The Meadow-Brook Girls Afloat; Or, the Stormy Cruise of the Red Rover

ai

e, lifted it from the water and began hau

n the other end of this r

answered Harriet gloomily. "Let's ge

ng like beginning at the right end. This is the right end; after we get the rope in we will mov

e in dripping, so cold to the tou

n the wharf. "There's the old thing. Didn't I tel

oat. I don't understand this at all,

ended the end of the rope toward Harriet. The latter took it, permitting the dripping rope to lie

has been done to i

so," no

been cut," ref

," agre

e done such a thing

m suffer for this piece

swered Harriet solemnly. "What do you

knows," re

e pier, where, shoving off the rowboat, she leaped in. Jane foll

ngly. Harriet was rowing, Jane s

scovered that day we first went aboard the houseboat. I put my hand on the sto

don't

at stove happened to be

ody had had a fire

floor. Jane, some person had been living on that boat. You remember how anxious

ith the cutting of the rope, la

me connection I am positive. What we wish m

ooks like a fire!" cried Jane, pointing e

ead over her right shoulder. She gazed, at fir

We've found the boat. It's the sun shining on

in alongside of the "Red Rover," then leaped out on the shore. The unknown miscreant having cut her from her moorings the housebo

under water. There were fully two feet of water in the stern. In the after cockpit were seve

aft for a pail but losing her footing on the slippery floor she went spraw

Oh my! Wh

n screaming with laughter. Jane looked at h

sight!" gas

r? Are we going to stand here and laugh al

r the girls worked feverishly. There were several barrels of water in the cockpit, so their backs were aching by the time they

et the boat off the gra

boat on and drag the 'Red R

shook

. You can't be any wetter, and I'm not afraid of a little

ter streaming from her hair and shoulders, and falling into the lake in a shower. Jane screamed with delight. "You're wet all right, now! No mistake about that," jeered Crazy Jane. "And what have we

th to the task. The boat gave way with such suddenness that both girls fell into the lake. But they did not care. They could

were so heavy with water that they impeded her movements. She shoved the rowboat out, and, leaping

hort. What shall w

ing. Wait, I'll toss it to you. Make it fast. The boat is heavy and we are goi

in motion. Then when, finally, they had gotten under way with it, Jane was obliged to wade out in water nearly to her neck to reach the rowboat. She nearly upset it in getting aboard. Two pairs of oars, instead

and the other stee

ad your share," cried Jane. "

er again. I'll get back there all right." Harriet unshipped her oars and stood up i

a be

rd, weighted down by her clothes as she was, was not an easy task. Finally, however, the girl managed to

e. "They can't stop a Meadow-B

t, "I'll change places wit

," was the very practical r

ime. Jane was shouting her directions, making sarcastic remarks about Harriet's steering, but the latter merely smiled. She knew she was doing the best she could, and that was all any one could do. Jane was making

," she s

l startled Harriet. She threw the tiller over and leaned far out. The rowboat was bottom-side-up, with Crazy Jane McCarthy struggling in the water. Her mouth was too full of water, just

n't have stopped rowin

you run me down. Look at the boat, will you!

get you on board. Aft

"Red Rover." She lay clinging to t

we are having, darl

g ashore. You stay on board. I'm going after it. I'm not t

. The houseboat also was coming in. Jane was shouting to her companion to hurry. Harriet was doing the best she could under the circumstance

cried Harri

in or out," f

shallow water. The houseboat caught the stranded rowboat, turned it over and slowly ground it under its prow, accompan