked Frank, as he
+inspected some fishing tackle.
+
+“Well, yes, I might say I do,” and Mr. Lagg pursed up his lips.
+
+“Is it a good place?”
+
+“Oh, it’s good all right, but——” and he hesitated.
+
+“What is the matter?” demanded Betty quickly. She thought she detected
+something strange in Mr. Lagg’s manner.
+
+“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.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+OFF ON THE TRIP
+
+
+The girls stared blankly at one another. The boys frankly winked at
+each other, clearly unbelieving.
+
+“Haunted?” Betty finally gasped.
+
+“A ghost?” echoed Amy, falteringly.
+
+“What—what kind?” Grace stammered.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Stop it!” commanded his sister. “You’ll scare Paul,” for the child was
+looking at Will strangely.
+
+“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!”
+
+“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?”
+
+“I should say not!” chorused the three.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“I guess Hi was telling one of his fish stories,” commented Frank.
+
+“Oh, Josh Whiteby seen it, too,” said Mr. Lagg. He was enjoying the
+sensation he had created.
+
+“Is he reliable?” asked Will.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+“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?.”
+
+
+“That lantern to you
+
+ Will cost—just two!”
+
+
+“I’ll take it,” said Betty, promptly.
+
+“Dollars—not cents,” said the storekeeper, quickly. “I couldn’t make a
+dollar rhyme in there, somehow or other,” he added.
+
+“You might say,” spoke Will, “‘’Twill cost you two dollar, but don’t
+make a holler.’”
+
+“That isn’t my style. My poetry is always correct,” said Mr. Lagg,
+somewhat stiffly.
+
+The lantern was wrapped up and the young people got ready to go down to
+the boat.
+
+“Say, Mr. Lagg,” asked Will, lingering a bit behind the others, “just
+how much is there in this ghost story, anyhow?”
+
+“Just what I told you,” was the answer. “There is something queer on
+that island.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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 _Gem_.
+
+“Have we time?” asked Betty.
+
+“Lots,” declared Will.
+
+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.
+
+“It doesn’t look very—ghostly,” said Betty, as she surveyed it from the
+cockpit of her craft.
+
+“No, it looks lovely,” said Grace.
+
+“Is the ghost going to keep us away?” asked Mollie.
+
+“Never!” cried the Little Captain, vigorously.
+
+“Hurray!” shouted Will, waving the boat’s flag that he took from the
+after-socket.
+
+They made a turn of the island, and started back up the river for
+Deepdale, reaching Mollie’s dock without incident.
+
+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.
+
+“Of course not good enough for deep water,” he made haste to qualify,
+“but all right for a river and a lake.”
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“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!”
+
+“Oh, I just know I’ve forgotten something!” declared Grace,
+
+“Your candy?” questioned Mollie.
+
+“No, indeed. Don’t be horrid!”
+
+“I’m not. Only I thought——”
+
+“I’m just tired of thinking!” returned Betty.
+
+“Shall I cast off?” asked Will, who, with Frank, had come down to the
+dock to see the girls start.
+
+“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.
+
+“All aboard!” cried Betty, giving three blasts on the compressed air
+whistle.
+
+“Don’t forget to send us word,” begged Frank. “We want to join you on
+the lake.”
+
+“We’ll remember,” promised Betty, with a smile that showed her white,
+even teeth.
+
+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.
+
+“Have a good time!” she wished them.
+
+A maid hurried up to her, and said something in French.
+
+“Oh, the doctor has come!” exclaimed Mollie’s mother. “The doctor who
+is to look at Dodo—the specialist. Oh, I am so glad!”
+
+“Shall I stay, mother?” cried Mollie, making a move as though to come
+ashore.
+
+“No, dear; no! Go with your friends. I can send you word. You may call
+me by the telephone. Good-bye—good-bye!”
+
+The _Gem_ 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:
+
+“Brin’ me some tandy!”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+ADRIFT
+
+
+“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 _Gem_ moved slowly down the
+Argono River.
+
+“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?”
+
+“Not in the least, my dear, as long as you don’t sink,” and the
+chaperone smiled indulgently.
+
+“This boat won’t sink,” declared Betty, with confidence. “It has
+water-tight compartments. Uncle Amos had them built purposely.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Why, that’s what the boat is for—for one’s friends. We are all
+shipmates now.”
+
+“‘Strike up a song, here comes a sailor,’” chanted Grace, rather
+indistinctly, for she was, as usual, eating a chocolate.
+
+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 _Gem_ 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.
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+“That’s fine!” cried Grace, as Betty slowed down once more.
+
+“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 _Gem_
+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.”
+
+“Then we’re going to sleep aboard?” asked Grace.
+
+“Of course! What would be the fun of having bunks if we didn’t use
+them? Of course we’ll sleep here.”
+
+“And stand watches—and all that sort of thing, the way your uncle told
+of it being done aboard ships?” Mollie wanted to know.
+
+“There’ll be no need of that,” declared Betty. “But we can leave a
+light burning.”
+
+“To scare away sharks?” asked Amy, with a laugh.
+
+“No, but if we didn’t some one passing might think the boat deserted
+and—come aboard to take things.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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 _Gem_ at no
+great distance.
+
+“Port! Port!” cried Betty, suddenly, seeing the danger.
+
+“Which is port—right or left? I’ve forgotten!” wailed Amy, helplessly.
+
+“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.
+
+But by this time Betty had reached the wheel, and twirled it rapidly.
+She was only just in time, and the _Gem_ fairly grazed the canoe, the
+wash from the propeller rocking it dangerously.
+
+“We beg your pardon!” called Betty to the young man in the frail craft.
+
+“That’s all right,” he said, pleasantly. “It was my own fault.”
+
+“Thank you,” spoke Amy, gratefully. “Here, Bet, I don’t want to steer
+any more.”
+
+“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.”
+
+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.
+
+“The specialist says Dodo will have to undergo an operation,” she
+reported. Grace gasped, and the others looked worried.
+
+“It isn’t serious,” continued Mollie, “and he says she will surely be
+better after it. But of course mamma feels dreadful about it.”
+
+“I should think so,” observed Betty. “They never found out who those
+mean autoists were, did they?”
+
+“No,” answered Grace, “and we’ve never gotten a trace of Prince, or the
+missing papers. Papa is much worried.”
+
+“Well, let’s talk about something more pleasant,” suggested Betty.
+“Shall we start off again?”
+
+“Might as well,” agreed Grace. “And as it isn’t far to that funny Mr.
+Lagg’s store, let’s stop and——”
+
+“Get some candy and poetry,” sniped Amy, with a laugh.
+
+“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.”
+
+They found Mr. Lagg smiling as usual.
+
+
+“This fine and beautiful sunny day,
+
+ what will you have—oats or hay?”
+
+
+Thus he greeted the girls, who laughingly declined anything in the line
+of fodder.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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?
