you if any one
goes bouncing around in the boat, it will be just as bad as being
bewitched by the water cow, you'll go to the bottom!"

"I can row, too," said Sandy.

Jean wished she hadn't come, but she was bound she would not show
it before the boys, so she said, "Sal! who's afraid?" and when
they found the boat, she was the first one in it.

Angus was so sure that no one would find his boat, which was
carefully screened by the bushes, that he had not even hidden the
oars. So it was soon afloat with Jock at the tiller, Sandy on the
bottom, Jean in the prow holding to the sides of the boat,
scarcely daring to speak for fear of upsetting it, and Alan at
the oars. The lake was smooth, and they reached the opposite
shore without mishap, except that twice Alan "caught a crab" and
splashed water all over Jock, and Sandy filled both shoes as he
jumped out of the boat. They pulled it up under the shelter of
the dead pine, anchored it by a stone, and cautiously made their
way into the woods.

They were now in a very wild section of the mountains, where it
seemed as if no one had ever been since the beginning of the
world.

"Just hear the stillness," whispered Jean, keeping close to Jock.
There was a sort of trail leading back into the woods, which
looked as if it might have been made by wild animals going to the
lake for a drink. This they followed for some distance until it
became indistinct, and then Alan called the Clan together for
counsel.

"We'll go just a little farther," he said, "and then, if we don't
see any sign of the place, it may be best to go back, for it is
easy to get lost in these woods. We are going east now and
luckily the sun is shining. When we do turn back, we must keep
the sun behind us and we can't help coming out somewhere on the
lake. Remember the pewit call if we lose sight of each other."

They resumed their stealthy walk through the woods, and a few
rods farther on came to a wide open space which sloped eastward
for some distance down the mountain-side. Here they paused.

"We're getting a good way from the boat," said Jean.

"Yes," said Alan, "and I am just wondering whether we'd better go any
farther. We don't want to cross this open space, and I see no sign of
Angus's storehouse. I hate to give up, though, for we must be very
near it." He searched in every direction with his eyes, and suddenly
exclaimed under his breath, "Look there!"

"Where?" breathed the Clan, rigid with excite