When about eleven o'clock a launch came down the coast in search of them the wind had risen and the lake was rough. It was an old boat and did not look as though it could stand much weather. The man running the boat said there was rather a stiff sea on the other side of the island, but he thought he could make it. Miss Elting said she would give him five dollars if he would take them across. He made fast to the "Red Rover"

and started.

Once they had rounded the island they did not think the waves would be very high. Being protected by a point of land they did not get the full force of the wind. Nor did they realize what a chance they had taken until they had gotten well out into the lake. There the gale struck them with full force. Harriet grew really alarmed. She feared the "Red Rover"

was not strong enough to stand up under it. Margery was seasick and the others also felt the effects of the gale.

The "Red Rover" was now pitching more violently than ever. Jane was gazing at the launch wide-eyed, expecting every moment to see it take a dive, not to come up again. Everything movable in the "Red Rover's"

cabin was being hurled about. The oil stove long since had tipped over, gla.s.s was being smashed, dishes broken, pieces of each of these were rattling over the floor. Miss Elting decided that they would be better off outside.

Harriet protested against their going on the upper deck, saying that they might be blown off into the lake. Jane was protecting herself by clinging to a rope. The awning suddenly ballooned and went up into the air, taking some of the awning posts with it. Miss Elting had no further desire to go up on deck after that. With her charges she kept close to the deck house, where they shielded themselves from the wind as much as possible.

"He's turning round," shouted Jane, with hands to lips.

"Don't let him. He will upset us."

Jane yelled at the man in the launch, who--not daring to brave the seas any longer, was slowly turning his launch about. He shook his head, evidently thinking she was ordering him to continue. Seeing that her words were of no avail, Crazy Jane leaped down to the forward deck and casting the tow line from the cleat, flung it out on the water.

"Hook on the other end and tow us back if you want to. Don't you know better than to turn us around in all this storm?" she yelled.

The boatman ran up to the stern where Harriet was doing her best to keep the boat's head to the wind, but was slowly losing ground. She motioned to him to keep off and beckoned to him to cast the tow line to her so she could make it fast at that end. Harriet had forgotten that there was no rudder at the other end. But the boatman persisted in getting up close to the houseboat. All at once what Harriet had feared did happen.

The launch was picked up on a heavy swell and hurled against the houseboat. There followed the sound of crunching woodwork. The launch began to fill with water.

"Jump!" shouted Captain Harriet. "You're sinking."

The boatman clung to his craft a moment longer, then leaped into the lake. He was not a good swimmer, but fortunately the waves were rolling toward the houseboat, carrying him in that direction. Harriet had dropped the tiller and was watching him narrowly. There was no rope ready, the one that usually lay at hand having been lost with the launch, which slowly settled in the water, then disappeared.

The girl saw that the man was likely to be hurled against the side of the houseboat. She s.n.a.t.c.hed up a boathook and when he came within reach thrust it out to him.

"Hold steady until that wave pa.s.ses, then I'll pull you in," she called.

The blow from the waves took nearly all the breath out of the man, but as soon as it had pa.s.sed, Harriet hauled him quickly aboard.

Miss Elting reported that the "Red Rover" was leaking, that the launch had crushed in a plank on the side.

"Stuff clothing in the hole," ordered Jane. "Here you, Mr. Man, please go in there and see if you can't nail up the broken place. You've got to do something or you'll never set foot on land again."

Off in the camp of the Tramp Club there was great excitement. The boys had discovered the craft laboring in the heavy sea, and as it drew nearer to their side of the lake, they discovered that it was none other than the "Red Rover."

"They're in trouble, boys. Billy, will your boat stand it?" asked George.

"As long as we can keep the water out of her."

"Then let's get aboard. No, you fellows stay here. There's a load of them out there to fetch back if we ever get close enough to take them off."

The motors were working, but no sooner had the two boys gotten clear of the little pier at their camp than the engines suddenly stopped and the boat drifted back.

"There's a short circuit somewhere," called Billy. "Hold her. I'll find it and we'll be going very shortly."

"Hurry, Billy! They're in an awful mess over there," urged George.

It seemed as though the "Red Rover" must be torn to pieces. The boat was now drifting broadside to the waves. Every large wave would break against the side, then leap clear over the boat. Every wave seemed powerful enough to crush in the sides. But they came out dripping, glistening red after each onslaught. The boatman had succeeded in patching the rent caused by the collision, but the upper deck was leaking in many places. The "Red Rover" had been strained almost to the breaking-up point. It was now fairly wallowing in the foaming sea dashing against its weather side. Harriet had given up trying to do anything with the rudder. She could not keep the bow of the boat around to the seas. It persisted in lying broadside on, where it took the full force of the waves.