+
+
+“I’ve razors, soap and perfume rare,
+
+ To scent the balmy summer air,”
+
+
+He bowed to the girls in turn.
+
+“How about chewing gum?” asked Betty.
+
+“Oh, would you?” asked Grace, in rather horrified tones.
+
+“Certainly, aboard the boat where no one will see us.”
+
+
+“Gum, gum; chewing gum,
+
+ One and two is a small sum,”
+
+
+Mr. Lagg thus quoted as he opened the showcase.
+
+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.
+
+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 _Gem_
+was once more under way.
+
+“Look out for that big steamer,” cautioned Betty a little later, to
+Grace, who was steering.
+
+“Why, I’m far enough off,” answered Grace.
+
+“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.”
+
+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.
+
+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 _Gem_
+proceeded.
+
+“I’ll always be on the lookout for that first, when there is any
+trouble after this,” said Betty, as she thanked the stranger.
+
+“Oh, that isn’t the only kind of trouble that can develop in a motor,”
+he assured her. But Betty well knew this herself.
+
+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.
+
+“That is, if the ghost doesn’t make it too unpleasant,” remarked Betty.
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Gracious! A mosquito bit me!” exclaimed Grace, as she rubbed the back
+of her slim, white hand.
+
+“That isn’t a capital crime,” laughed Mollie.
+
+“No, but if there are mosquitoes here they will make life miserable for
+us to-night,” Grace went on.
+
+“I have citronella, and there are mosquito nettings over the bunks,”
+said Betty. “Don’t worry.”
+
+They went back to the boat, and the lanterns were lighted.
+
+“Oh, doesn’t it look too nice to sleep in!” exclaimed Amy, as they
+gazed into the little cabin, with its tastefully arranged berths.
+
+“I’m tired enough to sleep on almost any thing,” yawned Mollie. “Let’s
+see who’ll be the first to——”
+
+“Not snore, I hope!” exclaimed Betty.
+
+“Don’t suggest such a thing,” came from Amy. “We are none of us
+addicted to the luxury.”
+
+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 _Gem_,
+which had been moored to a private dock, just above the town.
+
+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.
+
+“But—but!” she exclaimed. “We’re adrift! We’re floating down the
+river!”
+
+She sprang from her berth and awakened Grace by shaking her.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+IN DANGER
+
+
+“What is it? Oh, what has happened?”
+
+Grace cried half hysterically as she saw Betty bending over her. The
+others awakened.
+
+“Why, we’re moving!” exclaimed Amy, in wonderment.
+
+“What did you want to start off for, in the middle of the night?”
+Mollie asked, blinking the sleep from her eyes.
+
+“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?”
+
+“Of course,” answered Grace. “I fastened both ropes myself.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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!”
+
+“Oh, don’t say such things!” pleaded Grace, looking at the cabin ports
+as though a face might be peering in.
+
+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.
+
+“Oh, we’re going to be run down!” cried Mollie. “A steamer is coming
+directly for us, Betty!”
+
+“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.
+
+“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!”
+
+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.
+
+“Why don’t you start the motor?” she called to Mollie.
+
+“I can’t! It doesn’t seem to work.”
+
+“The switch is off!” exclaimed Grace, as she came out of the cabin.
+With a quick motion she shoved it over.
+
+“How stupid of me!” cried Betty. “I should have seen to that first. Try
+again, Mollie!”
+
+Again Mollie pressed the button of the self-starter, but there was no
+response. The _Gem_ was still drifting, seemingly in the very path of
+the steamer.
+
+“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.
+
+“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!”
+
+“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!”
+
+“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 _Gem_ out
+of danger. But the craft hardly had steerage way on.
+
+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.
+
+“Try again!” gasped Betty, “Oh, all of you try. I simply can’t leave
+the wheel.”
+
+The steamer was now sending out a concert of sharp, staccato blasts.
+Plainly she was saying, loudly:
+
+“Get out of my way! I have the right of the river! You must get out of
+my way! I can’t avoid you!”
+
+“Why don’t they stop?” wailed Grace. “Then we wouldn’t bump them so
+hard!”
+
+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.
+
+“Oh, if only Uncle Amos—or some of the boys—were here!” breathed Betty.
+“Girls, try once more!”
+
+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.
+
+“There!” cried Betty. “Now I can avoid them.”
+
+She threw in the clutch, and as the _Gem_ 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.
+
+“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.
+
+“We got adrift, and the motor wouldn’t start,” cried Betty, in shrill
+tones.
+
+“Pilot biscuit and puppy cakes!” cried the man. “It’s a bunch of girls!
+No wonder they didn’t know what to do!”
+
+“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!”
+
+“All right; don’t let it happen again,” cried the steersman, in more
+kindly tones. And then the _Gem_ slipped on down the river.
+
+“What are we going to do?” asked Mollie, as Grace steered her boat.
+
+“If we’re going to stay out here I’m going to get dressed,” declared
+Grace. “It’s quite chilly.”
+
+Can you find your way back to the dock?” Aunt Kate inquired. “Can you
+do it, Betty?”
+
+“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!”
+
+“I don’t blame you—it was a narrow escape,” said Mollie.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“I’m going to make some hot chocolate,” Amy answered. “I think we need
+it.”
+
+“I’ll help,” spoke Aunt Kate. “That’s a very sensible idea.”
+
+“I think that is the dock light,” remarked Betty a little later, when
+the boat was headed up stream.
+
+“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.”
+
+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 _Gem_ 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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Never mind,” said Betty, gently.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+AT RAINBOW LAKE
+
+
+Once the _Gem_ 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.
+
+“It’s delicious,” spoke Betty. “I feel so much better now.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“It wouldn’t have done any good to have insisted on it,” remarked
+Grace, drawlingly.
+
+“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.”
+
+“I can’t understand about those knots,” spoke Grace. “Where is that
+book?”
+
+“What book?”
+
+“The one showing how to tie different kinds of knots. I’m going to
+study up on the subject.”
+
+“Not to-night,” objected Aunt Kate. “It’s nearly morning as it is.”
+
+“Well, the first thing to-morrow, then,” declared Grace. “I’m going to
+make up for my blunder.”
+
+“Oh, don’t be distressed,” consoled Betty. “Any of us might have made
+the same mistake. It was only an accident, Grace dear.”
+
+“Well, I seem fated to have accidents lately. There was poor little
+Dodo——”
+
+“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.”
+
+“I hope so,” murmured Grace.
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+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:
+
+“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 _Gem_ and looking every inch
+of it. She ought to be here about high tide, stopping for sealed
+orders, and——”
+
+“Uncle Amos!” cried Betty, hurrying to the garage door, as she
+recognized his voice. “Are you looking for us?”
+
+“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?”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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?”
+
+“Very good—one little accident, that’s all,” and she told about getting
+adrift.
