But three minutes later, when the canoes got into the cove where Polly's father had met with his accident in the _Bright Eyes_, Wyn suddenly found something more serious than Tubby Blaisdell's experience to worry about. There was the big bateau, its sail furled, almost over the spot where Wyn and Polly were sure the lost motor boat lay!

"Oh, dear me!" cried Bess. "Now we can't have any fun on the raft. Those men will be in our way. What do you suppose they are poking around there in the water with those poles for?"

Wyn began to paddle fast. She shot ahead of the other girls and aimed directly for the bit of beach on which the boys' canoes were drawn.

The noise and laughter up at the camp a.s.sured her that Tubby had arrived and that all the Busters were at home. Wyn had made up her mind quickly that, if she must, she would rather take the boys into her confidence about the sunken boat than let those bateau men find it.

"Boys! Dave!" she hailed them from the water.

Young Shepard appeared at once and, seeing Wyn, ran down to the sh.o.r.e.

"Will you help us?" gasped Wyn. "Quick! get the boys! Move your diving float where I tell you; those men will find it first, if you don't."

"Find what?" demanded Dave. "Are you sensible, Wynnie?"

The explanation tumbled out of Wyn Mallory's lips then in rather a jumbled fashion; but Dave understood. He turned and gave the view-halloa for his mates. They all tumbled down the bank save Tubby.

"Get a move on, fellows," commanded the leader of the Busters. "We've got to move that raft. Wyn will tell us where. And later we'll tell you _why_. But the word is now: Look sharp!"

CHAPTER XXVII

IS IT THE "BRIGHT EYES"?

With a whirl and clash of paddles the little flotilla of canoes shot out to the diving float. The bateau was only a few yards away. The two rough-looking men in her were sounding the lake bottom, with long poles; but as yet they had not got around to the right spot.

Wyn breathlessly told the boys to move the raft to the place to which she paddled. The other girls were excitedly asking questions but neither Wyn nor Dave answered.

The captain of the Go-Aheads thought that if the raft could be held stationary--anch.o.r.ed in some way--directly over the sunken boat, the prize would be safe until Mr. Jarley, or somebody else in authority, came to claim the _Bright Eyes_. Of course, providing this sunken boat was she.

Polly had seemed so positive, and so eager to get her father started after the motor boat he had lost, that Wyn could not understand why the Jarleys were not already on the spot.

"Hey, there! what are you boys doing?" demanded one of the bateau men, hailing Dave and his friends on the raft.

"Moving our float," replied the captain of the Busters, promptly.

"Well, don't you git in our way," said the man, crossly.

"Hel-_lo_!" exclaimed the saucy Ferd Roberts. "I've always wondered who owned Lake Honotonka, and now I know."

"You'll know a whole lot more if you don't look out, Young Fresh,"

growled the other boatman.

"I shouldn't wonder," laughed Ferd. "But I'm not going to school to _you_, Mister."

"Do be quiet, Ferd," advised Dave. "Now, Wynnie! What do you say to this?"

Meantime the boys had raised the two big stones that served the raft as anchors, and had poled the float near to Wyn's canoe.

"Oh! a little farther, Dave, please," cried the anxious girl.

"Say! I wanter know what you young ones are up to?" repeated the first boatman.

"Can't you see?" returned Dave. "We're shifting our raft."

"What for?"

"Cat's fur! To make kittens' breeches of, 'cause we couldn't get dog fur--_now_ do you know?" snapped Ferd.

"Shut up, Ferd!" commanded Dave, again.

"He'd better shut up," growled the man, "or something'll happen to him--the young shrimp!"

"Oh, dear me, Wyn!" cried Bessie Lavine; "let's go back to camp."

"You'd all better scatter--both gels and boys," said the boatman, threateningly. "We're busy here an' we don't want to be bothered by shrimps."

"I guess we'll stay a while longer, Mister," Dave said, boldly.

"We were here first," cried the irrepressible Ferd.

"You youngsters air in our way. Get out," commanded the Boatman.

He was working the bateau nearer to the raft, using one of the long sweeps for that purpose.

"Heave over the anchors again, fellows," said Dave, quietly. "Then stand by with your paddles to repel boarders. We mustn't let 'em have the raft, or move it."

"Oh, Wyn!" begged Mina Everett, "let's go away."

The girls had all paddled near Wyn Mallory. Now they cl.u.s.tered about her in plain anxiety. The boys had climbed upon the raft and all five were plainly intending to offer resistance to the ugly boatmen.

"Now, girls," begged the captain of the Go-Aheads, firmly, "let us show _some_ courage, at least. The boys are willing to fight our battle----"

"_Our_ battle?" gasped Bessie. "What do you mean?"

In a whisper Wyn explained to the wondering and frightened girls what it was all about.

"Polly and I believe the lost motor boat lies right beneath us here. We must keep those men off, for they are hunting for the sunken boat, too,"

concluded Wynnie.

"My goodness! how exciting!" cried Grace Hedges.

"And we'll actually win the prize your father offered us, Bess!" gasped Percy Havel.

"I don't see that _we_ have had much to do with it," said Frank.