There were launches and steamers coming in constantly. The waters in that vicinity were dotted with rowboats and small skiffs as well. Jane did not like the idea of dragging out the "Red Rover" through that gathering of craft. Neither did Harriet Burrell. Jane was looking over the launches and their occupants as they came up to the dock either to take on or discharge pa.s.sengers. All at once she pounced upon two boys, who had left a third boy on the dock and bade him good-bye.

"Will you give us a tow?" demanded Jane.

"Where do you want to go?" answered one of the lads, touching his cap.

"Which way are you going?"

"Down the lake."

"That's the way we are going. Say, which way is down the lake?" she asked Harriet in a whisper. The latter indicated the direction by a wave of the hand.

"We'll give you a rope and tell you when you are to drop us," added Jane.

The boys regarded the houseboat rather dubiously. They did not know whether or not their little launch would be able to tow it. Jane and Harriet explained to their companions that they were to have a tow. Then the two girls made fast the line, carrying the latter to the motor boat, after which they cast off from the pier.

The Meadow-Brook Girls uttered a cheer, as the "Red Rover" slowly drifted sideways clear of the dock. The dock was thronged with people, all of whom were now observing the houseboat. The latter's upper deck held the girls, with the exception of Jane, who was at the helm to steer as soon as their craft had been turned about and headed in the right direction. The houseboat came about slowly; then, as the motor boat chugged away the line grew taut and the "Red Rover" began to move.

"You give me steering directions, Harriet," cried Jane.

"I will wave to you. That will be better than shouting."

"Whatever you say."

"Look out!"

A heavy shock, following Harriet's warning, caused Jane to shove the tiller hard over. The girls were piled in a heap on the upper deck and it seemed as though the front part of the houseboat must have been crushed.

Loud, threatening voices forward brought Crazy Jane to the upper deck instantly. Then she saw what had occurred. The "Red Rover" had taken a sudden dive to the left, colliding with an anch.o.r.ed sailboat.

"If you don't know how to steer, keep off the lake!" raged the owner, shaking both fists at the red terror.

"If you don't know how to keep out of the way, then you ought to get pushed off the lake," flung back Jane McCarthy defiantly.

Harriet laid a hand on her arm.

"Don't argue with them, Jane. It isn't well-bred to do a thing like that."

The launch was sputtering away trying to extricate the "Red Rover" from its position, which, by this time, was broadside against the sailboat.

The "Red Rover" was rising and falling, each time rubbing off some red paint onto the white sides of the yacht. With each blotch of paint, so acquired, the anger of the owner of the yacht increased. It was fortunate for the Meadow-Brook Girls that they succeeded in getting away promptly. Jane was getting more and more angry, and Harriet had all she could do to restrain her companion.

But their troubles were not yet ended. The "Red Rover" plunged through the fleet, smash-into a sailboat here, nearly sinking a rowboat there, grazing the side of a steamer, rubbing off some more paint in the operation, and continuing her voyage of destruction by smashing in the gunwale of a launch that was unfortunate enough to be anch.o.r.ed within range of the "Red Rover's" tow line. Jane's steering was anything but skilful. She steered too much, not giving the boat half a chance to respond to one turn of the tiller, before she turned it the other way.

But Harriet Burrell offered no suggestions. At least, she remained silent until after the "Red Rover" had upset a canoe, spilling a young man and two girls into the lake. It was then that Harriet sprang down and casting off the rowboat pulled to their rescue. It was well that she did so, for neither of the girls could swim.

The motor boat that was towing the "Red Rover" had stopped instantly but the "Red Rover" was still drifting, managing to collide with two more small boats before finally coming to a stop. In the meantime, Harriet had hauled the dripping girls aboard her rowboat, and a.s.sisted the young man to right his canoe. The girls refused to get into it again.

"Bring the young ladies aboard and let us give them some dry clothes,"

called Miss Elting.

"They wish to be put ash.o.r.e here," answered Harriet.

"We are very sorry that we have caused you all this trouble. Our boat doesn't seem to steer well. I don't know what the trouble is," continued the guardian.

The two girls were very courteous about the matter. They a.s.sured Miss Elting and Harriet that they knew the accident had been unavoidable, and that it had been more their fault than the "Red Rover's." The young man, however, was inclined to grumble. Harriet put the wet girls ash.o.r.e, where they were followed by their companion. The "Red Rover" then moved on, following a zig-zag course, narrowly missing running into other boats, until finally one of the lads in the motor boat put his hands to his lips and shouted:

"How much farther are you folks going?"

Harriet consulted with Miss Elting.

"If you will be good enough to tow us into that cove just ahead, we shall be very much obliged," answered Harriet. The motor boat was instantly headed toward the cove. Harriet chuckled. "They are eager to be rid of us, and I don't blame them at all."

"They look like nice boys. I think I will invite them to come aboard,"

decided the guardian. Harriet nodded her approval. When, finally, the houseboat had been dragged in, Harriet shouted to the boys to cast off.

It was then that Miss Elting asked them to come aboard. The boy at the wheel said they would come some other time, that they were obliged to get back to their camp farther down the lake. They would accept no pay for their towing and chugged away, waving their hands, leaving a snowy wake behind them.

Harriet had already climbed down, and, with a long string, at the end of which had been tied the piece of broken poker from the old stove, was taking sounding to get the depth of water.

"Eight feet. That's deep enough. Jane! Come help me put over the anchor, please," she called.

The anchor went over with a splash, after which the rope was tied to a heavy hard wood cleat that the carpenter had secured to the forward lower deck. The "Red Rover" drifted to the end of its anchor rope, then swung to the gentle breeze that was blowing.

"Thank goodness we aren't at the bottom of the lake," exclaimed Crazy Jane.

"It's the other folks who have reason to be thankful," answered Harriet smilingly. "Now let's get supper. We have a lot to do, and even more to discuss."

"Had we not better work in closer to sh.o.r.e?" questioned the guardian, regarding the wooded cove critically.

"No, I think not. I have my reasons for wanting to be away from the sh.o.r.e," answered Harriet.

It would have perhaps been better had they chosen some other location for their anchorage, for the night in the cove was to be a trying one for the Meadow-Brook Girls and another of those mysterious happenings that had so disturbed them was to overtake them at the very beginning of the cruise of the "Red Rover."

CHAPTER IV

A SUDDEN AWAKENING

"There! I knew we had forgotten something."

"What have we forgotten, Jane?"

"An ice box, Miss Elting. How are we to keep our food without an ice box?"

"But, my dear, what would be the good of an ice box without ice?"

"That's so. I hadn't thought of that. Where would we get our ice?"

"That ith eathy," piped Tommy. "Get your ithe out of the lake, of courthe. I never did thee thuch thtupid people. Did you thuppothe they got ithe on land? That it grew in the fieldth?"