+
+“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.”
+
+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
+_Gem_ slipped down the river again.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“It certainly is,” agreed Grace.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“All right, Uncle—six bells.”
+
+“Where’s your charts?” he asked, suddenly.
+
+“Charts?”
+
+“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?”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Don’t need any charts? Have you heaved the lead to see how much water
+you’ve got?”
+
+“Why, no,” and she looked at him wonderingly.
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+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:
+
+“We’ll soon be in the lake now.”
+
+“The boat—not us, I hope,” murmured Grace.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+The _Gem_ was speeding up. They rounded a turn, and then the girls
+exclaimed:
+
+“Rainbow Lake!”
+
+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 _Gem_ 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.
+
+“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.
+
+As they came nearer Grace uttered an exclamation.
+
+“What is it?” asked Mollie.
+
+“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?”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+CRACKERS AND OLIVES
+
+
+Betty grasped the situation, and acted quickly, as she always did in an
+emergency.
+
+“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 _Gem_. “Are you sure, Grace?” repeated
+Betty.
+
+“Well, almost. Of course I only had a glimpse of them, but I have good
+cause to remember them.”
+
+“Don’t say anything now, then,” suggested Betty. “We will wait and see
+what they say. Later we may be able to make sure.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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?”
+
+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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“Then you’ll enter?” asked Mr. Kennedy.
+
+“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.”
+
+“And we’d like you to be in the races,” suggested Mr. Kennedy. “Your
+boat has very fine lines. What horse power have you?”
+
+“It is rated twenty,” answered Betty, promptly, proud that she had the
+knowledge at her tongue’s end, “but it develops nearer twenty-five.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Oh, do enter, Bet!” exclaimed Mollie in a whisper, for she was fond of
+sports of all kinds. “It will he such jolly fun!”
+
+Betty looked at her aunt. Racing had not entered into their plans when
+they talked them over with the folks at home.
+
+“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.
+
+“You may enter my boat, then,” said Betty, graciously.
+
+“Thank you!” exclaimed Mr. Stone. “The _Gem_ goes in, and her captain’s
+name—?”
+
+“Miss Nelson.”
+
+“Of—?” again he paused suggestively, pencil poised.
+
+“Of Deepdale.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Thank you,” said Betty. “We shall go over there.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Better give it up,” said Amy. “But what Grace said surprises me—about
+those two young men.”
+
+“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?”
+
+“Yes,” said practical Betty, “there is. That is why I decided to enter
+the _Gem_ in the regatta. It will give us a chance to do a little quiet
+investigating.”
+
+“But how?” inquired Grace, puzzled.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“And with all the candy she’s eaten since lunch!” exclaimed Mollie.
+
+“I didn’t eat much at all!” came promptly from Grace. “Did I, Amy?”
+
+“I wasn’t watching. Anyhow, I am hungry, too.”
+
+“I fancy we all are,” spoke Betty. “Well, we will soon be there,” and
+she started the motor, and swung the prow of the _Gem_ over toward the
+dock.
+
+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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Aren’t we ever going to do any night cruising?” asked Mollie, who was
+a bit venturesome at times.
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+“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?”
+
+“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.”
+
+There proved to be one, who, for a small fee, would see that no
+unauthorized persons entered the _Gem_. Then the girls, attiring
+themselves in their “shore togs,” as Betty expressed it, went to see
+the moving pictures.
+
+“What will we do to-morrow?” asked Grace, as they came out, having had
+two hours of enjoyment.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Talk about me eating candy,” mocked Grace, “you are as bad on olives.”
+
+“Well, they’re not so bad for one as candy.”
+
+“I don’t know about that.”
+
+“Oh, don’t argue!” begged quiet little Amy. “Let’s talk about the
+picnic.”
+
+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.
+
+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 _Gem_ to land her passengers, since she drew
+a little too much water to get right up to shore.
+
+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.
+
+“It looks as though it would be nice,” remarked Mollie.
+
+“Yes, I think we shall enjoy it,” agreed Betty.
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Perhaps it was not they, or there may be some explanation of their
+conduct,” suggested Betty. “We must not judge too hastily.”
+
+“That’s Betty Nelson—all over,” said Amy.
+
+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 _Gem_
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Crackers and olives!” murmured Betty. “Our old schoolday feast. I
+haven’t gotten over my love for them, either. Let them circulate,
+Mollie.”
+
+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:
+
+“Here come those two young men—Mr. Stone and Mr. Kennedy.”
+
+“Don’t notice them,” begged Amy, who was not much given to making new
+acquaintances.
+
+“Too late! They see us—they’re coming right toward us!” cried Grace, in
+some confusion.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+THE REGATTA
+
+
+The two young men came on, apparently with the object of speaking to
+the girls. Evidently they had purposely sought them out.
+
+“Oh, it is Miss Nelson, and her friends from the _Gem_!” exclaimed Mr.
+Stone, which might indicate that he had expected to meet some other
+party of picnic lovers.
+
+“I hope we are not intruding,” said Mr. Kennedy, “but we want to borrow
+some salt, if you have any.”
+
+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.
+
+“You see we came off on a little picnic like yourselves,” explained Mr.
+Stone, “and Bob, here, forgot the salt.”
+
+“You told me you’d put it in yourself, Harry!” exclaimed the other,
+“and of course I thought you did.”
+
+“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?”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“We shall very likely enter both the pageant and the race,” she said.
+“When do they take place?”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“Surely,” said Grace, and Mollie took the chance to whisper to her:
+
+“Why don’t you start some questions?”
+
+“I will—if I get a chance,” was the answer.
+
+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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“We all swim, and we have our bathing suits,” said Mollie,
+indefinitely.
+
+“Mollie dives beautifully!” exclaimed Amy.
+
+“I do not—that is, I’m not an expert at it,” Mollie hastened to say.
+“But I love diving.”
+
+“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.”
+
+The girls had no formal objections.
+
+“You are real out-door girls, I can see that!” complimented Mr. Stone.
+“You must like life in the woods and on the lake.”
+
+“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?”
+
+“Yes, but we took it by easy stages,” evaded the Little Captain.
+
+“That was fine!” exclaimed Mr. Kennedy. “Well, Harry, if we’re gong to
+eat we’d better take our salt and go.”
+
+“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.
+
+“You are very good,” protested Mr. Kennedy, “but really we don’t want
+to deprive you——”
+
+“It will be no deprivation,” said Betty. “We will be glad not to have
+them wasted——”
+
+“Oh, then by all means let us be—the wastebaskets!” exclaimed Mr.
+Stone, laughing.
+
+“Oh, I didn’t mean just that,” and Betty blushed.
+
+“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:
+
+“Ask him some questions—start on motoring—ask if they ever motored near
+Deepdale.”
+
+“I will,” whispered Grace, and, as the two young men ate, she led the
+topic of talk to automobiles.
