ne."

"Thank you!" gasped out Jack, in return. "Maybe we
can--make--the--shore. The wind seems--to--be--going--down."

"Sure, we'll make it!" put in Randy. The fright of the girls in his
boat had somewhat nettled him and he was resolved to land them safely
without assistance.

But it was a time of peril as well as exhausting effort; and all of the
Rovers were glad enough when the last of the drifting lumber was passed
and they came within hailing distance of the shore. The wind had now
gone down considerably, and most of this was to be felt farther out on
the lake.

"Let us take them right down to the school dock," sang out Randy. "We
can turn down the lake, and the wind will be just strong enough to help
us;" and so it was arranged.

When the two rowboats came within sight of the school dock, those on
board found fully a dozen of the scholars there, along with two of the
teachers.

"Are you safe?" cried one of the teachers, as soon as the boats came
within hailing distance.

"Yes, Miss Glover. We are all right," answered Ruth.

"Only we are rather wet," added May.

"And I'm awfully glad to get back," broke in Annie, who was fairly
shivering over her trying experience.

"Well, anyway, I think you cadets did perfectly splendid," remarked
Alice.

"Indeed they did!" broke out Ruth, quickly. "I don't believe anyone
could have managed these boats better;" and she bestowed a glance of
admiration first on Jack and then on his cousins.

"It was a terrible blow, and it came up so quickly that we all grew
alarmed for your safety," said Miss Glover.

"And then to think that you must get mixed up with that drifting
lumber!" put in the other teacher. "The squall was bad enough without
having anything like that happen."

"It's too bad the lumbermen had their big raft go apart like that," was
Jack's comment. "I guess those big sticks of timber are worth a good
deal of money."

"They couldn't have had the raft chained together very tightly," said
Miss Glover, who had come from a lumbering community where rafting was
frequent. "I never heard of a raft going to pieces like that."

"Well, I don't know much about lumber rafts," answered Jack.

"Say, can't we leave our two rowboats here and ride back to the Hall?"
questioned Randy. "I don't want to do any more rowing if I can help
it."

"Of course you can leave your boats here," answered Miss Glover, and
she showed where the craft might be stowed away in the boathou