"There comes a boat," cried Jane, who had been on the upper deck, waving a sheet as a signal that they were in distress. All hands peered toward the mainland. They saw a launch making slow progress toward them. The little boat seemed to be standing with her bow in the air most of the time. First it would rear then plunge. As it neared them they saw that it was Billy Gordon's boat, bearing himself and George Baker.

"Cast a line! I don't dare get near," shouted Billy when close enough to make his voice heard.

"We haven't any. Cast your own," answered Harriet.

George did the casting. He failed three times but on the fourth cast Harriet caught the line and quickly made it fast to a cleat at the forward end being nearly swept overboard in the effort. The "Red Rover"

straightened out on her course. For a moment the launch seemed to be losing ground rather than gaining, then slowly it began to pick up and shortly after that was making slow progress toward sh.o.r.e.

There were many spectators to that battle, none of whom believed that either launch or houseboat, ever would reach the land. Other boats refused to venture out in such a gale. Even the big boats remained tied up. So much water was taken aboard by the launch that George was fully occupied in bailing. A piece of oilcloth had been thrown over the engines and battery coils to keep these from getting soaked and thus causing a stoppage of the engine.

For two hours did launch and houseboat labor through the seas, fighting every inch of the way. Harriet's arms ached from handling the tiller.

She was wet to the skin but clung steadily to her work. The boatman was kept inside to watch for and stop leaks, of which there were many before the voyage came to an end. At last the "Red Rover" slipped into comparatively calm water, amid a chorus of yells from the boys on sh.o.r.e.

George got up and waved his cap to the girls. They answered the salute with three cheers, then Billy pulled the scow up to her former anchorage, and in a few moments she lay rolling easily in a moderate swell, safe, though considerably strained from her wild voyage across a lake that many larger and more seaworthy boats would have hesitated to brave.

CHAPTER XXIV

CONCLUSION

It was late in the evening when some sort of order had been restored in the cabin of the "Red Rover." The boys had turned to and worked like Trojans, helping to get the water out of the boat, to mend broken places and throw the broken dishes overboard.

When all was done Miss Elting served a luncheon to them, mostly canned stuff, all the other food having been ruined in the voyage across the lake. It was during the luncheon that she made a confession for herself and companions. She told the Tramp Club how they had dressed up in white sheets and chased the boys from the island; how they had hidden in the cave with their boat; how Jane had discovered the half-breed and narrowly missed a double discovery herself.

"And now," concluded Miss Elting, "that is the way we played our tricks.

Perhaps we won the contest but after your bravery to-day we feel that far greater honors are due to you boys."

The boys, whose faces had flushed during the recital, now broke into a hearty laugh.

"That's the best joke ever played on a bunch of fellows," cried Billy.

"And you've won the wager fairly enough. You don't need to apologize for the ghosts. The trouble is we tried to play worse jokes on you, but you turned them on us every time. If we got you out of the lake it was by good luck, not because we were so awfully brave. I'll never brag about bravery after last night. And now good night. You folks are tired and want to go to bed. We'll see that you aren't disturbed this evening. You don't think of working your disappearing act to-night, do you?"

"No. We have had sufficient excitement for one day," answered Miss Elting laughingly. "We are going to invite you over to dinner soon, then we will have a happy good-bye party before we leave. By the way, boys, we are going ash.o.r.e in the morning on a shopping trip. As all of us wish to go I am going to ask you if you will keep an eye on the 'Red Rover.'

There is very little possibility that our enemy will visit it in broad daylight, still it is best to take proper precautions against further attacks."

"We'll be very glad to look out for the 'Red Rover' while you're away,"

responded George heartily. "That is if you can a.s.sure us that you won't try any new vanishing tricks."

"We give you our solemn promise," laughed Harriet. "The 'Red Rover' has played her last trick."

Harriet's laughing a.s.surance, however, was destined to prove truer than she had dreamed. The next morning the girls rose early, and after a hasty breakfast went ash.o.r.e to do their shopping, secure in the thought that the Tramp Club would keep an eye on the "Red Rover."

In the meantime the boys had posted a watch on the sh.o.r.e, in the person of Billy Gordon, who seated comfortably on the ground, his back against a big tree, glanced frequently out over the lake to where the "Red Rover" lay at anchor, her red sides glistening in the sun.

It was well towards noon when Billy rose from the ground and strolled lazily down to the beach. Suddenly his good-natured face took on a startled look as he stared anxiously toward the houseboat. A moment later he was running toward the tent at full speed.