+
+“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.
+
+“Oh, yes, often,” he answered. “Do you?”
+
+“No, but I am very fond of horseback riding,” she said. She was certain
+that Mr. Stone started.
+
+“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——”
+
+“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?”
+
+“Yes, that was the time,” answered Mr. Stone. Grace could hardly
+refrain from crying out that she was on that same horse.
+
+“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?”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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?”
+
+Grace made a motion to her chums to keep silent about the whole affair,
+and let her answer. She had her reasons.
+
+“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.”
+
+“But unintentionally—unintentionally! I hope you believe that!” said
+Mr. Stone earnestly.
+
+“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,
+
+“A little child knocked down, you say!” exclaimed Mr. Kennedy. “I hope
+it was not badly hurt. Who was it?”
+
+“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:
+
+“Fire! Fire! Fire!”
+
+Then came a sharp explosion. Everyone arose, and Mr. Kennedy exclaimed
+excitedly:
+
+“That must be an explosion on a motor boat. Come on, Harry. We may he
+needed!”
+
+They rushed through the bushes toward the place whence the alarm came,
+the girls following as fast as they could.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“That will be best,” spoke Betty. “Oh, see, it is a boat on fire!”
+
+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.
+
+“There—he’s jumped!” cried Mollie, as a figure leaped from the burning
+craft. “He’s safe, anyhow.”
+
+“There go Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Stone in their boat!” exclaimed Grace, as
+the slender racing craft shot out from shore.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Oh, I do, too!” exclaimed Betty. “They will probably not refer to it
+again, being so busy over the regatta.”
+
+There was a busy time for the girls, too. They finally decided to
+convert the _Gem_, 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.
+
+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.
+
+“I do hope we win a prize!” exclaimed Mollie, on the evening of the
+regatta. “The _Gem_ looks lovely!”
+
+“Yes, I think it is rather nice,” admitted Betty.
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+The _Gem_ started off, being in the midst of many craft, all more or
+less decorated, that were to take part in the affair.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+THE RACE
+
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Oh, see that boat—just like an airship!” exclaimed Mollie, as they saw
+just ahead of them a craft so decorated.
+
+“And here’s one that looks just like a floating island, with trees and
+bushes,” added Amy. “That ought to take a prize.”
+
+“We ought to take one ourselves!” exclaimed Mollie. “We worked hard
+enough. My hands are a mass of blisters.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+There was a band on one of the larger boats, and this played at
+intervals.
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+“Congratulations!” exclaimed Mr. Kennedy, stepping up to Betty as she
+entered with her chums.
+
+“For what?”
+
+“Your boat won first prize for those of most original design. It is a
+beautiful silver cup.”
+
+“Oh, I’m so glad! Girls, do you hear? We won first prize in our class!”
+
+“Fine!” cried Mollie.
+
+“Oh, isn’t it nice?” said Amy.
+
+“Did we really?” asked Grace, somewhat incredulously,
+
+“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.”
+
+“That’s too bad,” said Mollie, sympathetically.
+
+“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.”
+
+They were not—but they soon were, and the evening passed most
+delightfully.
+
+“Who said breakfast?” yawned Grace the next morning, as she looked from
+her bunk down on Betty.
+
+“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.
+
+“And those young men were lovely dancers,” said Betty.
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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 _Gem_ with the girls, but when they arrived, and learned of
+the pageant, and Will met his club friend, the plans were changed.
+
+“Too bad Percy Falconer didn’t come,” remarked Grace, as she slipped
+into her dressing gown.
+
+“Don’t spoil everything,” begged Betty. “You know I detest him!”
+
+Gradually the girls got breakfast, talking of the events of the night
+before.
+
+“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.”
+
+It proved to be that one, the trophy being sent over to the dock where
+the _Gem_ was tied, by a special messenger. It was given the place of
+honor in the cabin.
+
+Will and his two chums went home rather late that day.
+
+“Is father much worried about the missing papers?” asked Grace, as she
+parted from her brother.
+
+“He sure is. He’s afraid the other side may spring something on him any
+minute.”
+
+“You mean—take some action to get the property?”
+
+“Yes.”
+
+“It’s too bad. But I don’t see what we can do.”
+
+“Neither do I. I wish I could find Prince. I think that’s the queerest
+thing about him.”
+
+“It certainly is. Say, Will, how is poor little Dodo getting on?”
+
+“Oh, as well as you can expect. They’re going to operate soon, I heard.
+How is Mollie standing it, Grace?”
+
+“Fairly well. Isn’t it strange that we should meet the two autoists?”
+
+“Yes. Have you put them wise yet?”
+
+“Wise? What do you mean? Such slang!”
+
+“I mean told ’em who you are?”
+
+“No, and we’re not going to for a while yet. We don’t want to make them
+feel bad.”
+
+“All right, suit yourselves. We’re coming up and see you when you get
+in camp.”
+
+“Yes, do. We’ll write when we’re settled.”
+
+Preparations for the race were going on, and the _Gem_, 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.
+
+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.”
+
+So that when the _Gem_ was ready to go to the starting line she was
+prepared to make the “try of her life,” as Betty expressed it.
+
+There were six boats in the class that included the _Gem_. 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 _Gem_ was to start four minutes after the first boat got
+away, and of course she would have to make up this time to win.
+
+“But we can do it!” declared Betty, confidently.
+
+As they were on their way to the starting line the girls noticed two
+boys rowing along the shore, looking intently as they proceeded.
+
+“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.
+
+“No; why?” asked Grace.
+
+“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.
+
+“That’s too bad,” spoke Betty sympathetically. “If we see anything of
+your canoe we’ll let you know.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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?”
+
+“Yes, let’s get it over with,” replied Grace, nervously.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+Several events were run off before the Class B race was called. Then
+the boats, including the _Gem_, moved up, and were formally inspected
+to make sure that all the rules and regulations had been complied with.
+No fault was found.
+
+“Are you all ready?” asked the starter.
+
+“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.
+
+“Ready?” asked the starter again.
+
+“Ready,” answered Betty, her voice trembling in spite of herself. There
+was a sharp crack of the pistol, and the _Gem_ shot ahead, as Betty let
+the clutch slip into place. The race was on!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+FIGHTING FIRE
+
+
+“Betty, do you think we can win?”
+
+It was Mollie who asked this as she stood beside her chum at the wheel
+of the _Gem_. 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.
+
+“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.
+
+“We wouldn’t miss that lovely prize for anything,” called Grace from up
+forward, where she was helping Amy look after the laboring motor.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Yes, we’re coming up,” admitted Grace, as she skillfully put a little
+oil on a cam shaft. “If we can only hold out!”
+
+“Oh, trust Betty for that.”
+
+“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.
+
+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 _Gem_ 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.
+
+“Can’t you turn on a little more gasoline?” asked Mollie.
