afe," he said. "I don't know
that I've ever met a person more able to take care of herself; but it's
darned odd--that's all I can say."

Just as he spoke a volley of shots sounded from up the river near our
camp, two close together and then one; and somebody screamed.

It was very dark. We could see lanterns flashing at our camp and
somebody was yelling hoarsely. One lantern seemed to run up and down the
beach in mad excitement, and then, out of the far-off din, Aggie, whose
ears are sharp, suddenly heard the splash of a canoe paddle.

I shall tell Tish's story of what happened as she told it to Charlie
Sands two weeks or so later.

"It is perfectly simple," she said, "and it's stupid to make such a fuss
over it. Don't talk to me about breaking the law! The girl came; I
didn't steal her."

Charlie Sands, I remember, interrupted at that moment to remind her that
she had shot a hole in the detective's canoe; but this only irritated
her.

"Certainly I did," she snapped; "but it's perfectly idiotic of him to
say that it took off the heel of his shoe. In that stony country it's
always easy to lose a heel."

But to return to Tish's story:--

"It occurred to me," she said, "that, if the launch had drifted to Mr.
McDonald's island, the canoe might have done so too; so I took a look
round. I'd been pretty much worried about having called the boy a spy
when he wasn't, and it worried me to think that he couldn't get away
from the place. I never liked the red-haired man. He was cruel to
Aggie's cat--but we've told you that.

"I knew that in the morning the detective would see the P.T.S., as we
called her, and he could get over and propose before breakfast. But when
I found the canoe--yes, I found it--I didn't intend to do anything more
than steal the detective's boat."

"Is that all?" said Charlie Sands sarcastically. "You disappoint me,
Aunt Letitia! With all the chances you had--to burn his pitiful little
tent, for instance, or steal his suitcase--"

"But on my way," Tish went on with simple dignity, "it occurred to me
that I could move things a step farther by taking the girl to Mr.
McDonald and letting him have his chance right away. Things went well
from the start, for she was standing alone, looking out over the river.
It was dark, except for the starlight, and I didn't know it was she. I
beached the canoe and she squealed a little when I spoke to her."

"Just what," broke in Charlie Sands, "does one say under