s coming on at what seemed to them to be an
aggravatingly slow rate of speed.

"What he needs is an engine," declared Jane. "Now, if he had that
motor that's doubled up under the car we ran into the ditch, he could
make some time."

"That boat is sailing much faster than you think," answered Harriet.
"You will see when it gets opposite us how fast it is moving. It is
moving so fast that I can't make myself believe it is our boat."

"I gueth we'll wait till it getth here," decided Tommy, which voiced
the feelings of all. As the sailboat drew down into plain view,
exclamations of admiration were heard on all sides. For a
single-masted boat she carried a great spread of white canvas and two
jibs, each of which was full of wind, pulling powerfully. The wind
being off shore, the sloop was heeling the other way, showing quite a
portion of her black hull, which was in strong contrast with her
glistening white sides and snowy sails. The water was spurting away
from her bows, showing white along the black side below her water
line--all in all, an inspiring sight to the lover of boats and the big
water.

"Hurrah, see her go! She's skimming along like a scared cat. No, that
isn't our tub, darlin's. I know Dad. She will be safe, but she will
come limping and groaning down the line at a mile an hour, then
probably go aground in the bay because there won't be room enough for
her to turn about. You see if I'm not right."

"You are all wrong," answered Harriet. "How do I know? Never mind. You
will find that you are." She had seen a man hauling in on the main
sheets--the ropes that led from the mainsail back toward the cockpit.
From that she knew the boat was preparing to change its course. This
it did a few moments later, heading in toward the shore, but pointed
at a spot a full half mile below the camp, as nearly as the girls
could observe.

"Oh, that is too bad! See, they are going somewhere else," cried Miss
Elting. "Why--why, what are they trying to do? Are those people
crazy?"

"They are tacking in," answered Harriet.

"Of course. How stupid of me."

"It ith the 'Thilly Thue,'" shouted Tommy.

"The 'Silly Sue'! hurrah!" yelled the girls, instantly adopting
Tommy's nickname for the boat.

"Oh, darlin's, isn't she the beauty?" cried Jane. She began dancing
about, several others doing likewise.

"I thought you knew it was going to be an old tub," reminded Harriet
teasingly.

"I take it all back. When I see Dad I sh