that little
Miss Belding was quite the quickest-witted girl he had ever met. And,
later, when Laura's bright thought chanced to aid the Colonel's invalid
daughter, the old gentleman began to take a deeper interest in the
things that interested Laura.

So that, finally, through Colonel Swayne's generosity, the idea of a
fine field for girls' athletics became a possibility. This coming
summer, during the long vacation, it would be built, and the girls of
Laura's class were very proud indeed of "Mother Wit."

Now the two canoes, propelled by the twins in one and Laura and her
chum, Jess Morse, in the other, dashed toward the three boys in the
water. The power launch, flaming merrily, was allowed to take its own
sweet will across the lake.

"Now, don't you tip either of those canoes over, Purt!" Chet Belding was
angrily shouting as the girls reached the trio of water-soaked voyagers.
"Easy! You're not drowned yet."

"But, mercy, Chet!" squalled Prettyman Sweet, splashing madly. "I--I've
swallowed--ugh!--so mu-mu-much water! Help!"

He went under again, for he could not swim. But Chet brought him up with
a jerk, having still a hand upon the boy's collar.

"Stay up here!" growled Laura's brother. "Keep your face out of the
water."

"But I want to, deah boy--dontcher know!" gasped Purt.

"Yes; you want to; but you want to talk, too. Keep your mouth shut, then
you won't get water-logged," snapped Lance Darby, coming up on the other
side.

"Oh! don't be harsh with him, boys," begged Dorothy Lockwood. "He's lost
his boat."

"And that's his own fault. He _would_ smoke a cigarette," said Chet,
"and I told him the gasoline leaked."

"I wouldn't go in the old boat with him again for a farm down East with
a pig on it!" declared Lance. "Now, easy! don't you dare swamp this
canoe."

They made the almost helpless Purt seize the sharp stern of Laura's
canoe with both hands. Then Chet swam beside him to keep him from
dragging the girls' craft down, as Laura and Josephine Morse paddled for
the shore of the island.

Lance followed on with the Lockwood canoe, and both reached the shore at
about the same time. The Sweet boy struggled out upon the shore and lay
down, almost overcome. But the other boys aided the girls in getting the
cedar boats onto the shore, and out of harm's way.

"Nice mess we're in," gasped Lance, flinging himself down upon the sod,
too. "Look at us! Not fit to appear on board the _Lady of the Lake_."
T