they rose lightly on the crest of every wave. They
would surely have swamped had the usual loads been in the hatches.

"We stand a poor show of getting back to the island this night," cried
Randy in a loud enough tone for his companion to hear. "I'll be
satisfied if we find the tent. Do you think it is still afloat?"

With a half a dozen desperate strokes Ned then brought the Pioneer
alongside the Water Sprite.

"I don't know," he replied. "If the tent is still on the surface it must
have drifted pretty near by this time. We've been trying to force our
way up stream for nearly ten minutes. Keep a sharp lookout on your side,
Randy, and I'll do the same on mine."

This was by no means an easy matter. It was difficult to see with any
clearness at a distance of ten yards, and though Ned still had the
lighted lantern in his cockpit, it was impossible to make use of it and
to paddle at the same time.

For a few moments longer the boys continued the futile struggle with the
wind and current. The rain was still falling in torrents, but their
rubber coats kept them fairly dry, and the canvas aprons buttoned
tightly over the cockpits, prevented the canoes from filling.

At last, when both lads were quite in despair, a flash of lightning
revealed the tent a few yards to the left, rising and falling with the
waves.

When the difficult operation of turning the canoes down stream was
safely performed, the tent was some yards away. It was still dimly
visible and the boys soon caught up with it.

It threatened at first to be a sort of white elephant on their hands,
for the three poles were still in position, and the canvas was
hopelessly tangled about them.

Had the boys been in a boat their task would have been comparatively
easy. As it was they had to be very cautious for fear of upsetting.

Finally, by getting the unwieldy mass between them and employing their
paddles instead of hands they succeeded in dragging a portion of it upon
the fore deck of each canoe. The center still sagged in the water, but
it was impossible to make any better arrangement.

"Paddle very carefully now," was Ned's caution. "We will run into shore
at the first opportunity, and if the storm abates one of us can go up
for Clay and Nugget. The island can't be more than half a mile away."

This project, simple as it sounded, was quite impracticable at the
present time. The wind had fallen some, but the waves were still so
violent that the only safe