+
+“I think I can—now,” spoke Betty. “I wanted to give it gradually.”
+
+She opened the throttle a little more, and advanced the spark slightly.
+The result was at once apparent. The _Gem_ shot ahead, and the girls in
+the leading boat looked back nervously.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+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.
+
+Foot by foot the _Gem_ crept up on the _Bug_, 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 _Bug_ worked desperately, but it was not to be. The _Gem_
+passed them.
+
+“We’re sorry!” called Betty, as she flashed by. The other girls smiled
+bravely.
+
+The _Gem_ 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 _Eagle_. She had been last to get off, but had passed all the
+others.
+
+“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.
+
+“But they shan’t get us,” declared the Little Captain grimly. “We
+haven’t reached our limit yet.”
+
+Once more she gave more gasoline, but the rivals in the rear were
+settling down now to win the race for themselves. The _Eagle_ came on
+rapidly. The finish line was near at hand, but it seemed that Betty and
+her chums had the upper hand.
+
+Suddenly Grace cried:
+
+“One of the wires is broken. It’s snapped in two, and it’s spouting
+sparks!”
+
+There came a noticeable slowing down to the speed of the motor. The
+_Gem_ lagged. The _Eagle_ was in hot pursuit. Betty acted quickly.
+
+“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!”
+
+The breaking of the wire threw one cylinder out of commission. The
+_Gem_ 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.
+
+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.
+
+“Oh, Betty, we can’t do it!” Mollie said, pathetically. “We’re going to
+lose!”
+
+“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——”
+
+“We don’t get that cut glass,” finished Mollie.
+
+But just that little fraction was what was needed. The _Gem_ went ahead
+almost by inches only, but it was enough. The _Eagle’s_ crew of three
+girls tried in vain to coax another revolution out of her propeller,
+but it was not to be, and the _Gem_ 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 _Gem_ had
+undoubtedly won.
+
+“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——”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Oh, it is only cramped. It will be all right in a little while.”
+
+“What a din they are making!” cried Amy, covering her ears with her
+hands.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“And you both need baths,” remarked Mollie with a laugh. “You are as
+grimy as chimney sweeps.”
+
+“Yes, but we don’t mind,” said Amy. “You won, Betty! I’m so glad!”
+
+“We won, you mean,” corrected the Little Captain. “I couldn’t have done
+it except for you girls,”
+
+Many craft saluted the _Gem_ as she came off the course.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Better not—you don’t know how deep it is,” cautioned Betty.
+
+“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.
+
+“That was lovely!” cried Grace.
+
+“Did I splash much?”
+
+“Not at all.”
+
+“It’s real deep there,” said Mollie. “Some day I’m going to try to
+touch bottom.”
+
+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.
+
+“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.”
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“We are glad it is over,” said Mr. Stone, as he and his chums sat on
+the deck of the _Gem_ 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.
+
+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.
+
+Suddenly Mr. Kennedy, who was sitting well forward on the trunk cabin
+with Grace, sprang to his feet, exclaiming:
+
+“What’s that?”
+
+“It looks like a fire,” said Grace.
+
+“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!”
+
+“Look where it’s drifting!” exclaimed Betty.
+
+“Right for the Yacht Club boathouse!” added Mollie. “The wind is taking
+it there. Look, the fire is increasing!”
+
+“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!”
+
+“Girls!” cried Betty, “there’s just a chance to save the boat house!”
+
+“How?” demanded Amy.
+
+“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!”
+
+“By Jove! She’s hit the nail on the head!” declared Mr. Stone, with
+emphasis. “But dare you do it, Miss Nelson?”
+
+“I certainly will dare—if you’ll help!”
+
+“Of course we’ll help! Steer over there!”
+
+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 _Gem_.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+ON ELM ISLAND
+
+
+“Have you a long rope aboard, Miss Nelson?” asked Mr. Stone, when they
+had drawn near to the burning load of hay.
+
+“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.
+
+“And have you a boathook? I want to fasten it to the rope, and see if I
+can cast it aboard the barge.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Fine, that will be just the thing to cast! Where is it?”
+
+“In the same locker with the rope. Uncle insisted that I carry it,
+though we’ve never used it.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“And we have fire extinguishers, too,” said Betty. “Grace, you know
+where they are in the cabin. Get them out.”
+
+“And I’ll draw the water,” said Mr. Kennedy.
+
+“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.
+
+“You can’t have too much water at a fire,” she said, practically.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“Have you got a pump aboard?” some one hailed those on the _Gem_.
+
+“No, we’re going to haul the barge away,” answered Betty.
+
+“Good idea, but don’t go too close!” came the warning.
+
+“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.
+
+“But what are you going to anchor it with?” asked Mr. Kennedy, when
+this last feature had been discussed.
+
+“That’s so,” spoke his chum, reflectively.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“Get ready now!” warned Betty, when this had been done. “I’m going as
+close as I can.”
+
+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.
+
+“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:
+
+“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.”
+
+Betty sent the _Gem_ 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.
+
+“Hurray!” cried Mr. Kennedy. “That solved the problem.”
+
+“You girls certainly know how to do things,” said Mr. Stone,
+admiringly.
+
+Cheers from those in surrounding boats seemed to emphasize this
+sentiment. There was now no danger to the Yacht Club boathouse.
+
+A little later, when the flames in the hay were at their height, the
+piece of iron was dropped overboard from the _Gem_. This, with the rope
+and the kedge anchor, served to hold the barge in place. There it could
+burn without doing any harm.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+“Did you find it?” asked Grace.
+
+“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.
+
+“We sure will!”
+
+“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.
+
+“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?”
+
+“I’d like it,” said Mollie. “We can use the boat, too; can’t we?”
+
+“Of course,” replied Betty.
+
+“And sleep aboard?” asked Grace.
+
+“No, let’s sleep in a tent,” proposed Amy. “It will be lots of fun.”
+
+“But the bugs, and mosquitoes—not to mention frogs and snakes,” came
+protestingly from Grace.
+
+“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.”
+
+“But the ghost—the one Mr. Lagg told about?” asked Mollie.
+
+“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——”
+
+“Afraid!” they protested in chorus.
+
+“Then we’ll go to Elm Island,” decided Betty, and they did. The camp,
+near a little dock where the _Gem_ could be tied, was well suited to
+their needs.
+
+“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.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+IN CAMP
+
+
+“Well, well, young ladies, I certainly am glad to see you again! Indeed
+I am.”
+
+
+“Ladies, ladies, one and all,
+
+ I’m very glad to have you call!”
+
+
+Thus Mr. Lagg made our friends welcome as they entered his “emporium,”
+as the sign over the door had it.
+
+“What will it be to-day?” he went on.
+
+
+“I’ve prunes and peaches, pies and pills,
+
+ To feed you well, and cure your ills.”
+
+
+“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?”
+
+“You have it.”
