bought the new boat.

"Most prob'ly she leaks like a sieve," he muttered, as he untied the boat
and pushed it out; "but I've nothing else to bring the young rascals home
in. So they'll have to bail while I row."

Carter was soon in the old boat, and pulling it across the river. As he
had expected, it leaked badly, but he was sure he could get the children
home in it.

"Come on now!" he cried, as he beached the boat, and jumped out. "For the
land's sake, how did you get so wet? But don't stop to tell me now! Just
pile in the boat, and let me get you home to a fire and some dry clothes.
You'll all have to bail, for she leaks something awful."

Not waiting for a second invitation, the damp quartet scrambled into the
boat, and Carter pulled off. The old man had provided tin cans, and the
children bailed all the way over, for it was necessary to do so to keep
the boat afloat.

As they went, Marjorie told Carter the whole story, "and you see," she
concluded, "we didn't do anything wrong, for we're always allowed to go
in a boat if King is with us."

"Oh, no, Miss Mischief, you didn't do anything wrong! Of course it wasn't
wrong to jump about in the boat and carry on until you upset it! It's a
marvel you weren't all drowned."

"It is so!" said King, who realized more fully than the others the danger
they had been in. "Why, there's Uncle Steve on the dock, and Father, too;
I wonder if they heard Midget scream."

"If they were within a mile and not stone deaf they couldn't help hearing
her," declared Carter. He rowed as fast as he could, and he made the
children keep hard at work bailing, not only to get the water out of the
boat, but because he feared if they sat still they'd take cold.

At last they reached the dock, and Uncle Steve and Mr. Maynard assisted
them out of the boat.

It was no time then for questions or comments, and Uncle Steve simply
issued commands.

"Molly," he said, "you scamper home as fast as you can fly! We have
enough to attend to with our own brood. Scoot, now, and don't stop until
you reach your own kitchen fire, and tell your mother what has happened.
As for you Maynards, you fly to Grandma's kitchen, and see what Eliza can
do for you."

Molly flew off across the lawns to her own house, running so swiftly that
she was out of sight in a moment. Then the Maynards, obeying Uncle
Steve's command, ran to the kitchen door, and burst in upon Eliza as she
was just finishing the breakfast prepar