e in, and once or twice
they managed to smuggle poor Ferd along.

"I wish we could go out for a row on the lake," remarked Billie one
evening, as she gazed at the moonlight on the water.

Her wish was gratified the very next day. The boys invited them out,
having first obtained Miss Walters' consent to let them go.

Rose Belser had looked and smiled her prettiest--and that was a good
deal--the first time she happened to meet the boys and girls together.
But as the boys were too much interested in the fun they were going to
have to take much notice of her, she had merely tossed her pretty black
head and sauntered off in the opposite direction.

"Somehow or other I can't get next to that girl Rose," remarked Chet to
his sister, when the whole crowd was out on the lake.

"Well, Rose is rather peculiar in some respects," answered Billie, not
caring to say too much.

"What do you say to a race?" cried Teddy, after they had been rowing
around for a while.

"Don't upset!" exclaimed Vi warningly.

"No upsetting to-day, thank you," put in Ferd, who was in the crowd.

The girls were quite willing that the boys should race, and away they
went up the lake for half a mile or more. Teddy was carrying Billie,
and, of course, he exerted himself to the utmost to win the race.

"Here is where we put it all over you!" cried Chet, who was carrying
Laura.

"This race belongs to me," panted Ferd, who had Vi as a passenger.

A number of the boys and girls on the lake shore were watching the
contest, and wondering who would win. In the crowd, more out of
curiosity than anything else, were Amanda and Eliza.

"Huh! I wouldn't care to be on the lake with those boys," snapped
Amanda. "First thing they know they'll upset."

"They must be splashing water all over each other," was Eliza's comment.

At first it was almost an even race, but gradually Chet and Teddy drew
ahead.

"Oh, I guess it's going to be a tie," murmured Billie.

"Not much!" gasped Teddy, and put on an extra spurt which soon sent him
quite a distance ahead.

"Hurrah! We win!" shouted Billie triumphantly.

"All right, I guess you do!" flung out her brother. "I guess I ate too
much for dinner. That's the reason I couldn't row so well," he explained
lamely.

"Oh, dear! I wish we got as much as that to eat," sighed Laura.

The boat race had just come to a finish when those out on the lake heard
a cry from the shore. There seemed to be a great commotion among th