+
+“No, I gave it to you.”
+
+“Grace had it last,” volunteered Amy. “She said she did not want to
+forget——”
+
+“Oh, we know what Grace doesn’t want to forget,” interrupted Mollie
+with a laugh. “Produce that list, Grace,” and it was forthcoming.
+
+“You see we have let our supplies run low,” remarked Betty as she gave
+her order,
+
+“Are you going on a long cruise?” Mr. Lagg, wanted to know.
+
+
+“To sail and sail the bounding main,
+
+ And then come back to port again?
+
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Yes, those are fine olives,” admitted the store keeper. “I get them
+from New York.
+
+
+“Olives stuffed, and some with pits,
+
+ With girls my olives sure make hits.”
+
+
+He chanted this with a bow and a smile.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“As Grace does her chocolates,” remarked Betty, with a smile that took
+all the sarcasm out of the words.
+
+“Well,” remarked Grace, drawlingly, “I have noticed that you girls are
+generally around when I open a fresh box.”
+
+“Well hit!” cried Amy. “Don’t let them fuss you, Grace my dear.”
+
+“I don’t intend to.”
+
+Mr. Lagg helped his red-haired boy of all work to carry the girls’
+purchases down to the boat.
+
+“You must be fixing for a long voyage,” he remarked.
+
+“No, we are going to camp over on Elm Island,” said Betty.
+
+The storekeeper started.
+
+“What! With the ghost?” He nearly dropped a package of fresh eggs.
+
+“Really, Mr. Lagg, is there—er—anything really there?” asked Mollie,
+seriously.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Just what is it?” asked Betty,
+
+“Do you want me to tell you?”
+
+“Certainly—we are not afraid. Though we mustn’t let Aunt Kate know,”
+said Betty, quickly.
+
+“Well, it’s white and it rattles,” said Mr. Lagg.
+
+“Sounds like a riddle,” commented Amy. “Let’s see who can guess the
+answer.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Then we’ll ask the lone camper—to scamper!” cried Grace with a laugh.
+“We want peace and quietness.”
+
+“And you are really going to camp on Elm Island?” asked Mr. Lagg, as he
+put the purchases aboard.
+
+“We are,” said Betty, solenmly. “And if you hear us call for help in
+the middle of the night——”
+
+“Betty Nelson!” protested Amy.
+
+
+“And if for help you call on I—
+
+  I’ll come exceeding quick and spry!”
+
+
+Thus spouted Mr. Lagg.
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“I hope the ghost doesn’t come and want some,” murmured Mollie.
+
+“Hush!” exclaimed Betty. A noise in the woods made them all jump. Then
+they laughed, as a bird flew out.
+
+“Our nerves are not what they should be,” said Betty. “We must calm
+down. I wonder did we get any pickles?”
+
+“I saw him put some in,” spoke Grace.
+
+“Then let’s have supper, and we’ll go out for a ride on the lake
+afterward,” suggested Betty.
+
+“Maybe the ghost will carry off our camp,” remarked Amy.
+
+“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.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+A QUEER DISTURBANCE
+
+
+“Have we blankets enough?”
+
+“It’s sure to be cool before morning.”
+
+“We can burn the oil stove turned down love—that will make the tent
+warm.”
+
+“Oh, but it makes it so close and—er—smelly.”
+
+They all laughed at that.
+
+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.
+
+“A lantern would be a good thing to burn,” said Aunt Kate. “That will
+give some warmth, too.”
+
+“And we can see better, if—if anything comes!” exclaimed Amy, evidently
+with an effort.
+
+“Anything—what do you mean?” demanded Mollie, as she combed out her
+long hair, preparatory to braiding it.
+
+“Well, I mean—er—_anything_!” and again Amy faltered.
+
+“Oh, girls she means—the ghost!” exclaimed Betty, with a laugh. “Why
+not say it?”
+
+“Don’t!” pleaded Grace.
+
+“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.”
+
+“The idea! I’m not nervous a bit,” declared Mollie.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“That’s the way to talk!” cried Betty, cheerfully. “And now for a good
+night’s rest. Bur—r—r—r! It _is_ cold!” and she shivered.
+
+“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.”
+
+“And scare away the——” began Amy.
+
+“Indeed, I wasn’t thinking a thing about it!” insisted Mollie, with
+emphasis. “And I’ll thank you to——”
+
+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.
+
+“Excuse me, Amy,” she said, contritely. “I know what you mean. Will you
+come, Grace?”
+
+“Of course. I’ll be glad of some extra coverings myself.”
+
+The two girls were back in remarkably short time.
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Got any chocolates that need eating?” asked Mollie, with a laugh, in
+which they all joined, half-hysterically.
+
+“Yes, I have!” with emphasis. “But, just for that you won’t get any.”
+
+“I don’t want them! You couldn’t hire me to eat candy at night,” and
+again Mollie flared up.
+
+“Girls, girls!” besought Betty. “This will never do! We will all be
+rags in the morning.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+
+“Chocolates they are nice and sweet,
+
+ Good for man and beast to eat.”
+
+
+“Give me a young lady-like brand,” suggested Amy.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“Girls—girls!” she gasped, hoarsely. “Aunt Kate!”
+
+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.
+
+“Oh!” screamed Grace, sitting up. “What is it?”
+
+“I’m going to look!” said Mollie, resolutely.
+
+“Don’t! Don’t!” pleaded Amy, but Mollie was already at the flap of the
+tent, which she quickly loosed. Then she screamed.
+
+“Look! It’s white! It’s white!”
+
+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.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+THE STORM
+
+
+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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“I couldn’t stand,” declared Amy. “My, knees shook so.”
+
+Aunt Kate was the first to speak after the apparition had passed away,
+seeming to lose itself in the lake.
+
+“Girls, have you any idea what it was?” she asked.
+
+“The—the—” began Amy. “Oh, I can’t say it!” she wailed from beneath the
+covers.
+
+“Don’t be silly!” commanded Betty, sharply. “If you mean—ghost—say so,”
+but she herself hesitated over the word.
+
+“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——”
+
+“Like Grace,” put in Betty, with rather a wan smile.
+
+“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.
+
+“It’s in the lake—whatever it was,” said Mollie. “But wasn’t it oddly
+shaped, Betty?”
+
+“It was indeed. And it made plenty of noise. Real ghosts never do
+that.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“What did it turn out to be?” asked Aunt Kate.
+
+“The story didn’t say. No one ever found out.”
+
+“Well, this one is exactly like Mr. Lagg described,” spoke Grace,
+“chains and all. What could it have been?”
+
+“I imagine,” said Betty, slowly, “that it may be some wild animal——”
+
+Grace screamed.
+
+“What is it now?” asked Betty, regarding her.
+
+“Don’t say wild animals—they’re worse than ghosts!”
+
+“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.”
+
+“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!”
+
+“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?”
