"Miss Elting has a revolver," answered Jane.

"We hope never to be forced to use it, however. The trouble is that our friend doesn't show himself. But just wait. One of these fine nights we'll catch him, then he'll take a bath in the lake."

"You have no idea who he is?"

"I can't say that we have," replied the guardian slowly.

"Do you know Mr. d.i.c.kinson?" asked Harriet, looking sharply at Gordon.

"Dee? Yes."

"What sort of person is he?"

"Oh, Dee's all right. He doesn't amount to a whole lot, but he is a good fellow. Why?" He shot a suspicious glance at Harriet.

"Nothing, except that he was looking after the boat for Miss Elting's brother before we came down here."

George put an end to the conversation by announcing that it was time they got the "Red Rover" out. The motor boat was paddled out into deeper water, then the houseboat was fastened to the motor boat and the power started, while all the boys save two pulled and hauled on the heavy houseboat. It floated slowly out into deeper water, while the girls cheered the efforts of the Tramp Club.

The anchor, in the meantime, had been put on board and a new loop made at the end of the rope. The girls now climbed into the rowboat and were rowed out to the "Red Rover," after which the motor boat began towing the "Red Rover" into the lake, with Captain George Baker at the helm. He had remained aboard to give further a.s.sistance, if needed.

"This is the worst old tub to steer that ever I took hold of," he declared.

"We found it so," agreed Harriet. "You will get the knack of it soon.

When you do, you will find steering it rather easy."

They reached a cove farther up the lake, shortly after noon. Here the Meadow-Brook Girls decided to anchor, as there was a farmhouse on a bluff a little way inland, where they thought they would be able to get milk, eggs and vegetables. George decided that he would call in the motor boat and return to camp, promising to come over and see them later to get their orders for the following day.

Miss Elting and her girls expressed their appreciation of the kindness of Captain Baker and his friends.

"We haven't done anything worth while yet," retorted Captain Baker.

"Perhaps we may give you a real opportunity to thank us, later on. On the other hand, you may not wish to thank us," he added, with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"Now, I wonder what the boy meant by that?" thought Crazy Jane, regarding George shrewdly through half-closed eyes.

Captain Baker went over the side, boarding the motor boat after he had cast anchor for the girls and made everything snug. Then, with many good-byes on both sides, the power boat chugged away toward the Tramp Club camp, the Meadow-Brook Girls turning to the duties of the day.

The first task was to get their clothing in condition. There was now no one to interfere with them. Flatirons were put on the oil stove, which was once more in working order, and the work of pressing out their wrinkled clothing was begun. Harriet and Jane handled the irons. Miss Elting took down the curtains, which also were sadly in need of ironing, while Margery and Hazel prepared the noon meal. Tommy perched herself on the rail of the upper deck, and caroled forth a lisping ditty.

After dinner, Harriet and Jane rowed ash.o.r.e and purchased supplies from the farmhouse that they had observed on their way to the present anchorage. The day pa.s.sed all too quickly. Twilight was upon them almost before they realized it. Supper was late that night, and ere they had finished the dishes the motor boat drew up to them and the Tramp Club swarmed over the side of the houseboat with merry greetings.

"It is almost like being boarded by pirates," laughed Harriet. "In this case the pirates are welcome."

The boys had brought with them a bag of early apples, which Captain Baker gravely a.s.sured them had been duly bought and paid for. The boys also had brought their harmonicas, and later in the evening there was a harmonica concert on the upper deck of the "Red Rover." Later on the girls served their guests with cake and coffee. Larry Goheen, who, like Jane McCarthy, was gifted with true Irish wit, was the life of the party. He and Crazy Jane bandied words and said witty things to each other to the delight of the rest of the company.

The boys took their leave at ten o'clock. First, they left a lantern for the houseboat, which George Baker lighted and set in place at the stern.

The anchor light of the houseboat had been lost in the storm of the previous night, or else it had been stolen, which latter they doubted.

The girls were quite ready to retire, and lost no time in turning in after the departure of their guests. Then quiet settled down upon the "Red Rover." A gentle swell on the water lulled the girls into deep, peaceful slumber, until after sunrise next morning.

Tommy, for a wonder, was the first to get out of bed in the morning.

Half-asleep she staggered, blinking, to the after deck, and then leaned over to wash the last of the sleep out of her eyes. There followed a sudden, sharp splash, and a moment later the blonde head of Tommy Thompson appeared from out of the lake. Tommy had fallen in again. This time she did not scream. She climbed aboard the boat, grumbling to herself, and proceeded to dress without further delay.

"For goodness' sake, Tommy, what is the matter?" demanded Harriet, sitting up in bed, rubbing her blinking eyes. "Did you fall into the lake again?"

"I gueth I had a bath thith morning," answered Tommy.

"An impromptu plunge, I should call it," answered Harriet smiling. Then she glanced sharply out through the rear door of the cabin. Her eyes narrowed as she gazed. She rose from her cot and walked to the door, looking over the water towards the opposite sh.o.r.e, her forehead wrinkling into a perplexed frown. "Girls! Get up! Come out and view the scenery. I promise you it is well worth seeing this morning. Oh, Miss Elting, do you know where you are?"

"Why--why, what does it mean?" gasped the girls who had hurriedly tumbled out following Harriet's summons.

The guardian could scarcely believe her eyes. They were not in the cove where the boat had been anch.o.r.ed the day before. The scenery on the sh.o.r.e near them was strange and new.

"What does it mean, Harriet?" demanded the guardian.

"I think a fairy must have touched the world with her wand and changed it into something else during the night," replied Harriet. "But don't you know where you are, Miss Elting?"

"I do not. Do you?"

"I think I do."

"I know," piped Tommy. "We are on the water. I wath in it earlier thith morning."

No one gave any heed to Tommy's pleasantry. They were too amazed and perplexed to give thought to anything but the strangeness of their surroundings.

"Then I will tell you," said Harriet, "We are on the other side of the lake. Do you see that white house on the bluff across the lake? Well, that is the farmhouse where we got our milk yesterday."

"But--but----" gasped Miss Elting.

"We are now where we wanted to be, across the lake near the beautiful islands and the pretty wooded sh.o.r.es."

"But how did we get here?" finished Miss Elting.

"I don't know. I know only that we're here. Somehow we must have made a mysterious journey across the lake during the night, or else the fairy that I spoke of has turned the lake around in the night and left us standing exactly as we were. But I can't think on an empty stomach.

Let's dress and get breakfast; then we will consider what has happened to us. We are anch.o.r.ed all right, so there is no occasion for worry. The weather is fine too. Our unknown enemy did us a good turn, this time, if he only knew it. Come along, girls."

CHAPTER VIII

THE ISLAND OF DELIGHT

"It is the most mysterious thing I ever encountered," declared Miss Elting at breakfast, after she had stepped to the window again to gaze off over the lake to the cove--in the distance--where the "Red Rover"

had lain when they retired the night before.

None of the girls except Harriet and Jane had much appet.i.te for breakfast. They were too excited over the mysterious changing of their position.