ants to get under way. We've lost too much
time already and we'll be in bad first thing we know."

The man who had fallen answered with an unintelligible growl. He had
not looked behind him to see what he had fallen over. Instead, he
wrapped a handkerchief about his wrist and started on. The two men
trudged on down toward where they had left their boat. They were
nearly at the beach before Harriet Burrell finally sat up.

"Wasn't that a narrow escape?" she breathed. "He fell over me and
never saw me. I wonder if my ankle is broken? It feels as though it
were. How it did hurt when he kicked me! It is a wonder I did not
scream. I wonder what they are going to do now?"

She got up and limped toward the beach, using a little less caution
than she had done when coming out. She paused just at the edge of the
trees, where she stood in the shadow observing the men. They shoved
the boat off and followed it out a little way, splashing in the water
with their heavy boots, for the beach was too shallow to permit their
getting into the rowboat and rowing directly away from the shore. They
first had to shove it off into deeper water. This was quickly
accomplished, and piling in, one of the pair began rowing out toward
the sailboat.

The Meadow-Brook girl sat down and began to rub her injured ankle. The
rowboat was now merely a dark blotch out on the bay. The blotch neared
the sailboat and was lost in the shadow that surrounded the larger
craft. A few moments later Harriet heard the anchor being hauled in,
then the creak of the rings on the mast as the sail was being raised.
The boat got under way quickly and with very little disturbance, swung
to the breeze, the boom lurching to the leeward side of the boat with
a "clank." Then the sailboat began moving slowly from the bay. There
were no lights to be seen either within or without. The boat was in
darkness. Harriet gazed with straining eyes until the boat had finally
merged with the sea and was lost to view. A few moments later she
caught the twinkle of a masthead light. She watched the light and saw
that it was moving slowly up the coast.

"That's the last of them for to-night," she reflected. "I wonder where
they put that box and what is in it? However, I can't look for it
to-night. I will see if I can find out anything about it in the
morning. I hope Miss Elting hasn't awakened and missed me."

Harriet stepped quickly down to the beach. She gained the bar and ran
until she r