+
+“A cow would moo,” declared Grace.
+
+“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.”
+
+“I’m going to sleep in the boat!” declared Grace.
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“Then that—thing—couldn’t have been a cow,” said Grace, positively.
+
+“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?”
+
+The others did not answer for a moment, and then Mollie exclaimed:
+
+“I’m going to stay—for one.”
+
+“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!”
+
+There was nothing for Grace and Amy to do but give in—which they did,
+rather timidly, be it confessed.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Will you tell him about the—ghost?” asked Grace.
+
+“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.
+
+
+“Matches, soap and oil and butter,
+
+ Business gives me such a flutter.”
+
+
+Mr. Lagg recited this as Betty gave her order.
+
+“Have you seen the ghost?” he asked.
+
+“Oh!” cried Grace, “you have in some fresh chocolates! I must have
+some.”
+
+
+“You’ll find my chocolates sweet and good,
+
+ To eat on lake or in the wood!”
+
+
+Mr. Lagg’s attention being diverted to a net subject, he did not press
+his question. Thus the girls escaped committing themselves.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Yes, do,” urged Amy. “I detest getting wet.”
+
+“The cabin is dry,” urged Grace.
+
+“We had better go back,” urged Aunt Kate, and the prow of the _Gem_ 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.
+
+“Any luck?” asked Betty, interestedly.
+
+“No, we haven’t found a trace of it yet,” the older one replied.
+
+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.
+
+“We’re going to get caught!” declared Mollie. “I guess I’ll close the
+ports, Betty.”
+
+“Do; and bring out my raincoat, please.”
+
+Attired in this protective garment over her sailor suit, the Little
+Captain stood at the wheel.
+
+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
+_Gem_ 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.
+
+“We’ll capsize!” screamed Amy.
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+Grace, who had gone out on the end of the dock, called to the others.
+
+“Oh, come on and see it!”
+
+“What—the ghost?” inquired Mollie.
+
+“No, but the most beautiful rainbow I ever saw—a double one!”
+
+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.
+
+“How lovely!” murmured Amy, clasping her hands.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI
+THE GHOST
+
+
+“Girls, there are letters for each of us!” exclaimed Betty.
+
+“Any for me?” asked Aunt Kate.
+
+“Yes, a nice—adipose—that is to say, fleshy one,” exclaimed Mollie,
+passing it over. It was bulky.
+
+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.
+
+“Any news?” asked Betty of Mollie, the former having finished a brief
+note from home, stating that all were well.
+
+“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.
+
+“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?”
+
+“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.”
+
+“As long as the ghost doesn’t bother us,” spoke Amy.
+
+“Nonsense!” exclaimed Betty. “What is your news, Grace?”
+
+“Oh, Will writes that he and Frank are coming up to camp on the island
+near us.”
+
+“That will be fine!” exclaimed Betty. “When will they get here?”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Silly!” reproved Betty, with a blush.
+
+“But Will told me to tell you specially that Allen is coming,” went on
+Grace. “They can stay a few days.”
+
+“It will be fine,” cried Mollie. “Any news about the papers, Grace?”
+
+“Not a word, and no trace of Prince.”
+
+“That is queer,” said Betty. “But we will live in hopes—that Dodo will
+be all right, and that the papers will be found.”
+
+“Indeed we will,” sighed Grace. Mr. Lagg was bowing and smiling behind
+his counter while the girls were reading their letters.
+
+
+“What will it be? What will it be? What will it be to-day?
+
+ Be pleased to leave an order, before you go away!”
+
+
+“Really, I don’t believe we need a thing,” answered Mollie, in answer
+to this poetical effusion. “We might have——”
+
+“Some more olives,” interrupted Grace. “They are so handy to eat, if
+you wake up in the night, and can’t sleep.”
+
+“Shades of Morpheus preserve us!” laughed Mollie. “Olives!”
+
+“Does the ghost keep you awake?” asked the storekeeper.
+
+“Not—not lately!” answered Betty, truthfully.
+
+
+“The ghost! The ghost! with clanking chains,
+
+ It comes out only when—it rains!”
+
+
+Thus Amy anticipated Mr. Lagg.
+
+“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.”
+
+“The ghost?” faltered Betty.
+
+“Yep. Chains and all.”
+
+“Well, we didn’t,” said Aunt Kate, decidedly. “Come along, girls.”
+
+They had written some souvenir cards, which they mailed, and again they
+went sailing about Rainbow Lake.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+The boys pitched their tent near that of the girls, and many meals were
+eaten in common. Then one night it happened!
+
+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.
+
+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:
+
+“The ghost! The ghost!”
+
+“Get after it, fellows!” called Will, as he recognized his sister’s
+voice. “We’ll lay this chap—whoever he is!”
+
+There was a vision of something white, again that rattling of chains,
+and a plunge into the lake. Then all was still.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII
+WHAT MOLLIE FOUND
+
+
+“Did you get—it?”
+
+Betty hesitated a moment over the question.
+
+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.
+
+“We only had a glimpse of it,” answered Will. “Then it seemed to melt
+into the water.”
+
+“But it was big,” said Frank.
+
+“And made lots of noise,” added Allen.
+
+“That’s just the way it acted before,” declared Mollie.
+
+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.
+
+“Can you imagine what it may be?” asked Aunt Kate. She had been making
+chocolate—a seemingly never-failing remedy for night alarms.
+
+“Haven’t the least idea,” answered Will, “unless it’s someone trying to
+play a so-called practical joke.”
+
+“I’d like to get hold of the player,” announced Allen. “I’d run him
+off——”
+
+“Off the scale,” interrupted Betty, with a laugh.
+
+“That’s it,” conceded Allen. “Are you girls all right?”
+
+“All but our nerves,” answered Grace.
+
+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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Let’s!” proposed Grace. The boys had gone off fishing.
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Here goes!” cried impulsive Mollie, as she poised for a flash into the
+water.
+
+She went down cleanly, but was rather long coming up. Grace and Betty
+looked anxiously at one another.
+
+“She is——” began Betty.
+
+Mollie flashed into sight like a seal.
+
+“I—I found something!” she panted.
+
+“Did you strike bottom?” asked Betty.
+
+“Almost. But that’s all right. I’m going down again. There is something
+down there. Maybe it’s the ghost!”
+
+“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.
+
+“I—I found it!” she gasped.
+
+“What?” chorused the others.
+
+“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!”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII
+SETTING A TRAP
+
+
+“Are you sure it is the canoe?” asked Betty, who did not want Mollie to
+take any unnecessary risks.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“But can we lift out the heavy stones?” asked Amy, in considerable
+doubt.
+
+“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.”
+
+“I never could stay under water long enough to get out even one stone,”
+declared Grace.
+
+“Nor I,” added Amy.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+“Do be careful!” cautioned Aunt Kate, coming out from the tent.
+
+“We will,” promised Betty.
+
+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.
+
+“You must not stay under so long,” warned Betty.
+
+“There—are—a—lot—of—stones,” gasped Mollie. “But I think we can do it,”
+she added a moment later.
+
+“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:
+
+“I lifted out two, but I think we had better let the boys do it,
+Mollie.”
+
+“Perhaps,” was the reply.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Well, getting nervous prostration under water would be a very bad
+idea,” commented Betty.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“Seen anything more of the ghost?” asked Will of the girls, when the
+canoe had been moored to the shore.
+
+“No, and we don’t want to,” returned Betty.
+
+“Afraid?” Allen wanted to know.
+
+“Indeed not!” she exclaimed, with a blush.
+
+“I’ll tell you what let’s do,” suggested Frank. “Let’s take a look
+around and see if that ghost left any footprints.”
+
+“Ghosts never do,” asserted Will.
+
+“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.
+
+“Girls! Fellows!” he cried. “Come here!” They all hastened to his side.
+He pointed to some marks in the sandy soil.
+
+“What are they?” he asked, excitedly.
+
+“Hoof marks!” cried Allen, dramatically.
+
+“That’s right!” agreed Will. “They are the marks of a horse! Girls,
+that’s what your ghost is—a white horse, and—and——”
+
+He ceased abruptly, looked at Grace strangely, and then brother and
+sister gasped together:
+
+“Prince!”
+
+“What?” demanded Allen.
+
+“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!”
+
+“Couldn’t he swim?” asked Frank.
+
+“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!
+
+“But this solves the ghost mystery, girls. You and the other folks have
+been frightened by white Prince scooting about the island.”
+
+“We—we weren’t so very frightened,” spoke Mollie.
+
+“But the rattling chains?” questioned Grace.
+
+“What were they?”
+
+“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——”
+
+“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!”
+
+“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.”
+
+“But how are you going to do it?” asked Frank.
+
+“We’ll search the island for him,” replied Will. “Come on, we’ll start
+now.”
+
+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.
+
+“We’ve got to set a trap!” exclaimed Will.
+
+“How?” asked Grace.
+
+“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.”
+
+The boys voted this plan a good one. They went over to Mr. Lagg’s store
+in the _Gem_ to get a supply of fodder for the trap.
+
+“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;
+
+
+“A ghostly ghost—a ghost in white
+
+ Appearing in the darkest night.
+
+ That it should prove a horse to be,
+
+ Most certainly amazes me.”
+
+
+“Good!” exclaimed Will, with a laugh. “You are progressing, Mr. Lagg.”
+
+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.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV
+THE GHOST CAUGHT
+
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“I should think you would be. Poor little Dodo! I’d give anything to
+hear her say now ‘Has oo dot any tandy?’”
+
+“Don’t,” spoke Betty in a low tone to Grace, for she saw the tears in
+Mollie’s eyes.
+
+“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?”
+
+“Never,” answered Amy. “Don’t say after this that girls can’t keep a
+secret.”
+
+Frank was to watch the first part of the night, to be relieved by
+Allen, and the latter by Will.
+
+“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.”
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.”
+
+“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.”
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“That’s Prince!” exclaimed Will, for in the moonlight he saw a white
+horse eating from the box. The “ghost” had arrived.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+With a snort Prince threw up his head and wheeled about. He saw Will,
+and leaped away.
+
+“Prince, old fellow! Prince! don’t you know me?” called the boy, and he
+gave a whistle that Prince always answered.
+
+The horse retreated. Will held out some sugar he had ready for such an
+emergency.
+
+“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!”
+
+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.
+
+“I have him!” cried Will. “Bring the rope, fellows.”
+
+Prince was not frightened now. He stood still. Will led him into the
+full moonlight. Then he exclaimed:
+
+“The saddle is gone!”
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV
+THE MISSING SADDLE
+
+
+“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.
+
+“Yes, I have him. He knew me almost at once,” answered Will. “But the
+saddle is gone!”
+
+“And the papers?” Grace faltered.
+
+“Gone with it, I fancy. Too bad!”
+
+“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.”
+
+But a hasty search in the darkness revealed nothing. There was no sign
+of a saddle.
+
+“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.
+
+“And so you played the part of a ghost, you rascal! Scaring the
+girls——”
+
+“We’ll never admit that,” called Betty from the tent.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“The saddle must be somewhere on this island,” declared Will. “I’m
+going to find it.”
+
+“How?” asked Allen, who had made a careful toilet, as Betty had
+promised to go for a row with him.
+
+“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.”
+
+“Indeed it is,” agreed Prank.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+“Where can he be going?” asked Frank.
+
+“Just let him alone,” counseled Will. “He knows what he is about.”
+
+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.
+
+“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.”
+
+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.
+
+“Here they are!” he cried, as he pulled out the missing papers. “I have
+them, fellows!”
+
+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.
+
+“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.
+
+“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.
+
+“Oh, I’m so glad!” cried Grace. “Now I can really enjoy camping and
+cruising. You must telephone papa at once.”
+
+Which Will did, the whole party going over to Mr. Lagg’s store in the
+motor boat.
+
+“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!”
+
+“Oh, thank the dear Lord!” murmured Mollie, and then she sobbed on
+Betty’s shoulder.
+
+“Well, I guess we are ready to start,” announced Grace. “I have the
+chocolates. Who has the olives?”
+
+“Chocolates and olives—the school girl’s delight!” mocked Will,
+
+“Oh, you’ll be asking for some,” declared his sister.
+
+
+“Chocolates and olives are good for the boys,
+
+ And to the girls they also bring joys.”
+
+
+Thus remarked Mr. Lagg. The crowd of young people were in his store,
+stocking up the _Gem_ 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.
+
+“Oh, what a fine time we’ve had!” exclaimed Grace, as she waltzed about
+the store with Amy.
+
+“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?”
+
+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.
+
+“All aboard!” called Betty, as she led the way down to the dock where
+the _Gem_ awaited them. Each one was carrying a bundle of supplies, for
+they expected to cruise for about a week.
+
+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 _Gem_ slid away from the dock.
+
+“Good-bye! Good-bye!” called the boys and girls to Mr. Lagg.
+
+“Good-bye!” he answered, waving his red handkerchief at them. Then he
+recited.
+
+
+“As you sail o’er the bounding sea,
+
+ Pause now and then and think of me.
+
+ I’ve many things for man and beast,
+
+ From chocolate drops to compressed yeast.”
+
+
+“Good!” shouted Will, laughing.
+
+And Betty swung around the wheel to avoid the two boys whose canoe
+Mollie had so strangely found, as the _Gem_, continued her cruise down
+Rainbow Lake. And here, for a time, we, too, like Mr. Lagg, will say
+farewell to our friends.
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE OUTDOOR GIRLS AT RAINBOW LAKE ***
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